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About the Corps & Its History

The Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets is a student-led, military-style leadership organisation at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Established with the university itself in 1876, it is the oldest student organisation on campus and the largest uniformed student body in the United States outside the five federal service academies. The Corps’ stated mission is to develop well-educated leaders of character, prepared for the global leadership challenges of the future — a mission rooted in the Corps values of honour, integrity, discipline, respect, courage and selfless service.

The Corps is the keeper of many of Texas A&M’s most cherished traditions, including Muster, Silver Taps and Midnight Yell, and for nearly 150 years it has developed graduates prepared to lead the nation in the military and in the public and private sectors. Cadets live together in the Quadrangle — “the Quad” — the Corps’ own area of campus with its dormitories, Duncan Dining Hall and training fields, entered through the Corps Arches. All cadets also take leadership classes through the university’s School of Military Science, coordinated by the Commandant’s Office.

What sets the Corps apart from an ordinary college experience is that it is a complete leadership laboratory: cadets run the organisation themselves through a chain of command, from freshman “fish” up through senior leaders who command outfits of more than 40 cadets. Special units give the Corps its public face — the Ross Volunteers, the nationally champion Fish Drill Team, and the world-famous Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band all belong to the Corps.

What It Offers: Programmes & Majors

Cadets are full Texas A&M students first: they may pursue any of the university’s 140+ undergraduate degree programmes across engineering, business, agriculture and life sciences, liberal arts, education, architecture, science and more. The Corps consistently posts a grade-point average that matches or exceeds the university-wide average — academic excellence is an explicit part of the Corps identity.

Alongside their degrees, every cadet completes the Corps leadership programme, which includes:

• School of Military Science classes — formal leadership education coordinated by the Commandant’s Office, required of all cadets.
• ROTC coursework — required during the freshman and sophomore years, giving cadets formal leadership instruction and practical leadership experience. Texas A&M hosts Army ROTC, Naval ROTC (Navy and Marine Corps options), Air Force ROTC Detachment 805 (Air Force and Space Force) and a Coast Guard Auxiliary University Program.
• The Hollingsworth Center for Ethical Leadership — which awards Certificates in Applied Leadership Studies in partnership with the National Medal of Honor Institute; more than 180 certificates were awarded in a single recent year.
• Special units — including the Ross Volunteers (the official honour guard for the Governor of Texas), the Fish Drill Team (national drill-meet winners), and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, plus outfit-level leadership positions for juniors and seniors.

Admission Requirements

Joining the Corps is refreshingly straightforward compared with the federal service academies: acceptance to Texas A&M University is the only prerequisite for joining this leadership training programme. There is no congressional nomination, no separate Corps entrance examination and no fitness test to clear before you arrive. The key points from the Corps’ own guidance are:

• University admission is the sole requirement. Anyone admitted to Texas A&M — freshman, transfer or continuing student — may join the Corps.
• Most cadets enter as freshmen. Incoming freshmen apply for Corps membership before Cadet Onboarding in August.
• Upperclassmen are welcome. Students who join after beginning their college career must demonstrate a plan to spend at least two full years in the Corps — a semester as a “fish” followed by continued Corps membership through senior year.
• ROTC classes are part of the deal. Cadets take ROTC classes during their freshman and sophomore years; these provide the formal leadership education at the heart of the programme. There is, however, no military service commitment attached to Corps membership itself.
• Commissioning requires Corps membership. Every student who pursues a military commission through one of Texas A&M’s ROTC programmes must be a member of the Corps of Cadets.

How to Apply: Step by Step

1. Apply to Texas A&M University. Submit your application for undergraduate admission to Texas A&M (via the university’s admissions portal). You do not need to decide about the Corps before you are admitted — but starting early in your junior year of high school is recommended.
2. Complete the Future Cadet Form. Once you are considering the Corps, fill in the Future Cadet Form on the Corps website. This puts you in touch with the Corps Recruiting team, who will send personalised information and invitations to recruiting events.
3. Talk to a Corps recruiting representative. Call (979) 845-9232 or email aggiecorps@tamu.edu with questions. Consider attending a recruiting programme such as Spend the Night with the Corps, the Corps Leadership Invitational, a campus open house, or a virtual information session.
4. Choose your ROTC programme. When you sign up for the Corps, you will select which ROTC programme you will take classes with: Army, Navy/Marine, or Air Force/Space Force (Coast Guard AUP is also available for those interested).
5. Attend a New Student Conference. All incoming Texas A&M students attend a New Student Conference to transition into university life and complete in-processing with their chosen ROTC programme.
6. Complete Freshman Onboarding Week. This mandatory programme runs before the fall semester begins and introduces new cadets to the Corps lifestyle, academic expectations and Aggie traditions. Then you report to the Quad as a “fish” and begin.

Tuition & Costs

Cadets pay the same Texas A&M tuition as any other Aggie — there is no extra “Corps fee” for membership itself. According to the university’s official published figures, the estimated annual cost of attendance (nine months, including tuition and fees, housing and food, books, transport and personal expenses) is approximately $33,180 for Texas residents and approximately $62,272 for non-resident and international students.

The tuition-and-fees portion alone runs to roughly $13,000 per year for in-state students and roughly $40,000 per year for out-of-state students (published 2024–25 figures; figures change annually, so confirm current rates on the university’s Aggie One Stop site before budgeting). This is where the Corps’ in-state tuition benefit matters enormously: because Corps membership qualifies non-resident cadets for in-state tuition, an out-of-state cadet can effectively cut the tuition bill by tens of thousands of dollars a year.

Financial support is strong. The Corps reports that 98% of eligible cadets were awarded scholarships for the 2024–25 school year, and ROTC programmes offer their own national and campus-based scholarships — Army ROTC four-year awards, for example, are valued in excess of $100,000 and can combine with programmes covering room and board. As with any university, file the FAFSA early and check the Corps scholarships page for Corps-specific awards.

Service & Career Outcomes

Joining the Corps does not obligate you to military service — a common misconception. Many cadets complete all four years as leaders and graduate into civilian careers in engineering, business, law, medicine, public service and more, carrying the leadership credential of the Corps into the job market. The organisation’s own figures note that for nearly 150 years it has developed graduates prepared to lead in the military and across the public and private sectors.

For those who do want to serve, the commissioning pipeline is one of the largest in the nation outside the service academies. Cadets contract with one of the ROTC programmes — Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Space Force — and commission as officers on graduation; a Coast Guard path is available through the Auxiliary University Program. From August 2024 through May 2025 alone, 235 cadets commissioned into the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard. Contracted cadets accept the standard ROTC service obligation (typically several years of active-duty service, varying by branch and scholarship), while non-contracted cadets graduate with no military obligation at all.

The career signal of the Corps is powerful either way: employers and graduate schools recognise four years of progressively responsible leadership — running a 40-plus-person outfit as a senior is genuine management experience, not a line on a CV.

Frequently Asked Questions