Selective Colleges Offering National Merit Scholarships
Out of the 1.6 million American teens who sit for the PSAT/NMSQT, only about 15,000 individuals will go on to be named National Merit Scholarship Finalists.
These exceptional teens not only scored insanely well on the PSAT, but also bring an exceptional high school transcript to the table. Universities have the option to sponsor a National Merit Scholarship in an effort to net freshmen who have earned this impressive distinction. However, many highly-selective schools like those in the Ivy League or Ivy-equivalent colleges choose not to participate in this merit-based scholarship program. After all, schools of this ilk naturally attract more applicants with these qualifications than they can even admit.
The following list contains 68 competitive public and private institutions that do indeed offer awards to National Merit Finalists, albeit of greatly varying amounts. For each school, we list the annual award granted by the school (from $500 all the way to full cost of attendance), whether you need to declare the college as your “first choice” through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), and whether or not the scholarship is granted automatically to qualifying students. Parlaying your status as a National Merit Scholar Finalist into a steep tuition discount is entirely possible, if you explore the schools on the list that follows.
Table Updated June 2020
| Institution | Annual Award (Semi-Finalist) | Annual Award (Finalist) | First-Choice Required? | Guaranteed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American University | None | $2,000 | Yes | No |
| Arizona State University | Up to Full Tuition | Up to Full Tuition | No | No |
| Auburn University | Up to $10,500 per year plus stipend | Up to $10,500 per year plus stipend | Yes | No |
| Baylor University | None | Up to $22,000 | Yes | No |
| Boston College | None | $1,000 | Yes | No |
| Boston University | None | $25,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Bowdoin College | None | $1,000-$2,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Brandeis College | None | $500 | Yes | Yes |
| Brigham Young University | None | Full Tuition | Yes | No |
| Carleton College | None | Minimum $2,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Case Western Reserve University | None | $1,000-$2,000 | Yes | No |
| Clemson University | None | $1,500 | No | Yes |
| Colby College | None | $500-$1,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Dickinson College | None | $2,000 | Yes | No |
| Emory University | None | $2,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Florida State University | None | Full COA | No | Yes |
| Fordham University | Full Tuition | Full Tuition | No | No |
| Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering | None | $1,000 | Yes | No |
| Furman University | None | $1,000-$2,000 | Yes | No |
| Grinnell College | None | $2,000 | Yes | No |
| Harvey Mudd College | None | $1,500 | Yes | Yes |
| Indiana University - Bloomington | None | $2,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Iowa State University | None | $5,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Kenyon College | None | $1,000 | No | Yes |
| Lawrence University | None | $2,000 | Yes | No |
| Loyola University Chicago | None | $2,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Macalester College | None | $2,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Miami University - Oxford | None | $2,000 | Yes | No |
| Michigan State University | None | $750-$2,000 | Yes | Yes |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | None | Full COA | No | No |
| Northeastern University | None | $10,000-$28,000 | No | No |
| Northwestern University | None | $500 | Yes | No |
| Oberlin College | None | $1,000 | Yes | No |
| Occidental College | None | $500-$2,000 | No | No |
| Pennsylvania State University | Maximum $2,000 | Maximum $2,000 | Yes | No |
| Pepperdine University | None | $1,000-$2,000 | Yes | No |
| Purdue University | None | $500 | Yes | Yes |
| Rhodes College | None | $500-$2,000 | No | Yes |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | None | $2,000 plus highest Pres. Schol. | Yes | Yes |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | None | $1,000-$2,000 | No | Yes |
| Rutgers University | None | $1,000 | Yes | No |
| Santa Clara University | None | $2,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Southern Methodist University | None | $5,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Texas A&M University | $3,000 | $7,000 | No | Yes |
| Texas Tech University | None | Full COA | Yes | No |
| Trinity University | None | $2,000 | Yes | No |
| Tufts University | None | $1,000 | No | No |
| Tulane University | None | $2,000 | Yes | Yes |
| University of Alabama | $26,000 | Full COA plus stipend | No | Yes |
| University of Arizona | $13,500 | $18,000 | Yes | Yes |
| University of Florida | None | $500 | Yes | Yes |
| University of Kansas | None | $10,000 | Yes | Yes |
| University of Kentucky | None | Full Tuition plus housing stipend | Yes | Yes |
| University of Maryland | None | $750-$1,000 | Yes | No |
| University of Miami | None | $1,000-$2,000 | Yes | No |
| University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | None | $11,000 | Yes | No |
| University of Richmond | None | $750-$2,000 | Yes | No |
| University of Rochester | None | Varies | Yes | No |
| University of South Carolina | None | Up to $10,000 | Yes | No |
| University of Southern California | None | $28,000+ | Yes | Yes |
| University of Tulsa | Full Tuition | Full Tuition | Yes | No |
| University of Wisconsin - Madison | None | $3,000 | Yes | No |
| Washington and Lee | None | $750-$3,750 | Yes | Yes |
| Washington State University | Full Tuition | Full Tuition | Yes | No |
| Whitman College | None | $2,000 | No | Yes |
| Vanderbilt University | None | $2,000-$5,000 | No | Yes |
| Villanova University | None | $500-$2,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Whitman College | None | $1,000-$2,000 | Yes | Yes |
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