Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Program

One of the first questions about ROTC is “Why should I join?” One big reason is that ROTC offers educational benefits and valuable training while still allowing students to have the full college experience.

Education & Financial Benefits

Students who join ROTC can apply for a scholarship. The scholarship covers full or partial cost of tuition, fees and books as well as a monthly stipend for four years. These benefits are in exchange for mandatory active-duty service after completing ROTC. Academic advisors and on-campus ROTC recruiters will be able to answer questions about these benefits and expectations.

Professional Development

ROTC provides the opportunity to develop a professional foundation of technical and leadership skills that can benefit your future no matter what you decide to do. The program provides a structured, proven path to a career after college, including long-term guidance and continued professional education.

Becoming an Officer

When students accept an ROTC scholarship, complete the program and graduate from their college or university, they are commissioned as officers in the Military. Officers oversee and are directly responsible for leading service members under them in the chain of command. Typically, officers are employed in management roles or highly specialized fields that require professional degrees.

ROTC offers a competitive scholarship program that can make education affordable and help advance a student’s personal and professional goals. It is offered at many traditional four-year colleges and universities, senior military colleges (all branches except the Coast Guard) and junior military colleges (Army and Navy ROTC only).

While it can vary by college and branch, each ROTC program will include some form of classroom instruction, field training exercises, leadership labs and physical fitness.

ROTC General Scholarship Requirements

The requirements for the scholarship may differ by Service branch, however, to qualify for an ROTC scholarship, the applicant must:

• be a U.S. citizen
• be at least 17 years of age
• have a high school GPA of at least 2.50 (3.0 for Air Force)
• have a high school diploma or equivalent
• submit ACT or SAT scores
• meet physical standards
• agree to accept a commission and serve as an active-duty service member or in the Reserve or Guard

Applications are typically submitted by the end of the first semester of a high school student’s senior year.

Initial acceptance into an ROTC program does not guarantee continued scholarship benefits. Participants must adhere to strict academic standards to receive continued funding throughout their degree programs. Each military branch has its own rules and regulations regarding course balance, selection of a major and grade minimums.

Top ROTC College Majors

Some ROTC branches may require completion of a degree from an approved list, especially for a scholarship. Many of the top majors are beneficial for a future in the Military, such as:

• Criminal justice
• Engineering
• Computer science
• Nursing
• Education
• Cybersecurity
• Business
• Social work
• Psychology
• Information technology

Explore colleges that offer ROTC and majors like these

ROTC programs are offered by the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force. It is designed to instill cadets with confidence as they strengthen their core values of honor, courage and commitment.

The Coast Guard does not offer ROTC, but it does have a similar scholarship program called the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI). This program is for students who demonstrate academic and leadership excellence and a desire to serve in the Coast Guard.

Army ROTC

The Army ROTC program is currently offered at more than 1,000 colleges and universities across the U.S. When enrolled, the participants receive an education in topics such as leadership, military tactics, survival training and more. There is also a summer training requirement for certain participants, as well as an elective program involving training for parachute jumps, real-world leadership opportunities with active-duty service members and more.

In exchange for a service commitment, Army ROTC can provide a two-, three- or four-year scholarship, which is based on the time remaining to complete a degree. The four-year curriculum combines classroom and leadership work. During the summer between junior and senior years, there is a four-week Advanced Camp (AC) at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Upon graduation from college and successful completion of AC, they are commissioned as officers in their choice of the Army, Army Reserve or Guard.

Those who do not complete the requirements of instruction during the freshman and sophomore years must participate in a four-week training camp, called Basic Camp (also at Fort Knox), except for those who have previously completed any Service-enlisted Basic Training course or have completed a certified Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program. Once Basic Camp is completed, participants are eligible to receive the same benefits as individuals in the four-year program.

Marine Corps ROTC

It may come as a surprise, but the Navy runs the ROTC program for both the Navy and the Marine Corps and this ROTC program is the largest single source of Navy and Marine Corps officers. Students who join Marine Corps ROTC receive education and training that can prepare them for leadership positions in an increasingly technical Marine Corps.

Today Marine Corps ROTC is offered at 77 leading colleges and universities across the United States. 

When enrolled in Navy ROTC (NROTC) to become an officer in the Marine Corps (i.e., Marine-option cadets), the curriculum includes studying Marine Corps history and traditions, the evolution of warfare, amphibious warfare and all elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). Students receive instruction in management, leadership and ethics throughout the four years in the program.

Upon graduation, ROTC participants who complete the academic requirements of the Marine Corps ROTC program are offered commissions as second lieutenants in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Navy ROTC

Offered at 170 colleges and universities across the United States, the primary mission of the Navy ROTC (NROTC) program is to instruct and prepare participants to lead as officers. Much of the professional training that occurs during this four-year curriculum happens at summer training programs. Upon graduation, students who complete all academic requirements in the NROTC program commission as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps (specifics about the Marine Corps ROTC are above).

The NROTC Preparatory Program (NPP)

NROTC Preparatory Program is a one-year academic and military program that can help improve a student’s eligibility for NROTC scholarships while also providing a foundation for academic success at a sponsoring university. As part of this program, NROTC preparatory scholarship reservations (NPSR) partners with educational institutions to enhance underserved or disadvantaged scholarship applicants’ moral, mental and physical foundations.

Air Force ROTC

The Air Force ROTC (AFROTC) program is designed to develop the leadership and management skills essential for an Air Force or Space Force officer while preparing participants for assignment in a career field related to an academic specialty.

AFROTC is a four-year program offered in nearly 1,100 colleges and universities in the United States, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. It entails two distinct two-year courses: the General Military Course (GMC) and the Professional Officer Course (POC).

AFROTC also offers various Professional Development Trainings (PDTs) that consist of specialized classes and opportunities in a variety of Air Force and Space Force fields. PDTs are designed to educate on a wide range of activities and missions that the Air Force and Space Force accomplish. Air Force ROTC cadets compete for slots in PDTs, and the trainings typically occur during summer breaks when school is not in session.

Upon graduation and completion of the program, cadets will become commissioned officers in the Air Force or Space Force.

Coast Guard Pre-Commissioning Initiative

While the Coast Guard does not offer ROTC, it does have a similar scholarship program called the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI). This scholarship is designed for college students who demonstrate academic and leadership excellence and a desire to serve in the Coast Guard.

JROTC prepares student participants for life beyond the high school classroom with courses about leadership, health and wellness, physical fitness, first aid, geography, American history and government, communications and emotional intelligence. The program also teaches “soft skills” in the areas of collaboration, personal reflection and critical thinking.

More than 3,500 high schools in the United States offer JROTC, which is run by enlisted and retired service members from various military branches. The JROTC program typically lasts two to four years, with enrollment starting in 9th grade. Some schools also grant credits for core subjects taught in JROTC programs. Unlike ROTC, this program does not grant scholarships or benefits, and there is no service commitment.

College-level ROTC programs do not require enrollment in JROTC, and there is no requirement to enlist in the Military after JROTC participation.

Some examples of JROTC programs by Service branch include the following:

• Army: Raider fitness challenges, STEM camp, emergency first aid
• Navy: Navigation instruction, communication electronics, ship handling
• Air Force: Flying model programs, flight science, astronomy
• Marine Corps: Color guard, air riflery training, volunteer service
• Coast Guard: Nautical science, calisthenics