Where to find the college with the highest number of National Merit Scholars?

Hey, super eager to find a college that really values academic prowess, and I've heard that there are some schools that have a large number of National Merit Scholars in their student body. Does anyone know where I can find a list or data on which college has the most National Merit Scholars?

You're correct that some colleges do enroll a substantial number of National Merit Scholars. However, bear in mind that the sheer volume of National Merit Scholars may not be the most accurate measure of a university's focus on academic excellence, as many top-tier schools don't place significant emphasis on the program.

Rather than being publicly available, the exact information you're looking for is actually reported by each institution to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation at the end of each academic year. Unfortunately, this data isn't typically made directly public by the corporation itself.

However, some colleges do publicize their National Merit enrollment numbers on their websites or in news releases, so you could search for this information on the sites of the schools you're interested in. Moreover, several news outlets and educational forums compile unofficial lists based on this self-reported data.

Just remember to take this information with a grain of salt, as it might not hold the same weight for all colleges, especially those that prioritize other aspects of a student's academic or personal profile over National Merit status. An institution's overall academic environment, including the caliber of its faculty, research opportunities, and academic resources, should factor heavily into your college selection process.

For example, you often find a higher concentration of these scholars at large state schools that offer substantial scholarship aid for National Merit students, like University of Alabama or University of Oklahoma, but this doesn't directly correlate with the academic rigor or reputation of these institutions compared with that of more selective colleges.