Note: This post has now been updated on October 7, 2019, to include the most recent data from the 130 public and private universities listed below. Merit scholarships are fewer than ever, and the awards are generally smaller, though some are still generous. In fact, an increasing number of colleges are offering only minimal National Merit Scholarships, if any. Most “merit” scholarships that remain are not linked specifically to National Merit, although finalists do of course make strong candidates for almost any merit awards.
Most universities now refer to their most valuable merit awards as “distinguished” or “academic” or “presidential” scholarships, avoiding the specific mention of National Merit status. NMS has become somewhat controversial, as has merit aid in general, because many advocates for more equity in higher ed believe merit money should be allocated for need-based aid.
In most cases this does not mean that National Merit Finalists and Semifinalists have a lesser shot at the scholarships, although a few schools now emphasize high test scores more than they do NMS standing. One reason could be that some states have relatively low NMS/PSAT cutoff scores. Students from these states might have, for example, an SAT confirming score of 1420 or so, versus an SAT confirming score of around 1550 for students from states with higher PSAT cutoff scores. It appears that in place of NMS status specifically, an SAT score of 1550 (ACT 35) or higher is now more important that NMS status for selective institutions and programs.
Many of the scholarships offered by the public and private institutions listed below are NOT restricted to National Merit Scholars. We include them to show “full ride” and other high-value options. If you find an error below, please notify editor@publicuniversityhonors.com.
The colleges below in bold are those that still specify National Merit status for at least some of their major awards. These offer National Merit aid of $1,000 a year or more. Although automatic scholarships specifically tied to National Merit status are in decline, National Merit Finalists will almost always be among the top candidates for merit awards.
Many elite colleges and universities offer few or no merit awards of any kind now, because they believe that they need to allocate their funds only on the basis of financial need.
Another post on this site lists the colleges that offer the prestigious Stamps Scholarships.
These range from tuition to full ride, and in some cases, these are the only merit scholarships offered by the college.
And here is a list published by U.S. News that shows colleges with highest percentage of merit aid, based on enrollment. This map does not assess actual net remaining costs after merit aid, however.
In this post, we will provide a table that shows 130 universities, public and private, which provide full or partial tuition, tuition “plus”, or full ride, and full ride merit scholarships. In most cases, the tuition is at least at the in-state level. Tuition “plus” means that the extra award can include stipends or one or more years of housing. Full ride is tuition, room, board, and often additional funds for study abroad, conferences, and other activities.
The more prestigious the university, the more likely it is that the test score and GPA requirements will at least match stats for National Merit Finalists, even if the scholarship is not tied directly to National Merit awards. It is noteworthy that universities previously known for “full rides” have lowered the merit offerings, often to a level below that of a true full ride, especially for National Merit Scholars.
Note: Merit scholarships are constantly changing; the list below is at best a snapshot for 2019-2020.
It is important to know that some of the universities listed offer VERY FEW scholarships of the type listed. For example, the Jefferson Scholarships at the University of Virginia are valued at $150,000 (in-state) and $280,000 (OOS), but only 36 extremely fortunate students are selected from more than 2,000 candidates. These students must be nominated by participating high schools in different regions of the nation.
Again, colleges that continue to offer National Merit-specific scholarships that are greater than $1,000 per year are in bold.
University | Award Type | InState/OOS |
Alabama | full ride 5 yrs, 4 yrs housing+stipend, finalist | Both |
Appalachian St | Chancellors schols | Both |
Arizona | tuition plus, stackable | Both |
Arizona State | tuition plus, stackable | Both |
Arkansas | equiv full? New Arkansan+Chancellor’s | Both |
Auburn | up to full tuition with high test scores, gpa | Both |
Baylor | NMS finalist, faculty schol full tuition; gold schols $80k+ | Both |
Boston College | tuition Presidential Schols only 15/yr | Both |
Boston University | tuition Trustee Schols 20 per yr | Both |
Case Western | Wolf scholars, full ride; Squire, Treuhaft tuition | Both |
Centre | full ride plus, Brown Fellows; several at $20k+ | Both |
Chicago | $5k to $10k/yr | Both |
Cincinnati | full ride Cincinnatus; Presidential NMS $44k | In State |
Clark | full ride, five LEEP/yr; others up to $20k/yr | Both |
Clemson | full ride 12 National Schols, via honors college | Both |
Colorado College | limited number $2500 to $5000/ semester | Both |
Connecticut | Stamps full ride very few; nutmeg full tuition? | In State |
Cooper Union | half tuition ($22,275/yr) for all enrolled | Both |
Davidson | full ride Belk Scholarship | Both |
Delaware | trustee scholars, $15k–$17k per year | Both |
Denison | from $5k to full tuition | Both |
Drake | full ride, six national alumni scholarships | Both |
Drexel | up to tuition, Drexel Merit | Both |
Duke | several full ride: BN & AB Duke, Robertson, etc. | Both |
Emory | Woodruff schols full ride, others partial | Both |
Florida | full ride Benacquisto | Both |
Florida St | full ride Benacquisto | Both |
Fordham | presidential full ride plus $5k/yr | Both |
Furman | James Duke schol, tuition plus $5k in stipends | Both |
Georgia | Foundation fellows, full, no engineering | Both |
Georgia State | Presidential 22k/yr in st; 31k/yr OOS | Both |
Georgia Tech | Stamps full ride top 1% Gtech; no NMS spons | Both |
Harvey Mudd | tuition 8 presidential schols | Both |
Holy Cross | a few tuition grants for specific majors | Both |
Houston | NM finalist full tuition; stackable Tier One, Terry | Both |
Idaho | full ride | Both |
Illinois | Stamps full ride + $12k very few | In State |
Indiana | $2k/yr plus Dean’s up to $11k/yr? | Both |
Iowa | NM finalist $3k/yr plus others up to $8500/yr | Both |
Iowa State | full tuition | In State |
Kansas | $10k year; KU Excellence $16.2k/yr OOS | In State |
Kent St | $1k to $3k | Both |
Kentucky | Singletary, Patterson tuition + housing stipend, might be stackable with others | Both |
Kenyon | multiple half and full tuition; others at $25k/yr | Both |
Lehigh | NMF $1k-$2k; Founders, Trustee full/half tuition | Both |
Louisville | NMF $20k; Brown scholars (10) tuition plus | Both? |
Loyala Chicago | $17k to $25k/yr | Both |
LSU | Stamps 10/yr full ride plus; also others $9k/yr | Both |
Maine | NM semifinalist tuition plus | Both |
Maryland | full ride Banneker/Key 150 per year | Both |
Massachusetts | tuition credits plus, Chancellor’s, Dean’s etc. | Mostly OOS |
Miami Univ | NMS $1-2k; others half/full tuition acc to sat/act | Both |
Michigan St | “Distinguished” schols award then tuition and/or full ride | Both |
Michigan | up to $20k per year; a few Stamps, full ride | Both |
Michigan Tech | Leading Scholar award, in-state full ride, OOS tuition | Both |
Minnesota | Gold Scholarships 10k year + $1k NM finalist | Both |
Minnesota Morris | NM finalists, full tuition; plus others up to $4k/yr | Both |
Mississippi | appears to approach full ride | Both |
Mississippi St | full ride presidential SAT 1450+ or maybe lower | Both |
Nebraska | tuition Regents ACT 32+ | Both |
Nevada Las Vegas | NM finalist $10k/yr plus $5k study abroad | Both |
Nevada Reno | NM finalist $16k/yr plus others stackable | Both |
New Hampshire | $5k-$10k | Both |
New Mexico | NM finalist In state tuition & housing, OOS $36k | Both |
New Mexico St | tuition & fees + $5k stipend + one yr housing | Both |
NJIT | tuition plus, must be in honors college | Both |
North Carolina | full ride few Robertson Scholars | Both |
NC Charlotte | Levine full ride, 20 per year | Both |
North Carolina St | full ride Park Scholars mostly in state or region | In Region |
Northeastern | NM finalists =”competitive” award, $25-$30k??? | Both |
Notre Dame | Stamps full ride; a few others at $25k/yr | Both |
Ohio St | 54k to full ride (for Eminence Fellows) 25/yr | Both |
Ohio Univ | Cutler scholarship = $92k across 4 years | Both |
Oklahoma St | NM finalists full ride OOS $145k | Both |
Oklahoma | 1560 SAT =full ride; NM finalist only= 80% total cost in state, but stackable options too | Both |
Oregon | NM finalist $2k/yr; Stamps full ride, 10; presidential = $9k yr | Both |
Oregon St | $40k total presidential scholarship | Both |
Pitt | full ride Chancellor’s Scholarship, 10-12 yr | Both |
Purdue | Beering and Stamps full ride+, few; trustees $10k or $12-$16k OOS | Both |
Rhodes | several from $22k to $35k | Both |
Rice | tuition for income $65-$130; half tuition for income < $200k | Both |
Richmond | up to $2k NM only; 5k to full ride for Richmond Scholars | Both |
RIT | $2k plus $20k per year nms finalists | Both |
Rose-Hulman | Class of 1940 schol half of total cost | Both |
Rochester | 2k to full tuition Dean’s Scholarships | Both |
RPI | Rensselaer medal $25k/yr math & science | Both |
Rutgers | $1k NM only; $3500 to $28k other awards | Both |
Santa Clara | Johnson schols (5) full ride; presidential full tuition | Both |
SMU | NMF only $5k; full tuition and fees presidential | Both |
South Carolina | Top Scholars (40) $127k to $176k OOS), avg SAT 1552 | Both |
Southern Illinois | full ride Chancellor’s | Both |
Southern Miss | NMF full ride; NMSF tuition | Both |
Stevens Inst Tech | tuition Neupauer, Stevens | Both |
St. Louis Univ | NMF only $2k; tuition Presidential; others $8-$23k | Both |
Swarthmore | McCabe Schols tuition minimum; up to full cost dep on need | Both |
Syracuse | 1870 schol =tuition; Coronat tuition plus lib arts | Both |
TCU | NMF $2k/yr; tuition Chancellors 1500/34 tests | Both |
Temple | $3k to full tuition for President’s scholars | Both |
Texas A&M | $33k minimum total; also Brown Schols full ride | Both |
Texas St | 10 k/year NMF | Both |
Texas Tech | NM finalist full ride | Both |
Trinity San Antonio | tuition, 20 awarded, Trinity Tower; also Murchision $26k/yr | Both |
Truman St | full ride 12 Pershing Scholarships + $4k | Both |
Tulane | tuition plus, Dean’s Honor, Paul Tulane, 5 Stamps full ride | Both |
Tulsa | tuition Presidential, about 65 per year | Both |
UCF | full ride Benacquisto | Both |
USF | full ride Benacquisto | Both |
UCLA | Regents Scholars $2k/year; 150 for all UC Campuses | Both |
UC Berkeley | Regents Scholars $2k/year; 150 for all UC Campuses | In State |
Univ at Buffalo | $15k/year for Presidential plus others possible | Both |
Univ of Miami | $6-$30k annually President’s scholarship | Both |
Univ of North Texas | full ride 122k in state; 173k OOS | Both |
USC | tuition Mork, Stamps, Trustee; NMF half tuition | Both |
UT Arlington | NM finalist 25k per year | Both |
UT Austin | 14-15 full, 40 Acres Schols; full tuition fam income< $65k, tuition break fam income< $125k | Mostly TX |
UT Dallas | full ride McDermott plus stipends and perks | Both |
UT San Antonio | $5k year Distinguished Presidential Schol | Both |
Utah | tuition and fees Presidential Scholars | Mostly UT |
Va Commonwealth | NMF & others Presidential schol $114k, avg SAT 1484 | In State |
Vanderbilt | tuition plus, Ingram, Vanderbilt, Chancellor’s | Both |
Vermont | Presidential $17 to $20k OOS; in state $5k/yr | Both |
Villanova | full ride presidential | Both |
Virginia | Jefferson scholars= $150k in state; $280k OOS | Both |
Wake Forest | full ride Carswell, Gordon, Graylyn, etc. | Both |
Washington St | NM semifinalists tuition plus | Both |
West Virginia | Full ride in for Foundation Scholars (5); Bucklew scholars $10k/year | Both |
William and Mary | full ride for “1693” Scholars; tuition Wm Mary sch | Both |
Wofford | full ride Richardson | Both |
WPI | $20k minimum Presidential | Both |
WUSTL | tuition or half tuition Danforth, Earvin, Rodriguez | Both |