Updated: April 16, 2025

Prestigious Scholarships

There are a few scholarships out there that ring a bell to most students because, not only do they offer big bucks, they also come with a fair amount of prestige. Although they tend to be more competitive than other scholarships, the work invested into lengthier applications can pay off significantly if won, as they come with impressive award amounts.

Continue reading the article below the scholarship list.

25 Prestigious Scholarships with Approaching Deadlines

  • 1

  • Marshall Scholarship

  • Amount$85,000
  • DeadlineSeptember 24, 2025

The Marshall Scholarship is intended for candidates who have the potential to excel as scholars, as leaders and as contributors to improved UK-US understanding. In doing so, we recognise the value of diversity among applicants and promote equality of opportunity. The selection criteria are divided into three equally weighted categories: Academic Merit; Leadership Potential; and Ambassadorial

  • 2

  • Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship

  • Amount$20,000
  • DeadlineSeptember 30, 2025

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to students in their final year of high school. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. Scholarship Details Achievement-based Scholarship Total Scholarship - $20,000 per recipient

  • 3

  • The Fulbright Program

  • Amount$30,000
  • DeadlineOctober 1, 2025

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers exceptional opportunities for graduating seniors, graduate students, and young professionals to engage in graduate study, research, or teaching English abroad. With partnerships in over 140 countries, the program fosters academic and professional advancement while promoting cross-cultural understanding through meaningful interactions and cultural

  • 4

  • Luce Scholars Program

  • AmountVaries
  • DeadlineOctober 16, 2025

The intent of the Luce Scholars Program is to provide an in-depth experience in Asia to young Americans who would not otherwise have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the country where they are placed. Eligible applicants must: be U.S. citizens or permanent residents; and may be graduating seniors, recent graduates, or young professionals under the age of 32, or if older than 32,

  • 5

  • Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship

  • Amount$38,000
  • DeadlineNovember 1, 2025

The Hertz Foundation's Graduate Fellowship award, which is based on merit (not need) consists of a cost of education allowance and a personal support stipend. Eligible applicants for prestigious Hertz Fellowships must be students of the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics, and engineering who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States of America, and who are

  • 6

  • Charlotte W. Newcombe Dissertation Fellowships

  • Amount$31,000
  • DeadlineNovember 1, 2025

Throughout history and across diverse cultures, religious commitments and ethical ideals have played a significant role. The Newcombe Fellows program is designed for late-stage Ph.D. students specializing in the humanities and social sciences, with a particular focus on research related to these commitments and ideals. Their work aims to delve into the intricacies of communities, social

  • 7

  • National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship

  • AmountVaries
  • DeadlineNovember 1, 2025

Discover an exceptional opportunity to advance your education in science and engineering through the DoD Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship. Scholarship Details Over 4,700 fellowships have been awarded since the program's inception, with more than 70,000 applications received. The DoD offers new three-year graduate fellowships each fiscal year,

  • 8

  • Winston Churchill Foundation of the USA Scholarship Program

  • Amount$65,000
  • DeadlineNovember 3, 2025

The prestigious Churchill Scholarship offers American students the opportunity to attend, for one year of study, the University of Cambridge for one of two Master’s degrees: the MPhil (Master of Philosophy) or MASt (Master of Advanced Study). An applicant for the Churchill Scholarship must be a citizen of the United States, either native born or naturalized, and must be a senior who is enrolled

  • 9

  • Cooke College Scholarship Program

  • Amount$55,000
  • DeadlineNovember 14, 2025

The Cooke College Scholarship Program is an undergraduate scholarship program available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend and graduate from the nation's top four-year colleges and universities. Scholarship Details Significant coverage of educational expenses including tuition, living expenses, books, and required fees. For any field of study

  • 10

  • Levine Scholars Program

  • Amount$172,000
  • DeadlineNovember 15, 2025

The Levine Scholars Program is UNC Charlotte's most prestigious merit scholarship program. Levine Scholarships are awarded to extraordinary high school seniors (including homeschooled students) based on scholarship, ethical leadership, and civic engagement. Students must be applicants for freshman enrollment at UNC Charlotte in a baccalaureate program for the fall term immediately following their

  • 11

  • Catawba College Socratic Scholarship

  • Amount$133,600
  • DeadlineNovember 15, 2025

The Socratic Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship award at Catawba. Qualified students will be invited to compete for a full-tuition scholarship on the basis of their high school grade point average, the rigor of their coursework and standardized test scores. To be considered, students must have a weighted GPA of 4.0 or greater or an unweighted GPA of 3.5 or greater and the student

  • 12

  • Overseas Press Club Foundation Awards

  • Amount$4,000
  • DeadlineDecember 1, 2025

Graduate and undergraduate students, studying at American colleges and universities or Americans studying abroad, who aspire to become foreign correspondents, are invited to apply for one of the scholarships or fellowships to be awarded by the Overseas Press Club Foundation. Students win either a grant or funding for their overseas experience. In many cases, winning a prestigious OPC Foundation

  • 13

  • MMUF Dissertation Grants

  • Amount$30,000
  • DeadlineDecember 6, 2025

The MMUF Advancement Program Fellows initiative fosters diverse perspectives in graduate studies and academia, empowering alumni of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) to contribute their unique viewpoints within their fields and to their students. These Fellows, who are MMUF program alumni, come together to prepare for graduate school, receive additional research funding, and benefit

  • 14

  • University of Louisville McConnell Scholars Program

  • Amount$51,760
  • DeadlineDecember 15, 2025

The McConnell Scholars Program is a prestigious leadership and scholarship program at the University of Louisville open to graduating Kentucky high school seniors with a strong demonstrated record of leadership, scholarship, and service. Around ten students (one cohort) are added each year with a maximum of 40 McConnell Scholars (four cohorts) in the program at one time. Scholarship

  • 15

  • NDSGC American Indian Scholarship

  • Amount$10,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 1, 2026

The American Indian Scholarship is designed to encourage and support tribal college students interested in pursuing STEM degrees and continuing their education. Scholarship Details Five scholarships of $2,500 each Targeted at students from five specific tribal colleges in North Dakota Designed to support STEM and STEM Education degrees Eligibility Criteria Enrolled at

  • 16

  • Boren Scholarships

  • Amount$25,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 29, 2026

Boren Scholarships, a prestigious initiative of the National Security Education Program, provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests, and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. In exchange for

  • 17

  • National Merit Scholarship Corporation Program

  • Amount$10,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 31, 2026

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) recognizes the academic achievements of U.S. students. Founded in 1955, NMSC celebrates young academic talents and fosters respect for learning. Scholarship Details Competition involving around 1.5 million high school students annually. Focuses on celebrating academic talent, encouraging scholastic excellence,

  • 18

  • Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship

  • Amount$40,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 31, 2026

The Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship is a prestigious scholarship that provides up to $40,000 and a paid internship at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The award includes an academic award of $9,500 per year for two years of full-time study for students majoring in fields that support NOAA’s mission, including STEM and social science. Scholarship Details Up

  • 19

  • Kenneth Hugh MacDonald Sr., Broadcasting Scholarship

  • AmountVaries
  • DeadlineFebruary 7, 2026

Education is vital to the growth and future of every community. Because of this, the Saginaw Community Foundation administers a variety of scholarship programs for high school, community college, university and vocational students. Since awarding our first $500 scholarship in 1987, the Saginaw Community Foundation has awarded more than $8 million in scholarships. Learn more about all of our 235+

  • 20

  • Colorado Mesa University's Distinguished Scholar Award

  • Amount$30,193
  • DeadlineFebruary 10, 2026

Colorado Mesa University's Distinguished Scholar Award is the most prestigious academic award for incoming freshmen and is valued at full tuition and fees for Colorado Residents. To qualify, applicants must have a 4.0 GPA. The scholarship can be renewed for a maximum of 120 credit hours as long as the student maintains a 3.5 cumulative GPA and full-time status (12 credit hours/semester) at

  • 21

  • Davidson Fellows Scholarship

  • Amount$100,000
  • DeadlineFebruary 12, 2026

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is awarded to gifted and high-achieving students, 18 years old or younger, who have completed a significant project or body of work. With increased award amounts for this year, scholarships of $100,000, $50,000, and $25,000 are available to recognize outstanding accomplishments in various fields. Scholarship Details Award amounts: $100,000, $50,000, and

  • 22

  • Oregon Music Hall of Fame Scholarship

  • Amount$2,500
  • DeadlineFebruary 13, 2026

In addition to interactive musical presentations, OMHOF awards yearly scholarships to selected graduating Oregon high school seniors who have exhibited serious pursuit and accomplishment in their personal musicianship – and who are college-bound music majors. Recipients are publicly recognized at an award presentation where each performs onstage, demonstrating mastery of his/her

  • 23

  • NDSGC Pearl I. Young Scholarship

  • Amount$2,500
  • DeadlineFebruary 15, 2026

The NDSGC has established the prestigious Pearl I. Young Space Grant Award for a student at the University of North Dakota. Applicants will ideally be involved in a research project of NASA relevance. Eligible applicants must have a female gender identity or outside the gender binary, be majoring in a STEM or STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) field, provide

  • 24

  • Shelton National Leadership Scholarship

  • Amount$20,000
  • DeadlineFebruary 15, 2026

The Shelton Leadership Center’s values-based leadership development programs now reach youth, college students, and professionals at NC State University and other higher education institutions, corporations, government entities, nonprofits, and youth development organizations. His values-based leadership approach is based on five values: honesty, integrity, diversity, compassion, and social

  • 25

  • NDSGC Lillian Goettler Scholarship

  • Amount$2,500
  • DeadlineFebruary 15, 2026

The NDSGC has established the prestigious Lillian Goettler Space Grant Award for a female or nonbinary student at North Dakota State University. Applicants must be majoring in a STEM or STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) field, provide transcripts that demonstrate a 3.5 GPA, and be US citizens. Applicants will ideally be involved in a research project of NASA

Prestigious scholarships are known on a national, and, often, on an international level. Winning one of these could do more for you than help cover college costs. Recipients are able to boast that they were chosen among thousands of applicants and display their achievement on their resumes. These awards typically target the best and the brightest youth - grades, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities and community service will matter when it comes to competing. Less tangible criteria will matter as well; scholarship providers for these awards want to see leaders, go-getters, and motivated individuals. As long as you're eligible for one of these prestigious scholarships, you may as well apply and put the effort in to apply to the best of your ability. For more information on prestigious scholarships, check out examples of the kinds of awards available below, or conduct a free scholarship search. We'll match you instantly with prestigious scholarships you may be eligible for.

Academic and Merit Scholarships

Most of the prestigious scholarship providers want to see your academic record; paying attention to your GPA, the kinds of courses you took on in high school, and your level of college preparedness. You may need to be near the top of your class, or have impressive standardized test scores. Many of these awards will spell out in their official rules and requirements the caliber of applicant they'll consider for their scholarship. For example, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program awards 250 scholarships each year ranging up to $20,000. Applicants for that award must have at least a 3.0 GPA to compete. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Program provides up to $30,000 to students in the upper quarter of their junior class. Applicants for this award and many others must also boast an interest in community service and leadership skills, so even if you have a stellar GPA, you may need to get yourself involved in more extracurricular activities to compete for the most prestigious academic and merit scholarships.

Fellowships and Grants

Many of the most prestigious awards come with more than checks sent to your intended college. For example, the more than 100-year-old Rhodes Scholarship offers recipients the opportunity to study at the University of Oxford. About 80 Rhodes Scholars are chosen from a pool of international applicants, with American students typically very well represented among those chosen for the honor. Scholars are chosen based on not only their achievements, but their ability to lead and be involved in a variety of activities. The National Science Foundation (NSF) offers a Graduate Research Fellowship Program for graduate students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Recipients are expected to contribute to research in their field, as is the requirement for many of the fellowships from research organizations out there. If you’re interested in expanding your career opportunities and experiences in your chosen field of study, a fellowship or grant could help you do that.

Prestigious Scholarships for Minorities

Minority scholarships aren't only easy to find due to the large number of awards out there, many of them are also quite prestigious. Those chosen to become Ron Brown Scholars are given $10,000 for four years; at least 10 African-American high school seniors receive the honor annually. Those who do are involved in community service, excel academically, and exhibit leadership potential. As you can see, your funding concerns could be alleviated if you landed one of these scholarships, so make sure to consider minority scholarships when you're on the hunt for money for college.