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Lists / Most-Selective Colleges for National Merit Finalists 2021

Most-Selective Colleges for National Merit Finalists 2021

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Created by College Confidential

Colleges and universities provide approximated 4,100 National Merit Scholarship awards each year for National Merit Finalists who attend their institutions. College-sponsored awards range from $500 and $2,000 per year, and may be renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study at the sponsor institution.

Each sponsor college has a max number of National Merit scholarships to award each year, but they are not committed to awarding all of them. To be considered for a college-sponsored award, Finalists must notify the National Merit Scholarship Committee that they plan to attend a sponsor institution.

The minimum number of awards offered is three per college. All of the colleges on this list offer at least ten National Merit Scholarships a year, and are known as high-quality institutions offering an exceptional education and student experience.

1. University of Chicago

  • 1st
    University of Chicago
    Chicago, IL • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $65,619
    Out-of-State
    $65,619
    Acceptance Rate5%

    • University of Chicago offers 60 National Merit Scholarships each year.

    2. Harvey Mudd College

  • 2nd
    Harvey Mudd College
    Claremont, CA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $66,255
    Out-of-State
    $66,255
    Acceptance Rate13%

    • Harvey Mudd offers 30 National Merit Scholarships a year.

    3. University of Southern California

  • 3rd
    University of Southern California
    Los Angeles, CA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $68,237
    Out-of-State
    $68,237
    Acceptance Rate13%

    • USC offers 35 National Merit Scholarships a year.

    4. Vanderbilt University

  • 4th
    Vanderbilt University
    Nashville, TN • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $63,946
    Out-of-State
    $63,946
    Acceptance Rate7%

    • Vanderbilt offer 18 National Merit Scholarships a year.

    5. Emory University

  • 5th
    Emory University
    Atlanta, GA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $60,774
    Out-of-State
    $60,774
    Acceptance Rate11%

    • Emory offers 20 National Merit Scholarships a year.

    6. Tulane University

  • 6th
    Tulane University
    New Orleans, LA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $58,666
    Out-of-State
    $58,666
    Acceptance Rate11%

    • Tulane offers 20 National Merit Scholarships a year.

    7. Tufts University

  • 7th
    Tufts University
    Medford, MA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $67,844
    Out-of-State
    $67,844
    Acceptance Rate10%

    • Tufts offers 10 National Merit Scholarships a year.

    8. Davidson College

  • 8th
    Davidson College
    Davidson, NC • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $59,510
    Out-of-State
    $59,510
    Acceptance Rate17%

    • Davidson offers 10 National Merit Scholarships a year.

    9. Boston University

  • 9th
    Boston University
    Boston, MA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $65,168
    Out-of-State
    $65,168
    Acceptance Rate14%

    • BU offers 15 National Merit Scholarships a year.

    10. Carleton College

  • 10th
    Carleton College
    Northfield, MN • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $65,457
    Out-of-State
    $65,457
    Acceptance Rate17%

    • 11. Oberlin College

  • 11th
    Oberlin College
    Oberlin, OH • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $64,596
    Out-of-State
    $64,596
    Acceptance Rate35%

    • 12. Brandeis University

  • 12th
    Brandeis University
    Waltham, MA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $62,322
    Out-of-State
    $62,322
    Acceptance Rate39%

    • 13. Case Western Reserve University

  • 13th
    Case Western Reserve University
    Cleveland, OH • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $65,351
    Out-of-State
    $65,351
    Acceptance Rate27%

    • 14. Clemson University

  • 14th
    Clemson University
    Clemson, SC • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $15,120
    Out-of-State
    $39,064
    Acceptance Rate49%

    • 15. Macalester College

  • 15th
    Macalester College
    St. Paul, MN • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $64,908
    Out-of-State
    $64,908
    Acceptance Rate28%

    • 16. Purdue University

  • 16th
    Purdue University
    West Lafayette, IN • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $9,992
    Out-of-State
    $28,794
    Acceptance Rate53%

    • 17. Southern Methodist University

  • 17th
    Southern Methodist University
    Dallas, TX • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $64,460
    Out-of-State
    $64,460
    Acceptance Rate52%

    • 18. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  • 18th
    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
    Troy, NY • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $61,884
    Out-of-State
    $61,884
    Acceptance Rate64%

    • RPI offer 15 National Merit Scholarships a year, and has an acceptance rate of 47 percent.

    19. Texas A&M University

  • 19th
    Texas A&M University
    College Station, TX • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $12,413
    Out-of-State
    $40,607
    Acceptance Rate62%

    • Texas A&M offers 110 National Merit Scholarships a year and has an acceptance rate of 58 percent.

    20. Washington and Lee University

  • 20th
    Washington and Lee University
    Lexington, VA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $64,525
    Out-of-State
    $64,525
    Acceptance Rate17%

    • 21. Grinnell College

  • 21st
    Grinnell College
    Grinnell, IA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $64,862
    Out-of-State
    $64,862
    Acceptance Rate11%

    • 22. University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • 22nd
    University of Wisconsin-Madison
    Madison, WI • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $10,796
    Out-of-State
    $39,427
    Acceptance Rate49%

    • 23. University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  • 23rd
    University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Lincoln, NE • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $9,579
    Out-of-State
    $26,709
    Acceptance Rate79%

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