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Eagle scout education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an eagle scout. Eagle scouts usually study business, mechanical engineering, or political science. 79% of eagle scouts hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 6,000 real eagle scout resumes to see exactly what eagle scout education sections show.

The most common colleges for eagle scouts are the Brigham Young University and the Brigham Young University.

There are also many online eagle scout courses to help get the education required to be an eagle scout.

What education do you need to become an eagle scout?

What degree do you need to be an eagle scout?

The most common degree for eagle scouts is bachelor's degree, with 79% of eagle scouts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 8% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 79%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an eagle scout?

You should major in business to become an eagle scout. 19% of eagle scouts major in business. Other common majors for an eagle scout include mechanical engineering and political science.

Most common colleges for eagle scouts

Eagle scouts often get their degrees at Brigham Young University, Utah State University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for eagle scouts in the US based on their resumes.
Eagle scout common collegePercentages
Brigham Young University15.98%
Utah State University8.90%
Pennsylvania State University8.22%
Purdue University5.48%
Texas A&M University5.02%

Best majors for eagle scouts

RankMajorPercentages
1Business18.8%
2Mechanical Engineering10.3%
3Political Science6.3%
4Finance6.0%
5Biology5.7%

Best colleges for eagle scouts

The best colleges for eagle scouts are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.

An eagle scout with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for eagle scouts. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become eagle scouts.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for eagle scouts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for eagle scouts

The most affordable schools for eagle scouts are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for eagle scouts are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for eagle scouts.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for eagle scouts

The hardest universities for eagle scouts to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for eagle scouts are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for eagle scouts based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for eagle scouts

The easiest schools for eagle scouts to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an eagle scout without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for eagle scouts.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

Average eagle scout salary by education level

Eagle scouts with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $65,923 annually. With a Master's degree, eagle scouts earn a median annual income of $65,365 compared to $54,961 for eagle scouts with an Associate degree.
Eagle scout education levelEagle scout salary
Master's Degree$65,365
High School Diploma or Less$51,144
Bachelor's Degree$65,923
Some College/ Associate Degree$54,961

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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