Marine Transportation degree programs are on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of popularity. In fact, the major ranks #283 out of the 395 majors we look at each year. While this may limit the number of schools that offer the degree program, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 6 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Marine Transportation Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,493 degrees in marine transportation to qualified students.
The marine transport program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Marine Transportation rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for marine transportation schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
The marine transport school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Marine Transportation Schools.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Schools for Marine Transportation in the United States
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the marine transport degrees they offer, see the list below.
It's hard to beat SUNY Maritime College if you want to pursue a degree in marine transportation. SUNY Maritime College is a small public college located in the large city of Throggs Neck. This college ranks 76th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were about 167 marine transportation students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Maritime College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the marine transportation degree program at SUNY Maritime College earn $16,085 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
Texas A&M University - College Station is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in marine transportation. Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Texas A&M College Station is a great university overall.
There were roughly 63 marine transportation students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Marine Transportation degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station receive an earnings boost of approximately $23,732 over the average income of marine transportation graduates.
California State University Maritime Academy is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in marine transportation. Located in the midsize city of Vallejo, Cal Maritime is a public university with a fairly small student population. This university ranks 79th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 66 marine transportation students who graduated with this degree at Cal Maritime in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the marine transportation program at California State University Maritime Academy get $23,752 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
Maine Maritime Academy is a good decision for students interested in a degree in marine transportation. Located in the rural area of Castine, Maine Maritime is a public school with a fairly small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #630 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Maine Maritime is a great school overall.
There were roughly 51 marine transportation students who graduated with this degree at Maine Maritime in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the marine transportation degree program at Maine Maritime Academy make $19,013 above the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
Located in the city of Traverse City, NMC is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 46th out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were roughly 37 marine transportation students who graduated with this degree at NMC in the most recent data year. Marine Transportation degree recipients from Northwestern Michigan College earn a boost of about $23,569 over the average income of marine transportation majors.
Maritime is a small public school located in the large suburb of Buzzards Bay. A Best Colleges rank of #604 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Maritime is a great school overall.
There were about 49 marine transportation students who graduated with this degree at Maritime in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the marine transportation degree program at Massachusetts Maritime Academy get $20,475 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
The marine transport program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Marine Transportation rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for marine transportation schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
