STEPHENVILLE — A record 220 cadets will make up the Texan Corps of Cadets at Tarleton State University this fall, marking a new milestone for the growing program and advancing the university’s strategic goal of earning federal designation as a Senior Military College by 2030.
The fall 2026 Corps includes 103 first-year cadets, also a record for the program. The continued growth reflects Tarleton State’s commitment to preparing young men and women for military commissions and leadership roles.
“This record class represents much more than enrollment growth,” said Col. Douglas L. Simon, Commandant of Cadets and Dean of the College of Leadership and Military Studies. “It demonstrates Tarleton State’s substantial commitment to preparing young men and women to serve as commissioned officers in the armed forces and a life of leadership defined by service and character.”
The Senior Military College designation is currently held by six institutions under federal law. Tarleton State is advancing toward that goal by expanding the Texan Corps of Cadets, increasing commissioning opportunities and investing in academic programs and leadership initiatives.
“Senior Military College designation is, in many ways, the Ivy League status for colleges and universities hosting ROTC programs,” Col. Simon said. “Achieving that distinction would reaffirm the depth of Tarleton State’s commitment to developing exceptional leaders and commissioned officers while making the university and the Texan Corps of Cadets even more nationally distinctive.”
Fourteen Tarleton State cadets earned commissions in May 2026, with additional growth in commissioning rates projected in the coming years. Enrollment in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Leadership and Strategic Studies also has increased from eight majors in October 2025 to 46 in August 2026.
The university also established the Center for Leadership and Strategic Studies, which was approved by The Texas A&M System Board of Regents in 2025. The center is designed to develop young leaders through education, research and service focused on domestic and international security issues.
Tarleton State also has expanded ROTC opportunities through an agreement with Air Force ROTC that brings a cadre to campus to offer aerospace studies courses alongside the university’s Army ROTC program. Donor support provides cadet scholarships, while university resources help offset uniform costs.
“We are building an incredibly distinctive organization that develops leaders prepared to serve wherever they are called,” Simon said. “The progress we are seeing across the Corps, our academic programs and commissioning pipeline is positioning Tarleton State for the future.”
Established in 1917, the Texan Corps of Cadets carries forward more than a century of military tradition at Tarleton State. Re-established as a coeducational organization in 2016, the Corps provides leadership development opportunities for students from all academic majors. Cadets may pursue military commissions through ROTC or follow a civilian leadership track with no military obligation.
To learn more about the Texan Corps of Cadets, visit corps.tarleton.edu/.
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