Air Force/Space Force ROTCVerifiedDrill TeamColor GuardAir Force ROTC at Cornell University
Yes — Cornell University hosts Air Force ROTC on campus through Detachment 520 Cornell University. Students from 4 partner schools also join it cross-town.
Detachment 520 Cornell University · Big Red · 520
AFROTC at Cornell University commissions officers alongside Ithaca College cross-town students.
About this program
AFROTC at Cornell University runs as Detachment 520 Cornell University (Det 520), an officer-accessions detachment for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.
Partner schools — Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College — round out the corps. The detachment runs one training schedule for the consortium, so a cross-town cadet sees the same cadre and contracting boards as a host-school student.
Most contracted cadets at Detachment 520 Cornell University ride a national scholarship — AFROTC HSSP Type 1 (full tuition) for the high-school awards, plus on-campus side-loads for college programmers. Cornell University is academically strong in business and political science, which is well-aligned with the services' branching priorities.
Scholarships at this unit
Tuition + fees capped at $18,000/yr, plus $900/yr textbook allowance and monthly stipend ($300-$500); may convert to a housing scholarship (up to $10,000/yr). AY27-28 minimums: SAT 1310 / ACT 28 / CLT 93, GPA 3.3. Window: July 1 - December 11, 2026. Award type is fixed at selection - no upgrades.
Service obligation: 4 years
In-College Scholarship Program for freshmen/sophomores already enrolled in AFROTC. Merit-based with fall and spring selection phases; same capped/uncapped structure as HSSP plus the $10,000/yr housing conversion. The General Charles McGee Leadership Award (CMLA) covers non-scholarship cadets who receive an enrollment allocation.
Service obligation: 4 years
Tuition + fees capped at $36,000/yr, plus $900/yr textbook allowance and monthly stipend ($300-$500); may convert to a housing scholarship (up to $10,000/yr). Type 4 replaced the old in-state Type 7 award in the current HSSP structure. AY27-28 minimums: SAT 1310 / ACT 28 / CLT 93, GPA 3.3. Window: July 1 - December 11, 2026.
Service obligation: 4 years
Full tuition with no cap + $900/yr textbook allowance + monthly stipend ($300 freshman to $500 senior); may convert to a housing scholarship (up to $10,000/yr). Most competitive tier. AY27-28 minimums: SAT 1310 / ACT 28 / CLT 93, unweighted GPA 3.3, single test sitting. Window: July 1 - December 11, 2026; two boards (Oct 2026, Mar 2027). 4-year active-duty obligation (longer for rated career fields).
Service obligation: 4 years
Cross-town and partner schools
Students at these schools can join Detachment 520 Cornell University. They travel to Cornell University for training.
Cross-enroll students take Aerospace Studies courses at Cornell University.
Contact this unit
ROTCScholar is an independent directory. We do not run Detachment 520 Cornell University, and we cannot answer questions about it. The details below belong to the unit. Use them to reach the unit directly.
Unit email
afrotc@cornell.eduThis is the address Detachment 520 Cornell University publishes. You can email the unit directly. Or use the form below, and we will forward your message to that same address.
Phone: 607-255-4004
Official site: https://www.afrotc.cornell.edu
Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
Air Force ROTC FAQ
Does Cornell University have Air Force ROTC?
Yes — Cornell University hosts Air Force ROTC on campus through Detachment 520 Cornell University. Students from 4 partner schools also join it cross-town.
Is Detachment 520 Cornell University a host unit or cross-town?
Detachment 520 Cornell University is the host unit, based at Cornell University. Students at 4 partner schools join it cross-town and train at Cornell University.
Where is Detachment 520 Cornell University located?
Detachment 520 Cornell University is hosted at Cornell University in New York. The detachment's training events, classes, and PT all run on the Cornell University campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Detachment 520 Cornell University?
In addition to Cornell University, students enrolled at Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College can contract through Detachment 520 Cornell University via cross-town agreements. Cross-town cadets keep their primary academics at the partner school and travel to the host for ROTC-side coursework.
What scholarships are available through Detachment 520 Cornell University?
AFROTC cadets at this detachment compete for AFROTC HSSP Type 1 (full tuition), AFROTC HSSP Type 2 ($18k cap), AFROTC HSSP Type 7 (in-state), ICSP (in-college). National awards apply out of high school; on-campus side-loads kick in once a cadet is enrolled and contracted.
What's the AFROTC summer training for cadets at Detachment 520 Cornell University?
Between sophomore and junior year, cadets compete for slots at AFROTC Field Training at Maxwell AFB — the gate that converts a GMC cadet into a POC contracted cadet.
How big is the corps at Detachment 520 Cornell University?
Public corps-size figures aren't always published year-to-year; AFROTC detachments in this size class generally carry between several dozen and a few hundred contracted cadets depending on host enrollment.
What's the commissioning path through Detachment 520 Cornell University?
Cadets who complete the four-year AFROTC curriculum and meet medical, fitness, and academic standards commission as officers in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. The detachment reports through Air Force ROTC (Holm Center).
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