Scholarship Merit Badge History

Earned through 20201,307,274

Best year195949,907 earned

All-time popularity#35official, as of 2020#37by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1913. Peak year 1959 with 49,907. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19110 earned

19120 earned

191310 earned#45 of 56

1914197 earned#19 of 58

1915333 earned#16 of 58

1916398 earned#14 of 56

1917699 earned#18 of 58

1918833 earned#16 of 58

19191,564 earned#21 of 59

19201,724 earned#18 of 59

19212,498 earned#20 of 61

19223,311 earned#19 of 61

19233,953 earned#18 of 63

19243,704 earned#18 of 64

19255,269 earned#18 of 64

19267,813 earned#17 of 65

19279,111 earned#16 of 68

19289,501 earned#18 of 88

192910,893 earned#19 of 89

193010,830 earned#19 of 92

193113,148 earned#19 of 96

193213,324 earned#17 of 98

193314,589 earned#19 of 101

193412,764 earned#17 of 101

193513,730 earned#18 of 101

193611,669 earned#18 of 101

193711,165 earned#20 of 102

193812,931 earned#19 of 105

193914,297 earned#20 of 106

194014,054 earned#21 of 106

194112,380 earned#20 of 106

194210,097 earned#20 of 110

19439,954 earned#22 of 112

194410,618 earned#24 of 111

194510,673 earned#23 of 111

19469,053 earned#23 of 111

19478,106 earned#23 of 111

19487,382 earned#23 of 111

19498,477 earned#23 of 111

19509,971 earned#24 of 111

195111,834 earned#24 of 111

195216,003 earned#20 of 120

195322,635 earned#12 of 105

195432,850 earned#9 of 103

195539,146 earned#8 of 100

195639,749 earned#8 of 100

195738,591 earned#8 of 100

195841,421 earned#8 of 101

195949,907 earned#8 of 101

196041,826 earned#13 of 100

196134,360 earned#19 of 101

196229,653 earned#22 of 101

196327,841 earned#23 of 102

196427,244 earned#22 of 107

196524,213 earned#22 of 109

196621,920 earned#23 of 110

196722,490 earned#25 of 112

196821,458 earned#24 of 112

196919,260 earned#25 of 113

197017,141 earned#28 of 113

197116,459 earned#28 of 113

197213,541 earned#35 of 124

197315,307 earned#34 of 122

197419,929 earned#38 of 121

197518,815 earned#40 of 128

197616,390 earned#42 of 130

197714,258 earned#43 of 130

197811,703 earned#43 of 131

19798,967 earned#43 of 132

19805,764 earned#43 of 132

19818,475 earned#44 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

19938,049 earned#52 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19967,866 earned#55 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20006,540 earned#66 of 128

20016,423 earned#61 of 129

20027,079 earned#63 of 129

20036,861 earned#63 of 130

20046,491 earned#64 of 121

20056,496 earned#64 of 121

20066,719 earned#60 of 121

20076,607 earned#59 of 121

20086,614 earned#60 of 121

20097,194 earned#65 of 122

20107,034 earned#69 of 125

20116,570 earned#67 of 129

20126,310 earned#63 of 132

20135,956 earned#53 of 129

20145,362 earned#85 of 136

20154,911 earned#88 of 138

20164,316 earned#91 of 138

20174,171 earned#93 of 139

20184,433 earned#95 of 139

20195,442 earned#87 of 139

20207,287 earned#41 of 137

2021No data available#90 of 137

2022No data available#100 of 138

2023No data available#101 of 138

2024No data available#105 of 138

2025No data available#105 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#105 of 141" means the badge was number 105 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

19110none earned

19120none earned

191310#45 of 56

1914197#19 of 58

1915333#16 of 58

1916398#14 of 56

1917699#18 of 58

1918833#16 of 58

19191,564#21 of 59

19201,724#18 of 59

19212,498#20 of 61

19223,311#19 of 61

19233,953#18 of 63

19243,704#18 of 64

19255,269#18 of 64

19267,813#17 of 65

19279,111#16 of 68

19289,501#18 of 88

192910,893#19 of 89

193010,830#19 of 92

193113,148#19 of 96

193213,324#17 of 98

193314,589#19 of 101

193412,764#17 of 101

193513,730#18 of 101

193611,669#18 of 101

193711,165#20 of 102

193812,931#19 of 105

193914,297#20 of 106

194014,054#21 of 106

194112,380#20 of 106

194210,097#20 of 110

19439,954#22 of 112

194410,618#24 of 111

194510,673#23 of 111

19469,053#23 of 111

19478,106#23 of 111

19487,382#23 of 111

19498,477#23 of 111

19509,971#24 of 111

195111,834#24 of 111

195216,003#20 of 120

195322,635#12 of 105

195432,850#9 of 103

195539,146#8 of 100

195639,749#8 of 100

195738,591#8 of 100

195841,421#8 of 101

195949,907#8 of 101

196041,826#13 of 100

196134,360#19 of 101

196229,653#22 of 101

196327,841#23 of 102

196427,244#22 of 107

196524,213#22 of 109

196621,920#23 of 110

196722,490#25 of 112

196821,458#24 of 112

196919,260#25 of 113

197017,141#28 of 113

197116,459#28 of 113

197213,541#35 of 124

197315,307#34 of 122

197419,929#38 of 121

197518,815#40 of 128

197616,390#42 of 130

197714,258#43 of 130

197811,703#43 of 131

19798,967#43 of 132

19805,764#43 of 132

19818,475#44 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19938,049#52 of 123

1994—

1995—

19967,866#55 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20006,540#66 of 128

20016,423#61 of 129

20027,079#63 of 129

20036,861#63 of 130

20046,491#64 of 121

20056,496#64 of 121

20066,719#60 of 121

20076,607#59 of 121

20086,614#60 of 121

20097,194#65 of 122

20107,034#69 of 125

20116,570#67 of 129

20126,310#63 of 132

20135,956#53 of 129

20145,362#85 of 136

20154,911#88 of 138

20164,316#91 of 138

20174,171#93 of 139

20184,433#95 of 139

20195,442#87 of 139

20207,287#41 of 137

2021—#90 of 137

2022—#100 of 138

2023—#101 of 138

2024—#105 of 138

2025—#105 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Scholarship: workbook data

Printings (88)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
	1920		2
	1921	not made
x	1922		2			1922
	1923	not made
	1924	not made
c	1925		2									20c Radio
x	1925		3A
x	1925		3A									with pasted 1928 requirements
	1926	not made
x	1927		3A
x	1927		3A									with pasted 1929 requirements
	1928		3B
	1929	not made
	1930	April	3B
	1930	April	3B									with pasted 1931 requirements
	1931	March	3B
x	1932	July	3B		1M
	1933	not made
	1934	not made
x	1935	May	3B		1M
x	1936	October	3B		1M
	1937	not made
x	1938	March	3B		1M
	1939	not made
x	1940	February	3B		2M
	1941	not made
	1942	May	3B		2M
x	1942	May	4		2M
	1943	not made
x	1944	April	5A		1M
x	1945	January	5B		2M
	1945	September	5B		1M
x	1946	March	5B		2M
	1947	not made
x	1948	February	5B		2M						HCE
	1949	January	5B		1M
x	1949	December	5B		1M						HCG
x	1950	October	5B		1M
x	1951	April	5B		2M						HCH
x	1952	January	5B		2M
x	1953	February	6A		2M
x	1953	August	6A		2M
x	1954	March	6A		4M
x	1954	November	6A		5M
x	1955	July	6A		6M
x	1956	May	6A		7M
x	1957	March	6A		8M
x	1958	May	6A		8M
x	1959	May	6B		10M	1959
x	1960	April	6B		10M	1959					HCJV2
x	1961	July	6B		10M	1959
x	1962	July	6B		10M	1959					HCJV2
x	1963	August	6B		10M	1959					HCK
x	1964	June	6B		10M	1959					HCK
x	1965	May	6B		10M	1959					HCK, HCQ
x	1966	June	6B		10M	1959					HCL
	1967	not made
x	1968	February	7		10M	1959
	1969	not made
x	1970	February	7		12M	1970					HCL
x	1971	February	7		10M	1970					HCL, HCR
x	1972	March	7		10M	1970					HCSV1
x	1973	July	8		10M	1970					HCSV2, HCT
x	1974	April	8		12M	1970
	1975	not made
x	1976	July	8		6.5M
	1977	not made
x	1978	February	8		4M
	1979	February	8		4M
x	1979	August	9A		3.5M
x	1980	August	9A		3.5M
c	1981	June	9A		3.5M
x	1982	May	9A		4M
x	1983	July	9A		3.5M
x	1984	March	9A		4M
x	1985	February	9A		4.5M
x	1986	March	9A		4M
x	1987	March	9A		4M
x	1987	December	9A		4.5M
x	1988	October	9B		4.5M
x	1989	October	9B		4.5M
x	1990	September	9B		5M
x	1991	August	9B		5M
x	1992	September	9B		5M
x	1993	July	9B		5M
x	1994	July	9B		5M
	1995	not made
x	1996	August	9B		5M
x	1997	September	9B
x	1998		9B	back-9f
x	1999		9
	2000	not made
x	2001		9
x	2002		9
	2003	not made
x	2004		9
	2005	not made
x	2006		9C-1
x	2007		9C-2
x	2008		10A
x	2009		10B
x	2010		10C
x	2011		10C
	2012	not made
x	2013		10C
x	2014		10C
	2015	not made
x	2016		10C
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
	2023	not made
x	2024		11A	back-1125		2024	35946	730176350707	650740	300082739
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1911	0
1912	0
1913	10	45	56
1914	197	19	58
1915	333	16	58
1916	398	14	56
1917	699	18	58
1918	833	16	58
1919	1,564	21	59
1920	1,724	18	59
1921	2,498	20	61
1922	3,311	19	61
1923	3,953	18	63
1924	3,704	18	64
1925	5,269	18	64
1926	7,813	17	65
1927	9,111	16	68
1928	9,501	18	88
1929	10,893	19	89
1930	10,830	19	92
1931	13,148	19	96
1932	13,324	17	98
1933	14,589	19	101
1934	12,764	17	101
1935	13,730	18	101
1936	11,669	18	101
1937	11,165	20	102
1938	12,931	19	105
1939	14,297	20	106
1940	14,054	21	106
1941	12,380	20	106
1942	10,097	20	110
1943	9,954	22	112
1944	10,618	24	111
1945	10,673	23	111
1946	9,053	23	111
1947	8,106	23	111
1948	7,382	23	111
1949	8,477	23	111
1950	9,971	24	111
1951	11,834	24	111
1952	16,003	20	120
1953	22,635	12	105
1954	32,850	9	103
1955	39,146	8	100
1956	39,749	8	100
1957	38,591	8	100
1958	41,421	8	101
1959	49,907	8	101
1960	41,826	13	100
1961	34,360	19	101
1962	29,653	22	101
1963	27,841	23	102
1964	27,244	22	107
1965	24,213	22	109
1966	21,920	23	110
1967	22,490	25	112
1968	21,458	24	112
1969	19,260	25	113
1970	17,141	28	113
1971	16,459	28	113
1972	13,541	35	124
1973	15,307	34	122
1974	19,929	38	121
1975	18,815	40	128
1976	16,390	42	130
1977	14,258	43	130
1978	11,703	43	131
1979	8,967	43	132
1980	5,764	43	132
1981	8,475	44	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	8,049	52	123
1994
1995
1996	7,866	55	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	6,540	66	128
2001	6,423	61	129
2002	7,079	63	129
2003	6,861	63	130
2004	6,491	64	121
2005	6,496	64	121
2006	6,719	60	121
2007	6,607	59	121
2008	6,614	60	121
2009	7,194	65	122
2010	7,034	69	125
2011	6,570	67	129
2012	6,310	63	132
2013	5,956	53	129
2014	5,362	85	136
2015	4,911	88	138
2016	4,316	91	138
2017	4,171	93	139
2018	4,433	95	139
2019	5,442	87	139
2020	7,287	41	137
2021		90	137
2022		100	138
2023		101	138
2024		105	138
2025		105	141