OSU Army ROTC earns top 15 national ranking
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Media Contact: Page Mindedahl | Communications Specialist | 405-744-9782 | page.mindedahl@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University’s Army ROTC program has been recognized among the best in the nation, ranking No. 13 out of 294 programs evaluated by the U.S. Army Cadet Command.
The distinction reflects the outstanding performance of OSU cadets at Advanced Camp, a rigorous 35-day training and evaluation exercise held each summer at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
The national ranking is determined using the average of each cadet’s individual score from Advanced Camp. As part of the Army ROTC curriculum, every cadet attends the training between their junior and senior years. The experience is a critical step toward commissioning as a U.S. Army officer, testing cadets’ tactical expertise, leadership ability and readiness to lead in complex environments.
This summer, OSU sent 21 cadets to Advanced Camp. Of those, two ranked in the top 5% of all participants, two in the top 10% and five within the top 25% nationally. With nearly 6,000 cadets from across the United States and its territories attending, OSU’s average performance placed the Cowboy Battalion among the elite at No. 13 overall.
“Our ranking shows that the Cowboy training method works,” said Dax Hughes, Cowboy Battalion commander. “It develops cadets who excel under pressure and are ready to lead. Advanced Camp was rewarding because it gave us a chance to apply our leadership skills and tactical knowledge to simulated combat. Working alongside cadets from across the nation showed that our program set us apart, it reinforced that Oklahoma State ROTC is building leaders who are confident, competent and ready to serve.”
At Fort Knox, cadets are evaluated across several demanding categories, including physical fitness, land navigation, marksmanship, warrior skills and leadership. The leadership evaluation, one of the most challenging components, measures each cadet’s ability to plan, communicate and lead tactical missions with a team of peers from across the nation.
For OSU cadet Clara Womeldorph, the program’s national ranking reflects years of dedication from both students and cadre.
“This ranking for OSU ROTC means so much,” she said. “It means that what we are doing here at Oklahoma State matters. ROTC is about developing leadership and the future junior officers of the Army, and this incredible ranking has shown that our training and hard work are paying off.”
Womeldorph credited the cadre for their leadership and commitment to excellence.
“Without their support, guidance or countless hours spent training and preparing us, we wouldn’t have become the successful program we are today,” she said. “They’ve been great role models, mentors and teachers to all of us at the Cowboy Battalion.”
The Cowboy Battalion’s success coincides with a milestone year for the program, which is set to commission 23 cadets between December and May, its largest class in two decades.
The achievement underscores the strength, discipline and leadership excellence that continue to define OSU Army ROTC and its commitment to developing the next generation of Army officers.