Is Auburn a Military College?

Hey guys! I'm considering applying to Auburn University, and I've heard rumors it's a military college. Is this true? What does it really mean to be at a 'military college', and how might it affect my college experience?

Auburn University is not officially categorized as a military college. Military colleges, such as the United States Military Academy (also known as West Point) or the Naval Academy, refer to schools that are primarily focused on preparing students for service in the armed forces. These institutions often require a military service commitment upon graduation in exchange for a fully funded education.

While Auburn University is not a military college, it hosts Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) programs, which provide professional military education and training to students who wish to seek careers as military officers after graduation. ROTC programs are a common feature of many civilian colleges and universities and aren't exclusive to military schools.

Being a part of ROTC can take up a significant amount of time, including physical fitness training, classroom lectures, and leadership laboratories, in addition to the standard coursework. Still, participation in these programs is mostly optional, and only a small subset of students typically enroll in them. Therefore, unless you choose to participate in ROTC, your day-to-day college experience at Auburn wouldn't be significantly impacted by the military aspect.

That being said, if you're interested in both pursuing a standard academic degree and preparing for a career in the armed forces, Auburn University could be a good fit for you, since you can balance your ROTC commitments with your other academic and extracurricular pursuits. You can learn more about ROTC at Auburn here: https://auburn.edu/academic/rotc/.

If you're not interested in ROTC or a military aspect to your education, Auburn has plenty to offer! Their admission site lists ten ways to connect, from getting in touch with a current undergrad student to hear more about Auburn life, to traditional campus tours, to a curated virtual space for potential future students to collaborate and connect: https://auburn.edu/admissions/connect.php. Any one of these is a great option for learning more about Auburn and its offerings.

I hope this helps answer your question!