Webb Institute
Webb Institute does exactly one thing: it trains naval architects and marine engineers. About 100 students, one dual major, full-tuition scholarships for everyone, and paid winter internships built into the degree.
| Location | Glen Cove, New York |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | About 100 students |
| Tuition model | Full-tuition scholarship for every student; families pay room, board, and fees (roughly $19,000 to $22,000 a year) |
| Selectivity | About 20% |
| The distinctive thing | One major only: naval architecture and marine engineering. Free tuition, 100 students. |
Campus culture
Unigo reviews are strikingly consistent: students call it one giant family, with an honor code against lying, cheating, and stealing that is taken extremely seriously, and a powerful student organization that self-governs campus life. Webbies describe themselves as hardworking perfectionists who help each other through a brutal workload of seven fast-paced courses a semester.
The honest negatives, per students: the dating scene is poor (roughly 75 percent male), the alcohol policy is very strict, the curriculum is fixed with no way around hard classes, and Glen Cove is a suburban dead end, so the bubble is real. Diversity is limited, though students describe the community as accepting.
Traditions
- The Honor Code as a lived tradition, enforced by the students themselves.
- Student self-governance: the Student Organization runs parties, clubs, and much of campus life.
- Winter Work terms: freshmen work in shipyards, sophomores crew on merchant ships, juniors and seniors work at design firms, totaling about eight months of paid industry experience by graduation.
- A whole-school annual play with everyone participating, and WOOFS, the Webb Organization of Family Singers.
Dorms and food
Everyone lives in Stevenson Taylor Hall, a historic waterfront building on Long Island Sound, and every student gets a single room. Four years of on-campus housing are guaranteed. Meals are communal in one dining hall; Niche grades campus food an A.
Social scene
Tiny and self-made: intercollegiate sailing, soccer, basketball, and volleyball, clubs, and student-organization parties that sometimes draw students from other colleges. The waterfront and small sailboat fleet are social assets.
Who thrives here
Students dead-set on ships, boats, offshore structures, or marine systems who want a guaranteed cohort, close mentorship, and a job at graduation; self-starters comfortable with everyone knowing their business.
Who should look elsewhere
Anyone unsure about engineering or the maritime industry (there is literally one major), anyone wanting academic flexibility or electives, and anyone who chafes at strict honor and alcohol codes.
Costs and financial aid
Tuition is fully covered for every student, funded by the endowment, but room, board, fees, and books still run roughly $19,000 to $22,000 a year, with financial aid available for those costs. The paid Winter Work internships offset some of it. Plug the real numbers into our true cost of college calculator to compare Webb against schools with sticker prices and big merit awards.
Admissions
Essay and interview required, with early decision in October and regular decision in January. Only about 26 to 28 freshmen are admitted per year, and classes move as a unit through four classrooms while professors rotate. Average SAT is around 1480, but the self-selecting applicant pool is the real filter. A senior thesis is required, and seniors post a 100 percent pass rate on the Fundamentals of Engineering exam.
Notable facts
- Founded in 1889 by shipbuilder William H. Webb; it is the only US college devoted entirely to naval architecture and marine engineering.
- Graduates about 25 students a year with effectively 100 percent job placement in the maritime industry.
- Tied for No. 3 among Northern regional colleges in the September 2026 U.S. News rankings (with Cooper Union), returning after years excluded for falling below survey enrollment thresholds.
- When those graduates hit the job market, our resume templates help turn eight months of Winter Work into a strong application.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Webb Institute really free?
Tuition is fully covered for all students. You still pay room, board, fees, and books, roughly $19,000 to $22,000 a year, with financial aid available for those costs.
Can I study anything besides naval architecture?
No. Webb offers one dual-degree program only: naval architecture and marine engineering.
What is Winter Work?
Four paid winter internships built into the degree: shipyard work, crewing on merchant ships, and design firm placements, totaling about eight months of industry experience by graduation.
How small is Webb really?
About 100 students total, roughly 25 per class, with four classrooms. Professors rotate; each class stays together.
Is it hard to get in?
The acceptance rate is around 20 percent with high average test scores, but the applicant pool is heavily self-selected toward students who already want ships.
Where do Webb graduates work?
Shipyards, ship design firms, offshore companies, and yacht design. The placement rate into the maritime industry is effectively 100 percent.
Is there Greek life or big sports?
No. Athletics are small-scale intercollegiate teams: sailing, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and tennis.