Webb Institute — Free Tuition and Great Career
Our interest in the working waterfront and careers in the marine trades gave us extra interest in a press release from the Webb Institute in Glen Cove, NY, announcing the college has returned to US News‘ Best Colleges Rankings at No. 3. Bay Area naval architect Jim Antrim and marine engineer Paul Kamen are both graduates of Webb Institute’s excellent program. They also graduated without student debt because all 100 students currently enrolled get a full scholarship.
Antrim commented, “Attending Webb (then named “Webb Institute of Naval Architecture”) was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It was tough — very hard work. It was tiny — incoming class then was 24 students. You knew everyone. It was cheap, i.e., no tuition. Room and board was $500/semester when I started and $600 when I finished. I loved the sailing program. The required Winter Work periods were invaluable and fun. They had a strict honor code — no cheating, etc. The world today could benefit from some honor and integrity.”
“The naval architecture/marine engineering curriculum was ship-based, but the basic principles learned made for a very small step to my dream of being a yacht designer. Many Webb graduates went directly into other engineering fields.
“Paul (Kamen) and I overlapped. He was one class behind me. I’m attaching a couple sailing team photos that are favorites of mine. See if you can find us.”
Mark Martecchini, president of Webb Institute, stated, “Our students receive individual attention, a full-tuition scholarship and substantial experience in the field before they graduate. Our return to the US News rankings isn’t because Webb changed its model; it’s because the broader higher education landscape is finally measuring what matters most: student success and real-world outcomes.”
The 2027 rankings also give greater weight to student outcomes. More than half of an institution’s overall score is based on measures including graduation and retention, social mobility for low-income students and postgraduate earnings. A new “Earnings by Major” measure evaluates earnings four years after graduation for employed federal financial aid recipients, comparing graduates within their fields of study.
Bay Area sailors who’ve walked the Belvedere waterfront may also have noticed the China Cabin, which was removed from a scrapped sidewheel steamer built by William Henry Webb, who endowed and founded the school in 1889.