If you’re a family that won’t qualify for need-based aid, it’s time to start looking for colleges with the best merit scholarships. Colleges give this merit aid based on academic performance and sometimes on special talents like sports and music. This article lists the top merit aid colleges and explains how to find ones that best fit your situation.
We used our Road2College Insights tool to find colleges with merit scholarships and ranked them by the amount of merit aid they gave to freshmen who did not have any financial need (as determined by the college).
Road2College Insights has a lot of data on merit awards that can help you build a smart college list. The data in the two tables below comes from the Common Data Set, which Insights breaks down for users. The tool also provides our crowdsourcing of actual financial aid offers.
Do Colleges Automatically Consider You for Merit Scholarships?
Yes, many colleges automatically consider students for merit scholarships when they apply through the Common App or directly. Examples include the University of Alabama, Baylor University, the University of South Florida, Texas Tech, and the University of Iowa.
Top 30 Colleges That Award the Largest Merit Scholarships
| Name | State | % Freshmen w/out Need Receiving Merit Aid (2025-26) | Odds of Receiving It | Avg Merit Aid for Freshmen w/out Need (2025-26) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke University | NC | 0.90% | Lottery Ticket | $91,953 |
| Rhode Island School of Design | RI | 0.30% | Lottery Tickent | $62,688 |
| Washington and Lee University | VA | 14% | Lottery Tickent | $62,110 |
| Wellesley College | MA | 2% | Lottery Ticket | $55,716 |
| Kalamazoo College | MI | 100% | Reliable | $52,888 |
| Knox College | IL | 100% | Reliable | $49,400 |
| Lawrence University | WI | 100% | Reliable | $47,083 |
| Beloit College | WI | 97% | Reliable | $45,857 |
| Albion College | MI | 99% | Reliable | $44,790 |
| University of Richmond | VA | 19% | Competitive | $44,777 |
| Bennington College | VT | 92% | Reliable | $44,652 |
| Coe College | IA | 36% | Competitive | $43,864 |
| DePauw University | IN | 99% | Reliable | $43,376 |
| Goucher College | MD | 99% | Reliable | $42,958 |
| Susquehanna University | PA | 96% | Reliable | $42,707 |
| Boston University | MA | 6% | Lottery Ticket | $42,227 |
| Hobart and William Smith Colleges | NY | 94% | Reliable | $42,030 |
| University of Tulsa | OK | 57% | Competitive | $41,843 |
| Juniata College | PA | 100% | Reliable | $41,833 |
| Georgetown College | KY | 22% | Competitive | $41,070 |
| Ursinus College | PA | 99% | Reliable | $40,943 |
| The College of Wooster | OH | 99% | Reliable | $40,489 |
| Rhodes College | TN | 100% | Reliable | $39,942 |
| Jacksonville University | FL | 44% | Competitive | $39,752 |
| Agnes Scott College | GA | 100% | Reliable | $39,133 |
| Wabash College | IN | 99% | Reliable | $39,105 |
| St. Louis University | MO | 94% | Reliable | $39,100 |
| Clarkson University | NY | 99% | Reliable | $39,055 |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | OH | 58% | Competitive | $39,027 |
| Villanova University | PA | 12% | Lottery Ticket | $38,439 |
Read the “Odds of Receiving It” column before you get attached to a dollar amount. A large average award and a real chance of getting it are two different things. Duke’s average merit award is the biggest on this list at $91,953, but it goes to roughly 1% of freshmen without need. Kalamazoo College gives $52,888 on average, and every single freshman without need receives something. We flag schools as a lottery ticket when fewer than 15% of no-need freshmen get merit aid, competitive between 15% and 89%, and reliable at 90% and above. The lottery ticket schools are worth applying to if your student is a strong fit. They are now worth building a financial plan around.
R2C Insights can help you discover schools that are generous with merit scholarships and fit the criteria most important to your student. You’ll not only save precious time, but your student will avoid the heartache of applying to schools they aren’t likely to get into or can’t afford to attend. Create a free trial R2C Insights account here.
For the second chart, we selected colleges giving the most merit scholarships to at least half of freshmen without financial need. Also, keep in mind that much of this aid is renewable in subsequent years.
Top 30 Colleges for Merit Aid to at Least 50% of Freshman Without Need
| Name | State | SAT 75th Percentile (2025-26) | ACT 75th Percentile (2025-26) | % Freshmen w/out Need Receiving Merit Aid (2025-26) | Avg Merit Aid for Freshmen w/out Need (2025-26) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo College | MI | 1368 | 31 | 100% | $52,888 |
| Knox College | IL | 1410 | 31 | 100% | $49,400 |
| Lawrence University | WI | 1410 | 31 | 100% | $47,083 |
| Beloit College | WI | 1400 | 31 | 97% | $45,857 |
| Albion College | MI | NA | NA | 99% | $44,790 |
| Bennington College | VT | 1475 | 34 | 92% | $44,652 |
| DePauw University | IN | 1390 | 32 | 99% | $43,376 |
| Goucher College | MD | 1320 | 32 | 99% | $42,958 |
| Susquehanna University | PA | 1290 | 30 | 96% | $42,707 |
| Hobart and William Smith Colleges | NY | 1380 | 32 | 94% | $42,030 |
| The University of Tulsa | OK | 1530 | 34 | 57% | $41,843 |
| Juniata College | PA | 1320 | 32 | 100% | $41,833 |
| Ursinus College | PA | 1390 | 29 | 99% | $40,943 |
| The College of Wooster | OH | 1440 | 32 | 99% | $40,489 |
| Rhodes College | TN | 1470 | 32 | 100% | $39,942 |
| Agnes Scott College | GA | 1280 | 31 | 100% | $39,133 |
| Wabash College | IN | 1335 | 30 | 99% | $39,105 |
| St. Louis University | MO | 1370 | 30 | 94% | $39,100 |
| Clarkson University | NY | 1360 | 31 | 99% | $39.055 |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | OH | NA | NA | 58% | $39,027 |
| Gettysburg College | PA | 1440 | 32 | 63% | $38,359 |
| Sarah Lawrence College | NY | 1378 | 32 | 96% | $38,122 |
| Centre College | KY | 1410 | 31 | 96% | $37,410 |
| Oglethorpe University | GA | 1280 | 27 | 69% | $37,199 |
| Alma College | MI | 1135 | 23 | 61% | $36,861 |
| College of St. Benedict | MN | 1088 | 28 | 98% | $36,807 |
| St. John’s University | MN | 1340 | 28 | 98% | $36,800 |
| Cornell College | IA | 1260 | 30 | 100% | $36,763 |
| Connecticut College | CT | 1370 | 32 | 97% | $36,673 |
| Lycoming College | PA | 1255 | NA | 95% | $36,574 |
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