More than 80 WA students win 2026 National Merit Scholarships

Nearly 90 Washington high schoolers have won National Merit Scholarships, a prestigious award for some of the most academically talented students in the nation.

National Merit Scholarships are awarded annually to high schoolers who earn top-percentile scores on the preliminary SAT - a standardized test many high school sophomores and juniors take. These students also must have exceptional grades, submit a strong application essay and share a recommendation from a school official, among other requirements.

These 88 high-achieving students are "judged to have the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies," the National Merit Scholarship Corporation - a not-for-profit organization that administers the scholarship program - said in a written statement.

The NMSC will reveal additional scholarship recipients in mid-July. By the end of this year, more than 6,700 high school seniors will have received various kinds of National Merit Scholarships, totaling almost $24 million in financial aid.

Four Washington schools stand out for their number of 2026 National Merit Scholars: Interlake High School in Bellevue, with 7; Redmond High School, with 6; Mercer Island High School, with 5; and Sammamish's Eastlake High School, with 5.

Most of these 88 Washington students - 54 of them - received National Merit Scholarships for a one-time lump sum of $2,500. Nationwide, 2,500 students received this award, which is funded mostly by NMSC.

Eighteen others won scholarships specifically sponsored by corporations, company foundations or individual businesses.

These corporate-sponsored scholarships generally award students $1,000 to $10,000 annually for four years of study. Others may provide one-time payments between $2,500 and $10,000.

More than 700 students across the country won these corporate-sponsored scholarships.

An additional 16 Washington students won National Merit Scholarships sponsored by U.S. colleges and universities, which select award recipients from scholarship finalists among their incoming class.

College-sponsored scholarships provide between $500 to $2,000 annually for up to four years of study while pursuing an undergraduate degree. In total, there will be more than 3,500 college-sponsored National Merit Scholars this year, the NMSC said.

These students plan to attend schools such as the University of Puget Sound, the University of Southern California and Tufts University, among others.

More than 350 high schoolers in Washington had been selected as semifinalists for assorted 2026 National Merit Scholarships. Across the U.S., 16,000 students were semifinalists.

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 4:51 PM.