Arizona State University

ASU's Sun Devil Battalion in Tempe is one of the largest Army ROTC programs in the nation by headcount, with over 250 cadets and a commissioning average of roughly 50 second lieutenants annually — placing it in an elite tier of high-volume commissioning sources. The program was founded in 1935, making it one of the oldest in the West, and year after year it ranks among the nation's top commissioning sources by sheer output, second only to West Point and OCS in some year-over-year counts. The size of the battalion means competition among cadets is real: OML position matters because the class is large enough that branch desiderata require genuine performance. ASU's sprawling, diverse student body draws cadets from engineering, nursing, business, and pre-law, producing a wide range of branch destinations. The Maricopa Valley's military community and proximity to Luke AFB and nearby Arizona installations gives the program active-duty exposure. Scholarships are competitive given the battalion size, and the program runs an active Ranger Challenge team.