The United States Naval Academy (also known as USNA, Annapolis or, for athletic events, "Navy") is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland for the education of officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Academy often is referred to simply as "Annapolis" although naval officers normally refer to it in conversation as "The Academy," "The Boat School," or "Canoe U." Sports media refer to the Academy as Navy; this usage is officially endorsed. ROTC graduates, Officer Candidate School graduates as well as cadets from the Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and the United States Military Academy (West Point), USNA's traditional rivals, often refer to the Naval Academy as "Canoe U or "Shipwreck Tech"." The U.S. Naval Academy was established October 10, 1845.

The Academy's motto is ex scientia tridens, which is Latin for "from knowledge, seapower" (the trident, emblem of the god Neptune, representing seapower)". The Academy also supports the Navy and Marine Corps core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.