College is expensive, and merit-based scholarships can help pay for it. Here are the top colleges that offer merit scholarships:
Us Colleges That Offer Merit Scholarships
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It was established in 1834 as Wake Forest College. The school’s name changes to Wake Forest University in 1956. In 2013, it became the first Southern university to earn the prestigious designation of Carnegie “Community Engagement Institution.” The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Wake Forest University offers undergraduate degrees through five schools: Humanities and Social Sciences; Health Professions and Public Health; Business and Behavioral Science; Education; Arts & Sciences; Graduate Studies
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. It was founded in 1836 and is the oldest private research university in the American South. It has seven schools and colleges and offers degrees in the liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies.
Emory offers merit scholarships to incoming freshman based on their high school academic record or standardized test scores (ACT/SAT). The program requires an application for admission as well as an academic supplement form filled out by parents or guardians that states their support for the student’s education at Emory University. Scholarship amounts vary each year depending on how much money they’ve raised so far–the higher your family’s income level (don’t worry–they don’t ask what it is), the less likely you’ll get any sort of merit scholarship; however there are plenty available even if you do come from a wealthy background!
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. It has a number of merit-based scholarships available to incoming freshmen and current students. The University Merit Scholarship is awarded to students who have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and are admitted as incoming freshmen. This scholarship can be renewable up to four years.
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, founded by shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1873. Vanderbilt enrolls approximately 12,000 students from all 50 U.S. states and over 100 countries.[4] Under the leadership of Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos, VU has been recognized as an emerging research university that uses technology to advance its teaching and research activities.[5][6]
Notable alumni include former U.S. Vice President Al Gore (Bachelor of Science), former First Lady Laura Bush (Master’s), Academy Award winner actress Joan Crawford (“Best Actress” 1932), Grammy Award-winning singer Alan Jackson (“Country Music Legend”), actress Winona Ryder (“Young Hollywood” 1992) movie producer Harvey Weinstein (“Distinguished Alumni”), NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal (“Top 10 Greatest Players Ever”).
Rice University
Rice University is a private research university located in Houston, Texas, United States. Rice is generally considered the most selective and most competitive university in the state of Texas.[5]
Duke University
Duke University is a private, research university in Durham, North Carolina. The school’s campus covers 8,000 acres on three contiguous national historic districts: East Campus, Central Campus and West Campus.
As one of the “most prestigious colleges” in the United States, Duke University has been consistently recognized as one of America’s best universities for undergraduate education. In fact, it is ranked fifth among all American universities by U.S News & World Report for 2019—and tops this list among schools that only offer undergraduate degrees (i.e., no graduate-level programs).
Duke was founded in 1838 by Methodists and Quakers who thought they could create a college that would be “an ideal place to prepare young men morally and intellectually.” And while its beginnings were humble (the first classes were held in rented rooms) its founders’ vision was certainly grand: They intended to make Duke an institution where students could learn science without being distracted by religious dogma or political pressures; where they would be taught leadership skills; where they would get a well-rounded education with equal emphasis placed on classical languages like Latin and Greek as well as modern sciences like biology; where they would cultivate their aesthetic tastes though art classes and musical performances while also developing their minds through discussions with faculty members from across disciplines; finally—and most importantly—where students could gain wisdom from professors who were both respected scholars but also good men whose lives were devoted not only to teaching but also service
Columbia University in the City of New York
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private Ivy League research university in Upper Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1754 as King’s College by royal charter of George II of Great Britain, it was originally situated next to Trinity Church, New York City. The college moved to Morningside Heights in 1900 and then to its current location on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in 1927. Notable alumni include five Founding Fathers of the United States: Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, John Adams and Robert Livingston — who were among Columbia’s first eight students — James Monroe (class of 1774), Aaron Burr (1779) and Theodore Roosevelt (1860).
Columbia University offers more than 350 undergraduate majors across disciplines such as engineering sciences; economics; psychology; chemical biology; business administration and management fields such as finance
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York. The university enrolls about 20,000 students across four undergraduate colleges and six graduate divisions, including highly ranked graduate programs in engineering and business.
Cornell was founded as the State Agricultural College of New York by New York Governor DeWitt Clinton in 1865. It has grown to become one of the premier institutions for higher education in the United States today.
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private research university in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Georgetown is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher education in the United States.
The school was founded by John Carroll (1735-1815), who was previously headmaster at a school called “Little Flower” in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. In 1789, he became bishop of Baltimore and established his see there. He selected his friend William Matthews to oversee his former school’s governance until it was ready for formal establishment as Georgetown College; Matthews served as its first president from 1793 until 1805. The first class included 37 students—28 young men from Maryland or Virginia and nine others from New York or Pennsylvania—and two professors: Francis Xavier Martin SJ (an Englishman) and Joseph Maginnis SJ (born in Ireland). In 1821, President James Monroe approved plans for what would become known as Georgetown’s main building on campus today: Old North Hall
Brown University
Brown University is a private Ivy League research university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, with two satellite campuses in the state of Connecticut. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in New England and seventh-oldest in the United States. The university has been home to important scholars and scientists, including 14 Nobel laureates (all but one in Medicine) and 34 National Medal of Science recipients (including three individuals who received both), as well as 19 heads of state or government leaders.[6] It was founded by religious reformers who wanted to create a school based on Christian values rather than on an Oxbridge model[7][8] The school was named after Nicholas Brown Jr., who had left an estate to fund scholarships for poor students at existing colleges under certain conditions; when these conditions were met during construction, his son opened it to all regardless of religion or gender.[9]
These colleges offer merit-based scholarships.
- University of Southern California
The University of Southern California offers merit-based scholarships to incoming freshmen who have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher and maintained that GPA throughout high school. The amount of the scholarship varies from $250 to $15,000 per year, depending on your major. You can find out more about this scholarship here: https://www.usc.edu/admission/freshman-admissions/scholarships/. In order to apply for this scholarship, you’ll need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Closing
If you’re looking for a merit scholarship, these schools are worth considering. They all offer a range of academic scholarships, from full tuition to partial tuition or even just a monetary award. If you can qualify for these scholarships, there’s no reason not to apply!