Colleges Most Likely To Give Merit Aid
These colleges give merit scholarships to the largest share of students who don't qualify for need-based financial aid. The figures come from each school's Common Data Set, so this list covers colleges with a full College Investor profile and grows as we add more.
| Rank | College | Grade | Chance Of Merit Aid | Median Earnings | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flagler CollegeSaint Augustine, FL · Private Non-Profit | F | 85%, averaging $4,088 | $54,606 | 52% |
| 2 | Salisbury UniversitySalisbury, MD · Public | C | 81%, averaging $3,207 | $68,206 | 61% |
| 3 | Sarah Lawrence CollegeBronxville, NY · Private Non-Profit | F | 78%, averaging $31,494 | $55,075 | 66% |
| 4 | Kent State UniversityKent, OH · Public | D | 68%, averaging $6,184 | $51,178 | 51% |
| 5 | Virginia Military InstituteLexington, VA · Public | B | 61%, averaging $14,665 | $85,178 | 72% |
| 6 | Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY · Private Non-Profit | C | 59%, averaging $18,693 | $85,054 | 81% |
| 7 | Howard UniversityWashington, DC · Private Non-Profit | C | 58%, averaging $17,354 | $69,682 | 74% |
| 8 | Tennessee State UniversityNashville, TN · Public | F | 58%, averaging $16,892 | $47,151 | 34% |
| 9 | Brigham Young UniversityProvo, UT · Private Non-Profit | A | 47%, averaging $4,441 | $80,228 | 81% |
| 10 | Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OH · Public | B | 40%, averaging $7,636 | $67,080 | 87% |
| 11 | Delaware State UniversityDover, DE · Public | F | 37%, averaging $11,795 | $51,864 | 42% |
| 12 | Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · Public | B | 35%, averaging $5,029 | $79,064 | 88% |
| 13 | University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND · Public | C | 30%, averaging $3,411 | $67,456 | 61% |
| 14 | Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IN · Public | A | 28%, averaging $5,446 | $80,082 | 84% |
| 15 | University of MarylandCollege Park, MD · Public | A | 27%, averaging $7,801 | $89,228 | 88% |
| 16 | Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL · Public | A | 27%, averaging $4,380 | $68,225 | 86% |
| 17 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL · Public | A | 27%, averaging $6,282 | $87,599 | 86% |
| 18 | Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL · Public | D | 26%, averaging $1,558 | $56,278 | 25% |
| 19 | University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI · Public | A | 20%, averaging $6,240 | $92,832 | 93% |
| 20 | University of WashingtonSeattle, WA · Public | A | 20%, averaging $4,362 | $83,105 | 85% |
| 21 | Penn State UniversityUniversity Park, PA · Public | C | 17%, averaging $6,021 | $71,762 | 85% |
| 22 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI · Public | A | 17%, averaging $6,340 | $80,330 | 90% |
| 23 | Cal Poly San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA · Public | A | 15%, averaging $3,239 | $96,304 | 87% |
| 24 | University of FloridaGainesville, FL · Public | A | 15%, averaging $3,282 | $78,456 | 92% |
| 25 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · Public | A | 14%, averaging $5,633 | $81,094 | 91% |
| 26 | William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA · Public | A | 14%, averaging $5,615 | $83,488 | 88% |
| 27 | UCLALos Angeles, CA · Public | A | 11%, averaging $7,401 | $88,581 | 93% |
| 28 | UC BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · Public | A | 10%, averaging $9,858 | $100,212 | 94% |
| 29 | Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlanta, GA · Public | A | 10%, averaging $5,784 | $114,210 | 94% |
| 30 | UC DavisDavis, CA · Public | A | 10%, averaging $7,889 | $86,999 | 86% |
| 31 | UC San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · Public | A | 9%, averaging $14,656 | $96,197 | 86% |
| 32 | University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · Public | A | 9%, averaging $2,467 | $77,246 | 89% |
| 33 | University of ChicagoChicago, IL · Private Non-Profit | A | 9%, averaging $21,320 | $103,872 | 95% |
| 34 | UC IrvineIrvine, CA · Public | A | 8%, averaging $9,157 | $83,432 | 87% |
| 35 | UC Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · Public | A | 8%, averaging $8,594 | $82,568 | 84% |
| 36 | Baruch CollegeNew York, NY · Public | A | 8%, averaging $6,033 | $83,742 | 70% |
| 37 | University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN · Private Non-Profit | B | 8%, averaging $16,569 | $113,124 | 95% |
| 38 | Boston UniversityBoston, MA · Private Non-Profit | B | 7%, averaging $35,604 | $89,087 | 90% |
| 39 | San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA · Public | A | 6%, averaging $2,425 | $73,494 | 78% |
| 40 | Cal State Dominguez HillsCarson, CA · Public | C | 5%, averaging $4,567 | $62,587 | 42% |
| 41 | Morehouse CollegeAtlanta, GA · Private Non-Profit | F | 4%, averaging $6,950 | $62,169 | 57% |
| 42 | CUNY York CollegeJamaica, NY · Public | D | 2%, averaging $1,878 | $62,351 | 27% |
| 43 | Pitzer CollegeClaremont, CA · Private Non-Profit | C | 2%, averaging $5,780 | $72,270 | 83% |
| 44 | Brown UniversityProvidence, RI · Private Non-Profit | A | 1%, averaging $20,886 | $99,974 | 96% |
| 45 | Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · Private Non-Profit | A | 1%, averaging $5,279 | $121,957 | 97% |
| 46 | Stanford UniversityStanford, CA · Private Non-Profit | A | 0%, averaging $13,813 | $125,340 | 92% |
| 47 | Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · Private Non-Profit | A | 0%, averaging | $118,356 | 96% |
| 48 | Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA · Private Non-Profit | A | 0%, averaging | $152,553 | 96% |
| 49 | Haverford CollegeHaverford, PA · Private Non-Profit | B | 0%, averaging | $76,397 | 89% |
Source: The College Investor.
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