Iowa State University

Iowa State's Cyclone Battalion carries a genuinely elite track record among Midwestern programs: in past national cycles it has won more nationally competitive ROTC scholarships than any other battalion in the country, claimed the Commissioning Excellence Award for producing the highest percentage of cadets in the top 20 percent of the national Order of Merit List, and posted the highest average APFT score in the nation among the 273 programs. Located in Ames, the battalion benefits from a large and competitive cadet corps with strong Engineering and Agriculture programs feeding the pipeline, and cadets report a culture of high standards where physical fitness and academic performance are taken seriously. The STEM-heavy student body tends to produce candidates who score well on the OML, giving Cyclone graduates above-average branch competitiveness. Fort Riley is roughly 90 miles southeast, providing some installation access for training exercises. Scholarships are competitive and the battalion has historically been among the top producers of Distinguished Military Graduates in the Midwest Brigade.