16 October 2016
Colleges With Generous Merit Aid
Schools offering merit aid to 20% or more of incoming freshmen
In search of schools with generous merit scholarship programs?
Look no further.
Here we've compiled a list of competitive 4-year institutions that offer merit aid to 20% or more of undergraduates. Merit awards are typically not based on financial need but rather on academic performance and other qualities deemed desirable by the institution. As such, they can make college more affordable for academically gifted students—especially those that are unlikely to qualify for need-based financial aid.
Most of these schools automatically consider you for merit scholarships when you submit your application.
Colleges and Universities Offering Generous Merit Aid
College Kickstart LLC
School | % Undergrads w/ Merit Aid | Merit Amount |
---|---|---|
Dickinson College | 100 | $ 23,120 |
Otis College of Art and Design | 95 | $ 16,302 |
Whitman College | 46 | $ 15,746 |
Florida Polytechnic University | 46 | $ 6,561 |
Furman University | 45 | $ 29,744 |
Ave Maria University | 43 | $ 12,009 |
Augustana University - SD | 42 | $ 23,063 |
Butler University | 42 | $ 21,534 |
Quinnipiac University | 42 | $ 20,287 |
Berklee College of Music | 39 | $ 19,183 |
Oberlin College | 36 | $ 21,582 |
Drury University | 35 | $ 17,587 |
Lindenwood University | 35 | $ 7,810 |
Washington & Jefferson College | 33 | $ 13,274 |
The University of Findlay | 32 | $ 21,327 |
Franciscan University of Steubenville | 32 | $ 8,521 |
Millsaps College | 31 | $ 26,359 |
Berry College | 31 | $ 21,079 |
Goucher College | 30 | $ 26,947 |
Beloit College | 29 | $ 40,919 |
Tulane University | 29 | $ 18,812 |
Kenyon College | 29 | $ 15,854 |
College of Charleston | 29 | $ 13,287 |
Bethel University - MN | 28 | $ 18,793 |
Heidelberg University | 24 | $ 23,837 |
University of Mount Union | 24 | $ 16,669 |
Rochester Institute of Technology - School of Art and Design | 24 | $ 15,856 |
Rochester Institute of Technology - School of Film and Animation | 24 | $ 15,856 |
Rochester Institute of Technology - School of Photographic Arts and Sciences | 24 | $ 15,856 |
Rochester Institute of Technology - Saunders College of Business | 24 | $ 15,856 |
Rochester Institute of Technology - Golsiano College of Computing and Information Sciences | 24 | $ 15,856 |
Rochester Institute of Technology - Kate Gleason College of Engineering | 24 | $ 15,856 |
Rochester Institute of Technology - College of Engineering Technology | 24 | $ 15,856 |
Rochester Institute of Technology - College of Health Sciences and Technology | 24 | $ 15,856 |
Rochester Institute of Technology - College of Liberal Arts | 24 | $ 15,856 |
Rochester Institute of Technology - College of Science | 24 | $ 15,856 |
University of Northern Iowa | 22 | $ 4,317 |
Walsh University | 20 | $ 16,989 |
- Tags: Abilene Christian, Affordability, Agnes Scott, Alabama, Allegheny College, Arizona State, Auburn, Baylor, Belmont, Beloit, Bennington, Bentley, Biola, Bryant, Butler, BYU, Cal Lutheran, Case Western, Catholic University of America, Centre College, Chapman, Clark, Clemson, College of St Benedict, College of Wooster, Colorado, Colorado School of Mines, Cornell College, Creighton, Delaware, Denison, DePauw, Drake, Drew, Drexel, Eckerd, Elon, Fairfield, Furman, George Washington, Gonzaga, Goucher, Gustavus Adolphus, Hampshire, Harvey Mudd, Hendrix, Hobart and William Smith, Hofstra, Hope, Illinois Tech, Illinois Wesleyan, Indiana, Iowa State, Ithaca, Juniata, Kalamazoo, Kentucky, Lawrence, Lewis and Clark, Linfield, Loyola Chicago, Loyola Marymount, Loyola New Orleans, Manhattan College, Marist, Marquette, Menlo, Merit Scholarship, Miami University - Oxford, Millsaps, Muhlenberg, Nevada - Reno, New College of Florida, North Dakota, Northeastern, Oberlin, Oklahoma State, Olin, Pace, Pepperdine, Puget Sound, Quinnipiac, Rhodes, Rider University, Rollins, Rose-Hulman, RPI, Sacred Heart, Saint Anselm, Saint John's - MN, Saint Lawrence, Saint Louis University, Saint Mary's - MD, Saint Michael's, Saint Olaf, Santa Clara, Sarah Lawrence, Sewanee, SMU, Southwestern, Stonehill, TCU, Transylvania, Trinity University, Tulane, Union College, University of Dayton, University of Denver, University of Portland, University of Rochester, University of South Carolina, University of Tampa, Ursinus, UT Dallas, Utah, Vermont, Wabash, Webb Institute, Westmont, Wheaton - IL, Wheaton - MA, Whitman, Whitworth, Willamette, Wofford, Wooster, WPI, Xavier
Get our latest data and insights
Give your college plan a boost
Balance list, maximize odds and minimize wasted motion. Current data and personalized recommendations.
Students, learn more Counselors, learn more
Archives
- Your College List (105)
- Early Admission (235)
- Standardized Testing (14)
- Class of 2029 (9)
- Class of 2028 (53)
- Class of 2027 (64)
- Class of 2026 (62)
- Class of 2025 (78)
- Class of 2024 (69)
- Class of 2023 (87)
- Class of 2022 (82)
- Class of 2021 (80)
- Class of 2020 (65)
- Class of 2019 (6)
- Waitlist (10)
- Financial Aid (4)
- College Tour Planner (0)
- Whirlwind Tours (0)
- Essays (9)
- College Kickstart (55)
- Product Announcements (12)
- Perspectives (102)
- College Rankings (28)
- Affordability (12)
- AP Exams (3)
- Miscellaneous (11)
Hot Topics
- Princeton
- Early Action
- Yale
- Class of 2022
- University of Virginia
- Harvard
- Johns Hopkins
- Stanford
- Williams
- Middlebury
- Class of 2023
- Cornell
- UC San Diego
- UC Berkeley
- UC Irvine
- Rice
- Boston University
- Claremont McKenna
- Pomona
- Vanderbilt
- UC Davis
- Notre Dame
- Class of 2024
- Emory
- Duke
- Early Decision
- Class of 2021
- Brown
- Colby
- Northwestern
- University of Pennsylvania
- Dartmouth
- Columbia
- Ivy League
- MIT
- UCLA
- Wesleyan
- Boston College
- Georgia Tech
- UC Santa Barbara