Largest Scholarships, Ranked by Value
142 scholarships · Updated November 2026
These are the biggest awards in our directory, ranked by what each one can pay over its full term. A renewable scholarship worth $10,000 a year for four years counts as $40,000 here, so a multiyear award ranks ahead of a larger one-time check. Money above tuition and required fees can count as taxable scholarship income, so big awards are worth a look at the tax rules.
Many of the top awards are tied to one college. Programs like the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA and the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program at Duke and UNC pay only if you enroll at that school. National awards that follow you to any college sit further down the list, and every listing links to the sponsor's own application.
Jefferson Scholarship
Offered by Jefferson Scholars Foundation (University of Virginia)
Robertson Scholars Leadership Program Last Chance
Offered by Robertson Scholars Leadership Program (Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill)
Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program Last Chance
Offered by Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Miguel A. Loya Scholarship (UTEP)
Offered by The University of Texas at El Paso, Miguel A. Loya College of Engineering
DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (CSGF)
Offered by U.S. Department of Energy / Krell Institute
SFM Foundation Scholarship (Kids' Chance of Minnesota and Iowa)
Offered by SFM Foundation
ASPRS Geospatial Science Research Grant
Offered by ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) and the ASPRS Foundation
Marilynn Thoma Fellowship in the Art of the Spanish Americas
Offered by Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation
NESA Eagle Scout Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by National Eagle Scout Association (Scouting America)
Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York Scholarship for Graduate Study in Scotland
Offered by Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York
Ron Brown Scholar Program
Offered by Ron Brown Scholar Fund / CAP Charitable Foundation
GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program
Offered by Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation
Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement Scholarship
Offered by Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement (Horizon Farm Credit)
Rochester Area Community Foundation Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Rochester Area Community Foundation
Christian Missionary Scholarship Foundation Scholarship
Offered by Christian Missionary Scholarship Foundation
Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program
Offered by Distinguished Young Women (America's Junior Miss)
Scholarship Foundation of Indian River County
Offered by Scholarship Foundation of Indian River County
Boren Awards (Scholarships & Fellowships)
Offered by National Security Education Program (NSEP), administered by IIE
FIRST Scholarship Program
Offered by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
James Madison Graduate Fellowship
Offered by James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation
Equitable Excellence Scholarship
Offered by Equitable Foundation (administered by Scholarship America)
Governors' Scholarship for Foster Youth Opening Soon
Offered by College Success Foundation
Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship
Offered by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
William C. Doherty Scholarship Fund
Offered by National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)
Barry Goldwater Scholarship
Offered by Barry Goldwater Scholarship & Excellence in Education Foundation
ASEV Traditional Scholarships and Presidents' Award
Offered by American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV)
Barbara Lotze Scholarship for Future Physics Teachers
Offered by American Association of Physics Teachers
EAA Aviation Foundation Flight Training Scholarships
Offered by EAA Aviation Foundation (Experimental Aircraft Association)
AOPA High School Flight Training Scholarship
Offered by AOPA Foundation (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association)
WREC Educational Foundation Scholarship
Offered by Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative
California-Hawaii Elks Undergraduate Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities Opening Soon
Offered by California-Hawaii Elks Major Project, Inc.
SPIE Optics and Photonics Scholarships
Offered by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics
FNSNA Undergraduate Scholarship Program
Offered by Foundation of the National Student Nurses' Association
Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida)
Offered by Collaboratory (formerly Southwest Florida Community Foundation)
WoodmenLife Focus Forward Scholarship
Offered by WoodmenLife (Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society)
Northwestern Mutual Childhood Cancer Sibling Scholarship Opening Soon
Offered by Northwestern Mutual Foundation
Northwestern Mutual Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship Opening Soon
Offered by Northwestern Mutual Foundation
AIAA Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships and Graduate Awards
Offered by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation
Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship
Offered by ACFE Foundation (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners)
Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
W.H. "Howie" McClennan Scholarship
Offered by International Association of Fire Fighters
CICF Scholarship Collaborative Application
Offered by Central Indiana Community Foundation / The Indianapolis Foundation
PCCA Scholarship Program Opening Soon
Offered by PCCA Education & Research Foundation (Power & Communication Contractors Association)
Washington CPA Foundation Accounting Scholarships
Offered by Washington CPA Foundation (Washington Society of CPAs)
Greater Worcester Community Foundation Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Greater Worcester Community Foundation
Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region
Hampton Roads Community Foundation Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Hampton Roads Community Foundation
Horatio Alger State Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans
Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest
Offered by The Gallery Collection (Prudent Publishing Co.)
ASHRAE Undergraduate Engineering Scholarships
Offered by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers)
Chinese American Physicians Society Medical Student Scholarship
Offered by Chinese American Physicians Society (CAPS)
Largest Scholarships By The Numbers
- Jefferson Scholarship
Based on the 142 listings above. Typical award is the median top amount each sponsor publishes.
What Counts As One Of The Largest Scholarships?
We rank every open scholarship by the most it can pay over its full term. A renewable award of $10,000 a year for four years counts as $40,000, the same way you would compare two offers side by side. Full rides tied to a single college fill most of the top spots because they cover tuition, housing and fees for four years.
The largest awards you can take to any college sit just below them. The Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship pays up to $55,000 a year to high-achieving students with financial need, which makes it one of the largest portable scholarships in the US.
Big Scholarships That Reopen Next Fall
This page only shows awards that are open now or open within 30 days. Several of the best-known large programs, including the Coca-Cola Scholars Program, the Gates Scholarship and QuestBridge's National College Match, use early-fall deadlines and have closed for this cycle. Juniors should mark late summer and early fall of senior year for them now.
Are Large Scholarships Taxable?
Scholarship money is tax-free when you're a degree candidate and it pays for tuition, required fees, and the books, supplies and equipment your courses require. Money that covers room, board or travel counts as taxable income. A full ride that pays for housing can leave a tax bill, so read up on how scholarships are taxed before you file.
Colleges With The Largest Aid Packages
The biggest discounts often come from colleges themselves rather than outside sponsors. Many highly selective schools meet the full demonstrated need of every admitted student, and many private colleges offer large merit awards to students they want to enroll. Compare the colleges with the largest scholarships before you build your application list.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Rank The Largest Scholarships?
We rank by the total an award can pay over its full term, using the amounts each sponsor publishes. Renewable awards count every year they pay, and one-time awards count once.
Are The Largest Scholarships Harder To Win?
Yes. The biggest programs pick a small number of winners from national applicant pools, often a few dozen a year. Pair one or two reach applications with smaller local awards, where far fewer students compete.
What Are The Largest Scholarships In The US?
By total value, college-specific full rides top our list, led by the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA at up to $405,000 for out-of-state students. Among awards you can use at any college, the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship pays up to $55,000 a year.
Will I Get Financial Aid If My Parents Make Over $400,000?
File the FAFSA anyway. It has no income cutoff, and many colleges require it before awarding their own aid. High-income families rarely qualify for federal grants, but merit scholarships don't consider income at all.
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Why Trust The College Investor
The College Investor has helped millions of readers navigate paying for college and student loans since 2009. Every scholarship in our database is individually reviewed by our team before it goes live, and re-checked regularly so deadlines and links stay current.
Our Scholarship Standards
A listing here means our team checked that the award is real, currently active, and actually pays out. We won't list a scholarship that:
- Charges any kind of fee to apply
- Makes you join a paid membership, or sign up for an app or service, just to be eligible
- Has a privacy policy that would let the sponsor sell or misuse your information
- Collects essays, ideas, or contact details mainly to feed the sponsor's marketing
- Can't show a winner from the past 12 months, or offers no way to reach the sponsor
One nuance: established companies and nonprofits that run applications through their own systems may still be listed, even though creating an account there is part of applying.
Spot a listing that doesn't meet this bar? Email [email protected] and we'll review it. You can also read our editorial guidelines.