Learn which colleges award merit scholarships to the most students by public and private status and by location.
Colleges That Award Merit Scholarships to the Most Students by Public and Private Status:
Public Colleges that Award Merit Scholarships to the Most Students
If you are applying to college, then you may be wondering which public colleges and universities award merit-based scholarships to the most students. Merit-based scholarships, unlike need-based financial aid, are awarded to students based on academic or other merit rather than demonstrated financial need. The percentage of students who receive merit-based financial aid can vary dramatically by school, but in general, private colleges award more merit-based aid than public institutions. (Merit scholarships are also awarded by other entities such as churches and community organizations.) Only two schools in the entire country (neither of them public) offer merit-based aid to 100 percent of students, while some colleges award merit scholarships to as little as one percent of the student population. Especially if you do not qualify for substantial need-based financial aid, it is important to prioritize schools that offer the most merit-based assistance.
Here we present the public colleges and universities that offered merit-based financial aid to at least fifty percent of students for the 2017-18 school year:
Public Colleges & Universities that Award the Most Merit Scholarships
Institution Name |
Location |
Percent of Students Awarded Merit Scholarships |
Missouri |
85% |
|
Michigan |
78% |
|
Missouri |
78% |
|
Kentucky |
72% |
|
Georgia |
69% |
|
South Carolina |
69% |
|
South Carolina |
66% |
|
Mississippi |
64% |
|
Colorado |
62% |
|
Idaho |
61% |
|
Tennessee |
61% |
|
Glenville State College |
West Virginia |
61% |
New York |
59% |
|
Pennsylvania |
58% |
|
Iowa |
56% |
|
Kentucky |
56% |
|
Pennsylvania |
56% |
|
Minnesota |
54% |
|
New Hampshire |
54% |
|
North Carolina |
53% |
|
South Dakota |
53% |
|
Arizona |
51% |
|
Indiana |
51% |
|
Wyoming |
51% |
Private Colleges that Award Merit Scholarships to the Most Students
If you are applying to private colleges, then you may be wondering which private colleges and universities award merit-based scholarships to the most students. Merit-based scholarships, unlike need-based financial aid, are awarded to students based on academic or other merit rather than demonstrated financial need. The percentage of students who receive merit-based financial aid can vary dramatically by school, but in general, private colleges award more merit-based aid than public institutions. (Merit scholarships are also awarded by other entities such as churches and community organizations.) Two private schools - Walsh University in Ohio and Cooper Union in New York - offer merit-based aid to 100 percent of students, while some private colleges award merit scholarships to as little as one percent of the student population. Especially if you do not qualify for substantial need-based financial aid, it is important to prioritize schools that offer the most merit-based assistance.
Here we present the private colleges and universities that offered merit-based financial aid to at least eighty percent of students for the 2017-18 school year:
Private Schools that Award the Most Merit Scholarships
Institution Name |
Location |
Percent of Students Awarded Merit Scholarships |
New York |
100% |
|
Ohio |
100% |
|
Alabama |
99% |
|
Iowa |
99% |
|
Virginia |
99% |
|
Iowa |
98% |
|
Michigan |
98% |
|
Pennsylvania |
97% |
|
Texas |
97% |
|
California |
96% |
|
Hawaii |
96% |
|
Michigan |
96% |
|
Minnesota |
96% |
|
New York |
96% |
|
Ohio |
96% |
|
Minnesota |
95% |
|
Pennsylvania |
95% |
|
South Dakota |
95% |
|
Massachusetts |
94% |
|
Oregon |
94% |
|
Pennsylvania |
94% |
|
New Jersey |
93% |
|
New York |
93% |
|
Pennsylvania |
93% |
|
Oregon |
92% |
|
Pennsylvania |
92% |
|
Rhode Island |
92% |
|
California |
89% |
|
Minnesota |
89% |
|
New Hampshire |
89% |
|
Pennsylvania |
89% |
|
Indiana |
88% |
|
New York |
88% |
|
Texas |
88% |
|
New York |
87% |
|
Illinois |
86% |
|
Illinois |
86% |
|
Tennessee |
86% |
|
Wisconsin |
86% |
|
Massachusetts |
84% |
|
New Jersey |
84% |
|
New Jersey |
84% |
|
Ohio |
84% |
|
New York |
83% |
|
New York |
83% |
|
Oklahoma |
83% |
|
Pennsylvania |
83% |
|
New York |
82% |
|
Pennsylvania |
82% |
|
Rhode Island |
82% |
|
New York |
80% |
|
New York |
80% |
|
Ohio |
80% |
Colleges That Award Merit Scholarships to the Most Students by Location:
Schools in the Midwest that Award Merit-Based Financial Aid to the Most Students
If you are applying to colleges in the Midwest, then you may be wondering which colleges and universities in the region award merit-based scholarships to the most students. Merit-based scholarships, unlike need-based financial aid, are awarded to students based on academic or other merit rather than demonstrated financial need. The percentage of students who receive merit-based financial aid can vary dramatically by school, but in general, private colleges award more merit-based aid than public institutions. (Merit scholarships are also awarded by other entities such as churches and community organizations.) Only two schools in the entire country (of which one is Walsh University in Ohio) offer merit-based aid to 100 percent of students, while some colleges award merit scholarships to as little as one percent of the student population. Especially if you do not qualify for substantial need-based financial aid, it is important to prioritize schools that offer the most merit-based assistance.
Here we present the colleges and universities in the Midwest that offered merit-based financial aid to at least eighty percent of students for the 2017-18 school year:
Midwestern Schools that Award the Most Merit Scholarships
Institution Name |
Location |
Percent of Students Awarded Merit Scholarships |
Ohio |
100% |
|
Iowa |
99% |
|
Iowa |
98% |
|
Michigan |
98% |
|
Michigan |
96% |
|
Minnesota |
96% |
|
Ohio |
96% |
|
Minnesota |
95% |
|
South Dakota |
95% |
|
Minnesota |
89% |
|
Indiana |
88% |
|
Illinois |
86% |
|
Illinois |
86% |
|
Wisconsin |
86% |
|
Missouri |
85% |
|
Ohio |
84% |
|
Ohio |
80% |
Schools in the West that Award Merit-Based Financial Aid to the Most Students
If you are applying to colleges in the West, then you may be wondering which colleges and universities in the region award merit-based scholarships to the most students. Merit-based scholarships, unlike need-based financial aid, are awarded to students based on academic or other merit rather than demonstrated financial need. The percentage of students who receive merit-based financial aid can vary dramatically by school, but in general, private colleges award more merit-based aid than public institutions. (Merit scholarships are also awarded by other entities such as churches and community organizations.) Only two schools in the entire country (neither of which is in the West) offer merit-based aid to 100 percent of students, while some colleges award merit scholarships to as little as one percent of the student population. Especially if you do not qualify for substantial need-based financial aid, it is important to prioritize schools that offer the most merit-based assistance.
Here we present the colleges and universities in the West that offered merit-based financial aid to at least eighty percent of students for the 2017-18 school year:
Western Schools that Award the Most Merit Scholarships
Institution Name |
Location |
Percent of Students Awarded Merit Scholarships |
California |
96% |
|
Hawaii |
96% |
|
Oregon |
94% |
|
Oregon |
92% |
|
California |
89% |
Schools in the Northeast that Award Merit-Based Financial Aid to the Most Students
If you are applying to colleges in the Northeast, then you may be wondering which colleges and universities in the region award merit-based scholarships to the most students. Merit-based scholarships, unlike need-based financial aid, are awarded to students based on academic or other merit rather than demonstrated financial need. The percentage of students who receive merit-based financial aid can vary dramatically by school, but in general, private colleges award more merit-based aid than public institutions. (Merit scholarships are also awarded by other entities such as churches and community organizations.) Only two schools in the entire country (of which one is Cooper Union in New York) offer merit-based aid to 100 percent of students, while some colleges award merit scholarships to as little as one percent of the student population. Especially if you do not qualify for substantial need-based financial aid, it is important to prioritize schools that offer the most merit-based assistance.
Here we present the colleges and universities in the Northeast that offered merit-based financial aid to at least eighty percent of students for the 2017-18 school year:
Northeast Schools that Award the Most Merit Scholarships
Institution Name |
Location |
Percent of Students Awarded Merit Scholarships |
New York |
100% |
|
Pennsylvania |
97% |
|
New York |
96% |
|
Pennsylvania |
95% |
|
Massachusetts |
94% |
|
Pennsylvania |
94% |
|
New Jersey |
93% |
|
New York |
93% |
|
Pennsylvania |
93% |
|
Pennsylvania |
92% |
|
Rhode Island |
92% |
|
New Hampshire |
89% |
|
Pennsylvania |
89% |
|
New York |
88% |
|
New York |
87% |
|
Massachusetts |
84% |
|
New Jersey |
84% |
|
New Jersey |
84% |
|
New York |
83% |
|
New York |
83% |
|
Pennsylvania |
83% |
|
New York |
82% |
|
Pennsylvania |
82% |
|
Rhode Island |
82% |
|
New York |
80% |
|
New York |
80% |
Schools in the South that Award Merit-Based Financial Aid to the Most Students
If you are applying to colleges in the South, then you may be wondering which colleges and universities in the region award merit-based scholarships to the most students. Merit-based scholarships, unlike need-based financial aid, are awarded to students based on academic or other merit rather than demonstrated financial need. The percentage of students who receive merit-based financial aid can vary dramatically by school, but in general, private colleges award more merit-based aid than public institutions. (Merit scholarships are also awarded by other entities such as churches and community organizations.) Only two schools in the entire country (neither of which is in the South) offer merit-based aid to 100 percent of students, while some colleges award merit scholarships to as little as one percent of the student population. Especially if you do not qualify for substantial need-based financial aid, it is important to prioritize schools that offer the most merit-based assistance.
Here we present the colleges and universities in the South that offered merit-based financial aid to at least eighty percent of students for the 2017-18 school year:
Southern Schools that Award the Most Merit Scholarships
Institution Name |
Location |
Percent of Students Awarded Merit Scholarships |
Alabama |
99% |
|
Virginia |
99% |
|
Texas |
97% |
|
Texas |
88% |
|
Tennessee |
86% |
|
Oklahoma |
83% |