If you’re a Scout parent or leader who likes to keep a finger on the pulse of youth interests, the list you’ve been waiting for is here!
Once a year, we share our roundup of the most-earned merit badges from the last calendar year. And we just got the results from 2023.
In 2022, we saw the Citizenship in Society merit badge top the list as it launched its first full year as the newest Eagle-required badge. This year, things look similar. That is at least until we get farther down the list. Let’s take a look at the 2023 merit badge rankings.
The top 10 most-earned merit badges of 2023
Bolded below are badges that flipped rankings slightly but still remain close to where they were last year. To compare, check out our 2022 merit badge rankings.
| 2023 Rank | Merit Badge |
| 1 | Citizenship in Society |
| 2 | First Aid |
| 3 | Swimming |
| 4 | Environmental Science |
| 5 | Citizenship in the World |
| 6 | Camping |
| 7 | Citizenship in the Nation |
| 8 | Personal Fitness |
| 9 | Communication |
| 10 | Cooking |
Yup, this list looks very close to last year’s. But now let’s view the list through another lens.
An alternative top 10
If we remove the merit badges Scouts are required to earn to achieve Eagle Scout, we see another top 10 list. There are more than 100 other badges Scouts can choose among. Here’s what topped those rankings.
| 2023 Rank | Merit Badge |
| 1 | Fingerprinting |
| 2 | Chess |
| 3 | Archery |
| 4 | Rifle Shooting |
| 5 | Leatherwork |
| 6 | Wood Carving |
| 7 | Kayaking |
| 8 | Art |
| 9 | Fishing |
| 10 | Wilderness Survival |
From last year, the Chess merit badge jumped up five spots! Otherwise, the changes were minor.
The rarest badges of 2023
There’s a realm of Scouts who live to earn the rarest badges. And we’ve got a list for them, too!
| 2023 Rank | Merit Badge |
| 129 | Dentistry |
| 130 | Gardening |
| 131 | Energy |
| 132 | Stamp Collecting |
| 133 | Composite Materials |
| 134 | American Labor |
| 135 | Surveying |
| 136 | Journalism |
| 137 | Drafting |
| 138 | Bugling |
The Veterinary Medicine and Truck Transportation merit badges jumped out of the bottom 10, up 14 and 13 spots respectively. These least-earned badges saw a bit of shake up this year, proving Scouts’ interests change even from one year to the next.
Top gains of the year
Some badges made a leap in the ranks. In fact, the Collections merit badge was earned by 1,000 more Scouts in 2023!
Here are more notable gains.
| 2023 Rank | Merit Badge | 2022 Rank | Difference |
| 116 | Veterinary Medicine | 130 | 14 |
| 82 | Mining in Society | 95 | 13 |
| 118 | Truck Transportation | 131 | 13 |
| 109 | Genealogy | 120 | 11 |
| 96 | Exploration | 106 | 10 |
| 48 | Pottery | 57 | 9 |
| 66 | Railroading | 75 | 9 |
| 79 | Collections | 88 | 9 |
| 104 | Model Design and Building | 113 | 9 |
| 112 | American Business | 121 | 9 |
The complete 2023 merit badge rankings
The green text in the table below indicates a merit badge is one required to earn Eagle Scout. Eagle Scouts must earn a total of 21 merit badges, including these 14:
- First Aid
- Citizenship in the Community
- Citizenship in the Nation
- Citizenship in Society
- Citizenship in the World
- Communication
- Cooking
- Personal Fitness
- Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving
- Environmental Science OR Sustainability
- Personal Management
- Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling
- Camping
- Family Life
| 2023 Rank | Merit Badge | 2022 Rank | Rank Difference |
| 1 | Citizenship in Society | 1 | |
| 2 | First Aid | 2 | |
| 3 | Swimming | 3 | |
| 4 | Environmental Science | 4 | |
| 5 | Citizenship in the World | 5 | |
| 6 | Camping | 6 | |
| 7 | Citizenship in the Nation | 8 | 1 |
| 8 | Personal Fitness | 10 | 2 |
| 9 | Communication | 7 | -2 |
| 10 | Cooking | 9 | -1 |
| 11 | Personal Management | 11 | |
| 12 | Fingerprinting | 12 | |
| 13 | Citizenship in the Community | 13 | |
| 14 | Family Life | 15 | 1 |
| 15 | Emergency Preparedness | 14 | -1 |
| 16 | Chess | 21 | 5 |
| 17 | Archery | 17 | |
| 18 | Rifle Shooting | 16 | -2 |
| 19 | Leatherwork | 18 | -1 |
| 20 | Wood Carving | 20 | |
| 21 | Kayaking | 19 | -2 |
| 22 | Art | 23 | 1 |
| 23 | Fishing | 24 | 1 |
| 24 | Wilderness Survival | 22 | -2 |
| 25 | Canoeing | 25 | |
| 26 | Shotgun Shooting | 26 | |
| 27 | Lifesaving | 28 | 1 |
| 28 | Climbing | 27 | -1 |
| 29 | Space Exploration | 29 | |
| 30 | Astronomy | 31 | 1 |
| 31 | Photography | 32 | 1 |
| 32 | Mammal Study | 30 | -2 |
| 33 | Aviation | 35 | 2 |
| 34 | Geology | 33 | -1 |
| 35 | Basketry | 34 | -1 |
| 36 | Welding | 39 | 3 |
| 37 | Small Boat Sailing | 36 | -1 |
| 38 | Metalwork | 42 | 4 |
| 39 | Engineering | 41 | 2 |
| 40 | Nature | 37 | -3 |
| 41 | Pioneering | 43 | 2 |
| 42 | Robotics | 44 | 2 |
| 43 | Game Design | 38 | -5 |
| 44 | Weather | 47 | 3 |
| 45 | Chemistry | 45 | |
| 46 | Music | 52 | 6 |
| 47 | Automotive Maintenance | 51 | 4 |
| 48 | Pottery | 57 | 9 |
| 49 | Sculpture | 49 | |
| 50 | Fire Safety | 53 | 3 |
| 51 | Geocaching | 48 | -3 |
| 52 | Orienteering | 50 | -2 |
| 53 | Indian Lore | 40 | -13 |
| 54 | Horsemanship | 55 | 1 |
| 55 | Forestry | 56 | 1 |
| 56 | Fish & Wildlife Management | 54 | -2 |
| 57 | Search and Rescue | 46 | -11 |
| 58 | Signs, Signals, and Codes | 58 | |
| 59 | Animation | 60 | 1 |
| 60 | Moviemaking | 64 | 4 |
| 61 | Oceanography | 61 | |
| 62 | Electricity | 62 | |
| 63 | Motor Boating | 59 | -4 |
| 64 | Electronics | 65 | 1 |
| 65 | Sustainability | 63 | -2 |
| 66 | Railroading | 75 | 9 |
| 67 | Snow Sports | 68 | 1 |
| 68 | Nuclear Science | 71 | 3 |
| 69 | Hiking | 69 | |
| 70 | Digital Technology | 74 | 4 |
| 71 | Disabilities Awareness | 76 | 5 |
| 72 | Pulp and Paper | 66 | -6 |
| 73 | Salesmanship | 72 | -1 |
| 74 | Soil and Water Conservation | 67 | -7 |
| 75 | Scouting Heritage | 82 | 7 |
| 76 | Radio | 81 | 5 |
| 77 | Traffic Safety | 73 | -4 |
| 78 | Public Speaking | 77 | -1 |
| 79 | Collections | 88 | 9 |
| 80 | Rowing | 70 | -10 |
| 81 | Archaeology | 78 | -3 |
| 82 | Mining in Society | 95 | 13 |
| 83 | Reptile and Amphibian Study | 79 | -4 |
| 84 | Crime Prevention | 83 | -1 |
| 85 | American Heritage | 87 | 2 |
| 86 | Bird Study | 80 | -6 |
| 87 | Pets | 86 | -1 |
| 88 | Sports | 93 | 5 |
| 89 | Law | 90 | 1 |
| 90 | Painting | 84 | -6 |
| 91 | Woodwork | 85 | -6 |
| 92 | Entrepreneurship | 94 | 2 |
| 93 | Architecture | 91 | -2 |
| 94 | Coin Collecting | 92 | -2 |
| 95 | Programming | 96 | 1 |
| 96 | Exploration | 106 | 10 |
| 97 | Cycling | 89 | -8 |
| 98 | Fly Fishing | 98 | |
| 99 | Animal Science | 99 | |
| 100 | Plumbing | 97 | -3 |
| 101 | Scholarship | 100 | -1 |
| 102 | Reading | 104 | 2 |
| 103 | Backpacking | 102 | -1 |
| 104 | Model Design and Building | 113 | 9 |
| 105 | Textile | 105 | |
| 106 | Whitewater | 101 | -5 |
| 107 | Insect Study | 108 | 1 |
| 108 | Safety | 103 | -5 |
| 109 | Genealogy | 120 | 11 |
| 110 | Dog Care | 111 | 1 |
| 111 | Graphic Arts | 109 | -2 |
| 112 | American Business | 121 | 9 |
| 113 | Theater | 118 | 5 |
| 114 | Home Repairs | 107 | -7 |
| 115 | Veterinary Medicine | 129 | 14 |
| 116 | Plant Science | 117 | 1 |
| 117 | Inventing | 112 | -5 |
| 118 | Truck Transportation | 131 | 13 |
| 119 | American Cultures | 119 | |
| 120 | Skating | 125 | 5 |
| 121 | Golf | 114 | -7 |
| 122 | Farm Mechanics | 116 | -6 |
| 123 | Medicine/Health Care Professions | 115 | -8 |
| 124 | Water Sports | 122 | -2 |
| 125 | Public Health | 110 | -15 |
| 126 | SCUBA Diving | 123 | -3 |
| 127 | Athletics | 125 | -2 |
| 128 | Landscape Architecture | 128 | |
| 129 | Dentistry | 132 | 3 |
| 130 | Gardening | 126 | -4 |
| 131 | Energy | 127 | -4 |
| 132 | Stamp Collecting | 133 | 1 |
| 133 | Composite Materials | 130 | -3 |
| 134 | American Labor | 134 | |
| 135 | Surveying | 136 | 1 |
| 136 | Journalism | 135 | -1 |
| 137 | Drafting | 137 | |
| 138 | Bugling | 138 |
Who helps us gather this info?
Thank you to Scouts BSA’s Garfield Murden for supplying our merit badge rankings data!
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