Does the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy have good employment opportunities after graduation?

I'm considering applying to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and I'm curious about the job prospects after graduating. How successful are graduates in securing employment, and what kind of careers do they typically enter?

Graduates from the U.S Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) are highly sought after and tend to have excellent job prospects. A significant selling point of USMMA is its post-graduate service obligation, which guarantees employment upon graduation. All graduates must serve five years in the U.S. maritime industry with eight years of service as an officer in a reserve unit of the U.S. armed forces.

There's a wide range of careers that graduates can explore after their service obligations. Some choose to work onboard merchant ships as deck or engineering officers, while others work shoreside in maritime law, ship brokerage, maritime operations and logistics, maritime regulation, or port management. Still, others use the service obligation to their advantage by opting to serve active duty in one of the branches of the military.

Furthermore, USMMA enjoys a robust network of alumni in various maritime and military sectors which can come in handy during job hunting. The connections you make during your time at USMMA can help open doors to opportunities in the maritime industry, military, or other civilian careers. While every individual's experience is unique, overall, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy tends to provide a substantial launch pad for its graduates to secure successful and fulfilling careers.