The Wall Street Journal's Statistics: Urban Retreat of ROTC

In the last few decades, the Army has pulled its officer training and recruiting programs out of the Northeast and big urban centers, choosing to concentrate on campuses in the lower-cost South and Midwest. But the decision could be expensive when it comes to diversity. (See article.)

Shifting Focus

The Army's recruiting shift has been driven largely by economics, senior Army officials say. Because urban students are less familiar with the military, officials say they are harder and more costly to recruit.

The below map shows current ROTC programs and those discontinued since 1987.

Source: Department of Defense/Population Bulletin December 2004

Officers by Region

Having scaled back its urban ROTC programs, the Army is drawing more officers from the Midwest and South and fewer from the culturally diverse big cities in New England and the West Coast.

Proportion of new Army officers by region, 2004

Source: Department of Defense/Population Bulletin December 2004

In Comparison

In New York City, which produced more than 500 military officers a year in the 1960s, the two remaining ROTC programs -- at St. John's and Fordham universities -- last year yielded 34 Army officers. In contrast, the state of Alabama, which has a student population that is about one-fourth the size of the state of New York, has 10 ROTC programs that last year produced about 200 Army officers. The South generates about 40% of all Army officers, according to Pentagon statistics.

ALABAMA NEW YORK CITY

Total Population 4.5 Million 8.2 Million

Number of ROTC Programs 10 2

Officers Produced in 2006 174 34

Source: US Army and U.S. Census Data.Photos: University of Alabama ROTC program, courtesy Major Dan Clark; St. John's ROTC program, by Greg Jaffe

Recruiting Goals

Last year, Cadet Command, which oversees the training and recruitment of ROTC officers, came up 500 officers short of its goal of producing 4,500 second lieutenants.

Army ROTC officer production

*Year not completed. Source: U.S. Army

Scholarships

Cadet Command will get about $175 million for scholarships this year in hopes of improving its recruiting score. But it won't get additional officers and sergeants to expand to urban campuses.

Value of Army ROTC Scholarships, by fiscal year. The 2007 fiscal year began Oct. 1, 2006.


*Proposed budget. Source: U.S. Army

Spending Breakdown

Scholarships and stipends make up more than half of the Pentagon's ROTC budget.


ROTC budget for fiscal year 2007, which began Oct. 1, 2006

Source: Pentagon