GREAT LAKES, Ill. – Over the previous year, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) authorized the addition of four new universities as crosstown affiliates for the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NROTC).
A crosstown agreement allows a Midshipman attending a college without a Naval ROTC unit to participate in the program by travelling to a nearby host unit for required naval science classes, physical training, and leadership labs, while completing their degree requirements at their own university.
Universities added as crosstown affiliates include:
These universities are available options to prospective Midshipmen at the start of the 2026-2027 school year.
“NROTC is still growing 100 years after it was established,” said Rear Adm. Matt Pottenburgh, Commander of NSTC. “These crosstown universities give young men and women the opportunity to attend the school that’s right for them while learning the skills necessary to lead our battle-ready Sailors and Marines. While the locations may differ, the expectations and level of instruction are the same. When our Midshipmen graduate and commission as Ensigns or 2nd Lieutenants, they will have been transformed by the Warrior Ethos which unites all who have ever worn the cloth of our nation—one of merit, unity, accountability, and high standards.”
NROTC has commissioned approximately 1,100 new Navy Ensigns and Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenants in Fiscal Year 2026.
2026 marks a century since the NROTC program was established. What started at six units with approximately 300 Naval Reserve students, has grown into one of our Nation’s proven Foundries of Navy and Marine Corps Officers at more than 170 colleges and universities across the country—forging leaders who are united in purpose, resilient in spirit, and committed to ensuring that our Navy and Marine Corps Combat Team remains trained to fight and ready to win.
NSTC, headquartered at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, transforms America’s sons and daughters into service professionals through Recruit Training Command—the Navy’s only bootcamp, Officer Training Command Newport, and NROTC.
To learn more about how NROTC develops the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps Officers, explore available scholarship opportunities, or see a complete list of available universities, please visit our website at: https://www.netc.navy.mil/NSTC/NROTC/