Consider the California Maritime Academy:
A maritime academy is a college that teaches you how to become a ship's officer or captain. Although there aren't as many jobs on ships as there once were, the skills you learn (engineering, management, business administration) are broadly applicable in today's economy.
The smallest and most specialized of the California State University campuses, the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo enrolls less than a thousand students - that makes it about the size of Drake High School! I wonder why more Drake students don't go here? You have to like boats of course, but with majors like business administration, global studies and various types of engineering you don't necessarily have to become a ship's captain or officer after you graduate.
Cal Maritime says it has a nearly 100% job placement rate for its graduates, with much-higher-than-average starting salaries. (This is true for all maritime academies.) They also have really good water polo and sailing teams. And, you get to cruise the world on their training ship the Golden Bear:
There are several other maritime academies in the United States:
Maine Maritime Academy
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy at King's Point, New York (this one is
free!)
United States Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut (also free, but you have to
serve in the Coast Guard afterwards.)
State University of New York Maritime College
Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Michigan
Texas Maritime Academy