Home > 2018 Merit Badge Rankings
First Aid merit badge extended its reign atop the charts in 2018, while the Exploration, Animation and Bugling merit badges each saw double-digit gains in popularity.
And how’s this for unusual: The exact same number of Scouts earned the Search and Rescue merit badge in 2017 and 2018: 10,107. Those are just three of the dozens of storylines one can glean from the 2018 merit badge data, released last week by the Boy Scouts of America. Today, let’s chop, sort and digest those numbers every which way. As always, the goal is to find trends that are interesting and informative. At the end of this post, I’ll include the raw numbers so you can do your own spreadsheet wizardry. Leave a comment with anything cool you’re able to find.
As usual, every merit badge on this list is required to earn the Eagle Scout award, Scouting’s highest honor. It makes sense that these would rank highly; they’re the badges the BSA deems most important.
Rank | Merit Badge | 2018 earned |
1 | First Aid | 69,565 |
2 | Swimming | 62,796 |
3 | Citizenship in the World | 55,843 |
4 | Environmental Science | 54,237 |
5 | Citizenship in the Nation | 52,944 |
6 | Communication | 51,541 |
7 | Cooking | 50,185 |
8 | Camping | 49,893 |
9 | Citizenship in the Community | 49,863 |
10 | Personal Fitness | 49,600 |
What happens when we exclude Eagle-required merit badges from the rankings? When given the choice to earn any of the 120 non-Eagle-required merit badges, which do Scouts prefer? I think you’ll find a common theme with these 10: They’re offered at most summer camps, giving Scouts an excellent opportunity to complete them.
Rank | Merit Badge | 2018 earned |
1 | Fingerprinting | 38,239 |
2 | Rifle Shooting | 37,695 |
3 | Archery | 34,487 |
4 | Leatherwork | 33,740 |
5 | Wood Carving | 31,910 |
6 | Kayaking | 31,362 |
7 | Wilderness Survival | 29,392 |
8 | Chess | 28,260 |
9 | Canoeing | 26,094 |
10 | Fishing | 24,688 |
No matter what your interests it remains that BSA merit badges are exciting and fun to work toward and earn. Encourage your boys to go beyond the ordinary and discover new opportunities that await them with 137 merit badges to choose from.
The Path to Becoming an Eagle Scout is a journey that embodies the very essence of Scouting – growth, leadership, and service. For young men in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), earning this prestigious rank represents the pinnacle of their Scouting experience. To become an Eagle Scout, there are several requirements that must be met, each one a testament to the scout's commitment, determination, and ingenuity.
As a Scout leader, managing the finances of your unit can be a challenging task. From purchasing equipment and supplies, to organizing events and trips, it's important to keep track of every penny to ensure that your unit is running smoothly and efficiently.
Springtime is the best time for Cub Scouts to transition to Scouts BSA through crossover ceremonies...
We've made changes to enable you to more easily get a roster and event report by Den or Patrol.
During the pandemic, the FAQ is provided with answers to key questions about advancement, unit activities, and more.
Premium subscriptions just got sweeter with a much anticipated feature -- sending emails to Scout Manager distribution lists from external email clients such as Outlook, Gmail, etc.
In response to Covid-19 we've added a flag to allow everyone in your unit to use the distribution lists
2019 brought many changes to Scouting and Scout Manager. Here are a few of the highlights.
Being a Jedi means that you know that you have to sacrifice your emotions so you remain impartial. It means sacrificing yourself so others don't have to, be it your life, your love, your family, or all your material possessions. It means fighting not for glory, but for duty.