Army ROTCRanger ChallengeDrill TeamColor GuardArmy ROTC at Wichita State University
Shocker Battalion · Shocker
Army ROTC at Wichita State University commissions officers alongside Friends University cross-town students.
About this program
Army ROTC at Wichita State University runs as Shocker Battalion, an officer-accessions battalion for the U.S. Army.
Partner schools — Friends University, Newman University, Butler Community College, and Tabor College — round out the corps. The battalion 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 Shocker Battalion ride a national scholarship — AROTC 4-Year National for the high-school awards, plus on-campus side-loads for college programmers. Wichita State University is academically strong in business and political science, which is well-aligned with the services' branching priorities.
Scholarships available here
Scholarship route obligating service in the Army Reserve or National Guard rather than active duty.
Service obligation: 8 years
Active-duty enlisted soldiers transition to officer via ROTC with several scholarship options (2-year, 3-year, 4-year).
Service obligation: 8 years
On-campus scholarship awarded to enrolled cadets at the start of their MS-II year.
Service obligation: 6 years
Covers full tuition and fees OR room and board (your choice), plus a $420/month stipend (10 months/yr) and $1,200/yr book allowance. Merit-based board score with PT assessment and SAT/ACT. Application opened June 14, 2026; final deadline to start an application is March 4, 2027. Three selection boards (Oct, Jan, Mar). 8-year total service obligation; you can exit after freshman year with no obligation.
Service obligation: 8 years
Cross-town & partner schools served
Students at these schools can commission through Shocker Battalion by commuting to Wichita State University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Wichita State University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Wichita State University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Wichita State University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Wichita State University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Wichita State University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Wichita State University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Wichita State University.
Contact & location
Located at: Wichita State University, Wichita, KS 67226
Army ROTC FAQ
Where is Shocker Battalion located?
Shocker Battalion is hosted at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. The battalion's training events, classes, and PT all run on the Wichita State University campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Shocker Battalion?
In addition to Wichita State University, students enrolled at Friends University, Newman University, Butler Community College, Tabor College, McPherson College, Hutchinson Community College, and Sterling College can contract through Shocker Battalion 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 Shocker Battalion?
Army ROTC cadets at this battalion compete for AROTC 4-Year National, AROTC 3-Year Advanced, Minuteman (Reserve/Guard), Green-to-Gold (prior-enlisted). National awards apply out of high school; on-campus side-loads kick in once a cadet is enrolled and contracted.
What's the Army ROTC summer training for cadets at Shocker Battalion?
After the MS-III year, cadets ship to Cadet Summer Training (Advanced Camp) at Fort Knox for the 31-day capstone evaluation that drives branching and order-of-merit standing.
Can students at other schools join Shocker Battalion?
Yes — Shocker Battalion accepts cross-town and partner students from 7 other institutions, including Friends University, Newman University, Butler Community College, Tabor College. See the cross-town options for distance and enrollment paths.
Can I commission through Shocker Battalion as any major?
Army programs accept students from most academic majors at Wichita State University. Some scholarships and commissioning options (e.g., nursing, engineering, foreign-language) carry major requirements — confirm with the unit before declaring.
How do I contact Shocker Battalion?
See the contact section for current cadre information.
Interested in Shocker Battalion?
Send your details and the cadre can reach out about visits, scholarships, and next steps.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or any branch of the U.S. military.