2016 Merit Badge Rankings unveiled: These were the most and least popular
Scouts and Scouters, meet your repeat champion: the First Aid merit badge.
After losing its top spot to the Cooking merit badge in 2014, First Aid retook the crown in 2015 and defended its title in 2016.
That means more Scouts earned the First Aid merit badge in 2016 than any other badge.
It was something of a runaway victory. The badge outranked second place by nearly 8,000 merit badges earned.
First Aid: 2016’s king of merit badges
Exactly 1,919,912 merit badges were earned in 2016; First Aid accounted for 75,256 — nearly 4 percent.
That’s a lot of young men trained to assist someone in an emergency.
Swimming was second, third place went to Environmental Science, and Citizenship in the World and Citizenship in the Nation rounded out the top five.
Citizenship in the Nation is a newcomer in the top five, taking a spot previously held by Cooking, which dropped to sixth.
Here’s the complete top 10. Notice any commonality? All are Eagle-required.
- First Aid
- Swimming
- Environmental Science
- Citizenship in the World
- Citizenship in the Nation
- Cooking
- Camping
- Communication
- Personal Fitness
- Citizenship in the Community
OK, but what about non-Eagle-required badges?
Good point. Of course the rankings will be top-heavy with Eagle-required badges. Scouts who want to advance toward Eagle must earn most of the badges from this required list. The remaining merit badges are electives, and the choices are as diverse as the interests of modern Scouts.
The top 10 elective badges were:
- Rifle Shooting
- Fingerprinting
- Archery
- Leatherwork
- Wilderness Survival
- Wood Carving
- Kayaking
- Canoeing
- Chess
- Fishing
Many of those merit badges are summer camp staples, meaning Scouts can have fun completing them at one of the awesome local council camps across the country.
I’m always pleased to see Chess so high on the list. It was No. 22 overall last year and this year, which is a strong showing for a badge that’s been around only since 2011. There are many physical merit badges available, but Chess is a reminder that there mental ones as well.
Which were the least popular?
The 10 rarest, starting with the least earned, were:
- Computers
- Bugling
- American Business
- Stamp Collecting
- American Labor
- Cinematography
- Journalism
- Surveying
- Drafting
- Gardening
The Computers phase-out began in 2014, and Cinematography was changed to Moviemaking in 2013. Scouts who started work before those badges’ official end dates are allowed to finish their work.
Both discontinued merit badges will continue to fall until they disappear from the list.
Which merit badges are gaining or falling in popularity?
Which merit badges saw the biggest jumps? Which saw the biggest falls? Here goes …
Top 5 gains:
- Animation, 322 percent increase
- Signs, Signals and Codes, 132 percent increase
- Whitewater, 20 increase
- Surveying, 17 percent increase
- Fly Fishing, 15 percent increase
The top two on this list — Animation and Signs, Signals and Codes — were released in 2015. So it makes sense that, when given a full year to shine, they’d do so.
As for the other three, your guess is as good as mine. Normal fluctuations in popularity? An abnormally strong year for surveying the country’s rivers and streams? Nobody could know.
Top 5 falls:
- Computers, 79 percent decrease
- Insect Study, 34 percent decrease
- Cinematography, 33 percent decrease
- Composite Materials, 27 percent decrease
- American Labor, 27 percent decrease
Computers and Cinematography have been discontinued, so their presence is no surprise. I have no theory for why Insect Study, Composite Materials or American Labor fell in popularity last year.
Where did I get these numbers?
As with my 2016 analysis of the 2015 data, these figures come from Local Council Charter Applications. That means they’re based on the actual number earned, not on sales of the badges. Some troops purchase extra emblems in anticipation of future badge earnings, so sales numbers can mislead.
Special thanks to the BSA’s Lynn Adcock for providing these numbers.
The raw numbers
OK, here are the full lists. Get ready to do a lot of scrolling.
You’ll find
- 2016 rankings
- Merit badge popularity in last five years
- Lifetime rankings, 1911 to 2016
- Rise and fall: percent change from 2015 to 2016
2016 rankings
Blue signifies Eagle-required. Green means the merit badge is new (introduced in 2011 or later). Orange means the badge is both new and Eagle-required.
Rank | Merit Badge | 2016 earned |
1 | First Aid | 75,256 |
2 | Swimming | 67,446 |
3 | Environmental Science | 60,026 |
4 | Citizenship in the World | 59,363 |
5 | Citizenship in the Nation | 57,919 |
6 | Cooking | 55,841 |
7 | Camping | 53,534 |
8 | Communication | 53,367 |
9 | Personal Fitness | 52,079 |
10 | Citizenship in the Community | 51,975 |
11 | Personal Management | 50,251 |
12 | Family Life | 50,177 |
13 | Emergency Preparedness | 47,004 |
14 | Rifle Shooting | 41,444 |
15 | Fingerprinting | 40,700 |
16 | Archery | 39,419 |
17 | Leatherwork | 37,920 |
18 | Wilderness Survival | 35,221 |
19 | Wood Carving | 34,938 |
20 | Kayaking | 33,137 |
21 | Canoeing | 28,288 |
22 | Chess | 27,416 |
23 | Fishing | 25,256 |
24 | Art | 22,990 |
25 | Lifesaving | 22,382 |
26 | Mammal Study | 21,303 |
27 | Climbing | 21,171 |
28 | Shotgun Shooting | 20,912 |
29 | Space Exploration | 20,137 |
30 | Geology | 18,516 |
31 | Indian Lore | 18,234 |
32 | Astronomy | 16,355 |
33 | Pioneering | 15,959 |
34 | Basketry | 15,282 |
35 | Geocaching | 15,210 |
36 | Photography | 15,142 |
37 | Aviation | 14,477 |
38 | Robotics | 14,264 |
39 | Small Boat Sailing | 14,108 |
40 | Orienteering | 13,753 |
41 | Game Design | 13,689 |
42 | Nature | 13,635 |
43 | Weather | 12,665 |
44 | Fish & Wildlife Management | 12,647 |
45 | Metalwork | 12,639 |
46 | Forestry | 12,519 |
47 | Fire Safety | 12,257 |
48 | Music | 11,689 |
49 | Engineering | 11,429 |
50 | Chemistry | 10,865 |
51 | Moviemaking | 10,851 |
52 | Automotive Maintenance | 10,748 |
53 | Welding | 10,737 |
54 | Search and Rescue | 10,361 |
55 | Soil and Water Conservation | 10,341 |
56 | Electricity | 9,762 |
57 | Motor Boating | 9,515 |
58 | Horsemanship | 9,457 |
59 | Rowing | 9,408 |
60 | Digital Technology | 9,344 |
61 | Sculpture | 8,900 |
62 | Oceanography | 8,499 |
63 | Pottery | 8,230 |
64 | Signs, Signals and Codes | 8,025 |
65 | Electronics | 7,814 |
66 | Sports | 7,626 |
67 | Public Speaking | 7,497 |
68 | Hiking | 7,485 |
69 | Archaeology | 7,388 |
70 | Snow Sports | 7,177 |
71 | Nuclear Science | 7,005 |
72 | Sustainability | 6,813 |
73 | Railroading | 6,599 |
74 | Radio | 6,442 |
75 | Reptile and Amphibian Study | 6,411 |
76 | Cycling | 6,334 |
77 | Crime Prevention | 6,178 |
78 | Pulp and Paper | 6,081 |
79 | Traffic Safety | 6,072 |
80 | Salesmanship | 6,031 |
81 | Disabilities Awareness | 5,833 |
82 | Scouting Heritage | 5,266 |
83 | Law | 5,226 |
84 | Bird Study | 5,199 |
85 | Woodwork | 4,975 |
86 | American Heritage | 4,952 |
87 | Animation | 4,637 |
88 | Fly Fishing | 4,577 |
89 | Genealogy | 4,570 |
90 | Plumbing | 4,510 |
91 | Scholarship | 4,316 |
92 | Pets | 4,278 |
93 | Safety | 4,267 |
94 | Mining in Society | 4,224 |
95 | Coin Collecting | 4,135 |
96 | Programming | 4,085 |
97 | Backpacking | 3,963 |
98 | Animal Science | 3,852 |
99 | Painting | 3,829 |
100 | Medicine | 3,767 |
101 | Collections | 3,753 |
102 | Golf | 3,605 |
103 | Reading | 3,574 |
104 | Whitewater | 3,476 |
105 | Entrepreneurship | 3,365 |
106 | Home Repairs | 3,325 |
107 | Graphic Arts | 3,251 |
108 | Architecture | 3,230 |
109 | Athletics | 3,125 |
110 | Water Sports | 3,123 |
111 | Energy | 2,955 |
112 | Dentistry | 2,910 |
113 | Inventing | 2,834 |
114 | Model Design and Building | 2,770 |
115 | Veterinary Medicine | 2,580 |
116 | Theater | 2,543 |
117 | Textile | 2,480 |
118 | Dog Care | 2,414 |
119 | Truck Transportation | 2,391 |
120 | Farm Mechanics | 2,368 |
121 | Plant Science | 2,363 |
122 | Insect Study | 2,341 |
123 | American Cultures | 2,218 |
124 | Skating | 1,953 |
125 | Public Health | 1,837 |
126 | Scuba Diving | 1,792 |
127 | Composite Materials | 1,597 |
128 | Landscape Architecture | 1,494 |
129 | Gardening | 1,375 |
130 | Drafting | 1,168 |
131 | Surveying | 1,028 |
132 | Journalism | 970 |
133 | Cinematography* | 841 |
134 | American Labor | 812 |
135 | Stamp Collecting | 793 |
136 | American Business | 627 |
137 | Bugling | 479 |
138 | Computers** | 354 |
*Cinematography became Moviemaking merit badge in 2013, but Scouts who began work on the older version were still able to earn it in 2016.
**Computers was discontinued on Dec. 31, 2014, but Scouts who began work on or before that date were still able to earn it in 2016.
Merit badge popularity in last five years
Merit Badge | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
American Business | 679 | 805 | 650 | 587 | 627 |
American Cultures | 2,883 | 2,649 | 2,174 | 2,233 | 2,218 |
American Heritage | 6,626 | 6,195 | 5,333 | 5,599 | 4,952 |
American Labor | 811 | 1,090 | 992 | 1,106 | 812 |
Animal Science | 4,503 | 4,174 | 4,042 | 4,414 | 3,852 |
Animation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,099 | 4,637 |
Archaeology | 10,316 | 8,913 | 8,652 | 7,590 | 7,388 |
Archery | 48,229 | 43,879 | 43,238 | 41,879 | 39,419 |
Architecture | 3,631 | 3,956 | 4,019 | 3,362 | 3,230 |
Art | 29,273 | 28,031 | 25,438 | 24,374 | 22,990 |
Astronomy | 17,308 | 16,332 | 15,758 | 16,706 | 16,355 |
Athletics | 3,465 | 3,709 | 3,241 | 3,604 | 3,125 |
Automotive Maintenance | 10,784 | 10,084 | 9,763 | 9,961 | 10,748 |
Aviation | 20,751 | 18,330 | 17,522 | 15,170 | 14,477 |
Backpacking | 4,878 | 4,114 | 4,169 | 3,973 | 3,963 |
Basketry | 22,073 | 19,364 | 17,531 | 17,158 | 15,282 |
Bird Study | 6,952 | 6,405 | 5,641 | 5,587 | 5,199 |
Bugling | 613 | 515 | 606 | 492 | 479 |
Camping* | 60,772 | 58,982 | 54,265 | 54,342 | 53,534 |
Canoeing | 39,042 | 33,409 | 31,833 | 29,461 | 28,288 |
Chemistry | 9,692 | 10,731 | 10,594 | 10,560 | 10,865 |
Chess | 29,298 | 27,315 | 25,266 | 27,235 | 27,416 |
Cinematography | 8,308 | 8,465 | 4,026 | 1,260 | 841 |
Citizenship in the Community* | 57,951 | 56,928 | 51,728 | 52,071 | 51,975 |
Citizenship in the Nation* | 64,120 | 61,272 | 56,490 | 57,161 | 57,919 |
Citizenship in the World* | 67,486 | 64,452 | 61,303 | 60,171 | 59,363 |
Climbing | 24,609 | 22,861 | 23,200 | 21,574 | 21,171 |
Coin Collecting | 6,043 | 5,667 | 5,303 | 4,715 | 4,135 |
Collections | 5,077 | 4,966 | 4,295 | 4,004 | 3,753 |
Communication* | 59,345 | 57,111 | 54,081 | 55,738 | 53,367 |
Composite Materials | 1,610 | 1,817 | 1,614 | 2,183 | 1,597 |
Computers | 14,474 | 15,149 | 12,973 | 1,686 | 354 |
Cooking* | 23,384 | 44,903 | 99,908 | 67,691 | 55,841 |
Crime Prevention | 8,331 | 7,274 | 6,917 | 6,581 | 6,178 |
Cycling** | 7,053 | 6,551 | 6,268 | 6,626 | 6,334 |
Dentistry | 4,403 | 4,213 | 3,416 | 3,485 | 2,910 |
Digital Technology | 0 | 0 | 3,014 | 9,383 | 9,344 |
Disabilities Awareness | 7,230 | 6,690 | 6,204 | 6,153 | 5,833 |
Dog Care | 3,330 | 3,351 | 2,955 | 2,666 | 2,414 |
Drafting | 1,377 | 1,440 | 1,318 | 1,339 | 1,168 |
Electricity | 11,350 | 10,968 | 10,460 | 10,035 | 9,762 |
Electronics | 8,060 | 8,753 | 8,860 | 8,352 | 7,814 |
Emergency Preparedness*** | 51,035 | 50,153 | 46,069 | 47,879 | 47,004 |
Energy | 3,907 | 3,989 | 3,669 | 3,190 | 2,955 |
Engineering | 9,682 | 10,445 | 11,624 | 11,735 | 11,429 |
Entrepreneurship | 1,932 | 1,900 | 2,496 | 2,927 | 3,365 |
Environmental Science**** | 76,238 | 71,609 | 67,218 | 63,783 | 60,026 |
Family Life* | 56,210 | 55,080 | 49,516 | 51,008 | 50,177 |
Farm Mechanics | 2,457 | 2,421 | 2,486 | 2,244 | 2,368 |
Fingerprinting | 46,594 | 45,140 | 43,820 | 43,743 | 40,700 |
Fire Safety | 14,517 | 12,988 | 12,395 | 12,782 | 12,257 |
First Aid* | 92,312 | 87,477 | 80,917 | 80,716 | 75,256 |
Fish & Wildlife Management | 15,528 | 13,411 | 13,749 | 13,164 | 12,647 |
Fishing | 31,932 | 29,788 | 28,119 | 26,050 | 25,256 |
Fly Fishing | 4,291 | 4,690 | 4,537 | 3,981 | 4,577 |
Forestry | 16,309 | 14,874 | 14,465 | 12,905 | 12,519 |
Game Design | 0 | 2,657 | 11,853 | 12,313 | 13,689 |
Gardening | 2,258 | 1,972 | 1,641 | 1,582 | 1,375 |
Genealogy | 5,641 | 5,740 | 5,474 | 5,316 | 4,570 |
Geocaching | 18,711 | 17,031 | 16,785 | 15,582 | 15,210 |
Geology | 24,015 | 22,103 | 21,282 | 22,180 | 18,516 |
Golf | 5,128 | 4,921 | 3,955 | 3,826 | 3,605 |
Graphic Arts | 3,505 | 3,140 | 3,189 | 3,356 | 3,251 |
Hiking** | 8,132 | 7,856 | 7,344 | 6,967 | 7,485 |
Home Repairs | 4,413 | 3,790 | 3,866 | 3,288 | 3,325 |
Horsemanship | 12,670 | 10,977 | 11,905 | 10,878 | 9,457 |
Indian Lore | 26,705 | 24,535 | 22,997 | 22,241 | 18,234 |
Insect Study | 4,120 | 3,613 | 3,164 | 3,550 | 2,341 |
Inventing | 2,592 | 2,704 | 2,902 | 3,369 | 2,834 |
Journalism | 1,184 | 945 | 955 | 1,037 | 970 |
Kayaking | 21,765 | 36,217 | 35,533 | 34,054 | 33,137 |
Landscape Architecture | 1,618 | 1,872 | 1,496 | 1,434 | 1,494 |
Law | 7,274 | 6,946 | 5,463 | 5,633 | 5,226 |
Leatherwork | 48,674 | 44,344 | 42,565 | 40,805 | 37,920 |
Lifesaving*** | 28,228 | 25,945 | 24,474 | 23,983 | 22,382 |
Mammal Study | 28,309 | 24,064 | 24,060 | 23,427 | 21,303 |
Medicine | 4,507 | 3,990 | 3,725 | 3,807 | 3,767 |
Metalwork | 13,674 | 13,259 | 12,949 | 12,340 | 12,639 |
Mining in Society | 0 | 0 | 3,519 | 4,613 | 4,224 |
Model Design and Building | 3,120 | 3,628 | 2,612 | 2,795 | 2,770 |
Motor Boating | 12,004 | 11,012 | 10,748 | 9,880 | 9,515 |
Moviemaking | 0 | 0 | 6,195 | 10,064 | 10,851 |
Music | 15,088 | 14,223 | 12,903 | 12,369 | 11,689 |
Nature | 18,114 | 16,164 | 15,046 | 14,679 | 13,635 |
Nuclear Science | 7,114 | 7,666 | 6,657 | 6,728 | 7,005 |
Oceanography | 10,636 | 10,769 | 9,991 | 9,892 | 8,499 |
Orienteering | 18,989 | 16,909 | 16,871 | 15,642 | 13,753 |
Painting | 5,412 | 4,911 | 4,346 | 4,245 | 3,829 |
Personal Fitness* | 56,908 | 56,295 | 50,693 | 52,499 | 52,079 |
Personal Management* | 54,529 | 53,273 | 48,299 | 51,105 | 50,251 |
Pets | 5,904 | 5,659 | 4,821 | 4,645 | 4,278 |
Photography | 18,879 | 17,800 | 17,804 | 16,931 | 15,142 |
Pioneering | 21,550 | 19,525 | 18,117 | 17,341 | 15,959 |
Plant Science | 2,593 | 2,712 | 2,680 | 2,922 | 2,363 |
Plumbing | 5,785 | 5,178 | 4,982 | 4,960 | 4,510 |
Pottery | 10,157 | 9,869 | 9,050 | 8,384 | 8,230 |
Programming | 0 | 480 | 2,970 | 3,577 | 4,085 |
Public Health | 1,783 | 2,006 | 1,821 | 1,780 | 1,837 |
Public Speaking | 6,987 | 7,289 | 7,091 | 7,793 | 7,497 |
Pulp and Paper | 7,495 | 7,034 | 6,250 | 7,379 | 6,081 |
Radio | 6,957 | 7,208 | 6,665 | 6,709 | 6,442 |
Railroading | 8,681 | 7,191 | 6,694 | 7,651 | 6,599 |
Reading | 5,676 | 5,216 | 4,712 | 4,179 | 3,574 |
Reptile and Amphibian Study | 9,772 | 8,483 | 7,547 | 6,700 | 6,411 |
Rifle Shooting | 50,435 | 47,054 | 45,839 | 43,196 | 41,444 |
Robotics | 13,262 | 13,401 | 13,708 | 13,700 | 14,264 |
Rowing | 13,769 | 10,944 | 10,557 | 9,995 | 9,408 |
Safety | 3,824 | 4,349 | 3,778 | 3,937 | 4,267 |
Salesmanship | 6,425 | 6,438 | 6,648 | 6,412 | 6,031 |
Scholarship | 6,310 | 5,956 | 5,362 | 4,911 | 4,316 |
Scouting Heritage | 5,394 | 5,660 | 5,572 | 5,558 | 5,266 |
Scuba Diving | 2,594 | 2,370 | 1,989 | 2,135 | 1,792 |
Sculpture | 12,829 | 11,493 | 9,887 | 10,042 | 8,900 |
Search and Rescue | 725 | 10,552 | 12,359 | 11,725 | 10,361 |
Shotgun Shooting | 26,173 | 24,603 | 23,970 | 21,895 | 20,912 |
Signs, Signals and Codes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,453 | 8,025 |
Skating | 2,220 | 2,406 | 2,010 | 1,972 | 1,953 |
Small Boat Sailing | 18,740 | 16,857 | 16,511 | 15,092 | 14,108 |
Snow Sports | 8,636 | 9,134 | 8,227 | 7,251 | 7,177 |
Soil and Water Conservation | 14,553 | 11,697 | 11,296 | 10,437 | 10,341 |
Space Exploration | 23,557 | 23,290 | 22,625 | 21,607 | 20,137 |
Sports | 9,112 | 8,950 | 8,032 | 8,272 | 7,626 |
Stamp Collecting | 1,045 | 1,131 | 863 | 996 | 793 |
Surveying | 1,235 | 1,307 | 1,065 | 879 | 1,028 |
Sustainability **** | 0 | 590 | 5,428 | 6,625 | 6,813 |
Swimming** | 80,376 | 72,946 | 72,503 | 71,821 | 67,446 |
Textile | 4,681 | 4,673 | 3,694 | 3,225 | 2,480 |
Theater | 2,776 | 2,320 | 2,273 | 2,665 | 2,543 |
Traffic Safety | 7,450 | 7,582 | 7,088 | 5,604 | 6,072 |
Truck Transportation | 2,928 | 2,847 | 2,182 | 2,157 | 2,391 |
Veterinary Medicine | 3,460 | 3,455 | 2,875 | 2,764 | 2,580 |
Water Sports | 4,291 | 3,935 | 3,594 | 3,389 | 3,123 |
Weather | 17,869 | 15,958 | 15,846 | 14,622 | 12,665 |
Welding | 4,022 | 10,919 | 11,061 | 11,019 | 10,737 |
Whitewater | 4,149 | 3,252 | 3,565 | 2,888 | 3,476 |
Wilderness Survival | 46,829 | 43,158 | 40,395 | 37,581 | 35,221 |
Wood Carving | 44,927 | 41,120 | 38,749 | 36,890 | 34,938 |
Woodwork | 4,962 | 5,602 | 5,198 | 5,242 | 4,975 |
Total | 2,175,878 | 2,110,848 | 2,077,550 | 2,011,860 | 1,919,912 |
* On required list for Eagle Rank
** Required for Eagle (must complete Cycling, Hiking or Swimming)
*** Required for Eagle (must complete Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving)
**** Required for Eagle (must complete Environmental Science or Sustainability)
Merit badge lifetime rankings
Note: This list includes only merit badges that could be earned in 2016.
Also, the rankings are interesting but don’t tell the whole story. That’s because a merit badge released more recently will have been earned less than one of the original 1911 merit badges.
For example, Wood Carving is No. 18 lifetime, but it was released in 1923. Rifle Shooting, No. 30 lifetime, is more popular than Wood Carving today, but its 1988 release hurts its historic popularity.
Rank | Merit Badge | 1911 to 2016 |
1 | First Aid* | 7,137,872 |
2 | Swimming** | 6,454,034 |
3 | Camping* | 4,770,588 |
4 | Cooking* | 4,461,893 |
5 | Citizenship in the Community* | 3,565,802 |
6 | Citizenship in the Nation* | 3,319,817 |
7 | Lifesaving*** | 3,083,773 |
8 | Canoeing | 3,081,383 |
9 | Safety | 2,943,218 |
10 | Environmental Science**** | 2,836,396 |
11 | Fire Safety | 2,632,691 |
12 | Personal Fitness* | 2,603,805 |
13 | Leatherwork | 2,525,804 |
14 | Basketry | 2,472,315 |
15 | Pioneering | 2,446,508 |
16 | Home Repairs | 2,421,783 |
17 | Citizenship in the World* | 2,388,293 |
18 | Wood Carving | 2,359,486 |
19 | Communication* | 2,165,233 |
20 | Fishing | 2,040,255 |
21 | Emergency Preparedness*** | 1,932,212 |
22 | Personal Management* | 1,913,342 |
23 | Fingerprinting | 1,758,841 |
24 | Rowing | 1,737,241 |
25 | Wilderness Survival | 1,708,130 |
26 | Nature | 1,693,756 |
27 | Archery | 1,685,142 |
28 | Public Health | 1,521,262 |
29 | Reading | 1,490,797 |
30 | Rifle Shooting | 1,412,619 |
31 | Art | 1,356,174 |
32 | Hiking** | 1,344,669 |
33 | Music | 1,342,815 |
34 | Scholarship | 1,285,941 |
35 | Family Life* | 1,261,530 |
36 | Mammal Study | 1,240,078 |
37 | Indian Lore | 1,238,343 |
38 | Forestry | 1,176,369 |
39 | Sports | 1,161,287 |
40 | Metalwork | 1,159,618 |
41 | Soil and Water Conservation | 1,143,023 |
42 | Athletics | 1,071,734 |
43 | Woodwork | 982,143 |
44 | Orienteering | 846,536 |
45 | Electricity | 824,602 |
46 | Geology | 687,818 |
47 | Small Boat Sailing | 681,509 |
48 | Fish & Wildlife Management | 679,019 |
49 | Astronomy | 672,315 |
50 | Pets | 667,586 |
51 | Horsemanship | 662,054 |
52 | Reptile and Amphibian Study | 661,213 |
53 | Public Speaking | 657,793 |
54 | Aviation | 634,144 |
55 | Motor Boating | 605,733 |
56 | Weather | 605,245 |
57 | Space Exploration | 601,615 |
58 | Bird Study | 592,971 |
59 | Cycling** | 588,138 |
60 | Painting | 570,198 |
61 | Shotgun Shooting | 563,087 |
62 | Photography | 537,582 |
63 | Computers | 520,848 |
64 | Coin Collecting | 505,994 |
65 | Snow Sports | 465,646 |
66 | Climbing | 459,255 |
67 | Dog Care | 436,542 |
68 | Plumbing | 400,848 |
69 | Pottery | 400,565 |
70 | Stamp Collecting | 391,296 |
71 | Gardening | 390,470 |
72 | Chemistry | 371,888 |
73 | Salesmanship | 337,273 |
74 | Sculpture | 321,350 |
75 | Oceanography | 306,737 |
76 | Water Sports | 256,566 |
77 | Railroading | 251,605 |
78 | Genealogy | 241,524 |
79 | Electronics | 232,671 |
80 | Drafting | 227,165 |
81 | Model Design and Building | 225,741 |
82 | Farm Mechanics | 225,414 |
83 | Architecture | 223,037 |
84 | Backpacking | 222,212 |
85 | Law | 195,624 |
86 | Automotive Maintenance | 187,794 |
87 | Nuclear Science | 187,469 |
88 | Radio | 185,633 |
89 | Skating | 177,285 |
90 | Golf | 174,201 |
91 | Bugling | 171,045 |
92 | Insect Study | 170,974 |
93 | Archaeology | 170,968 |
94 | Engineering | 169,700 |
95 | American Heritage | 169,372 |
96 | Traffic Safety | 169,247 |
97 | Kayaking | 160,706 |
98 | Surveying | 153,555 |
99 | Collections | 149,615 |
100 | Crime Prevention | 149,427 |
101 | Textile | 148,715 |
102 | Chess | 142,532 |
103 | Truck Transportation | 142,125 |
104 | Dentistry | 141,779 |
105 | Disabilities Awareness | 133,462 |
106 | Pulp and Paper | 128,067 |
107 | Journalism | 108,389 |
108 | Geocaching | 107,271 |
109 | Cinematography | 106,216 |
110 | Whitewater | 94,816 |
111 | Theater | 88,870 |
112 | Energy | 86,538 |
113 | Landscape Architecture | 84,639 |
114 | Veterinary Medicine | 81,429 |
115 | Medicine | 80,122 |
116 | Robotics | 73,742 |
117 | American Cultures | 72,220 |
118 | Animal Science | 69,343 |
119 | Graphic Arts | 57,550 |
120 | American Business | 54,354 |
121 | Plant Science | 50,086 |
122 | Welding | 47,758 |
123 | Search and Rescue | 45,722 |
124 | Game Design | 40,512 |
125 | Scouting Heritage | 37,671 |
126 | Fly Fishing | 35,737 |
127 | Entrepreneurship | 28,734 |
128 | Moviemaking | 27,110 |
129 | American Labor | 24,726 |
130 | Digital Technology | 21,741 |
131 | Sustainability **** | 19,456 |
132 | Inventing | 17,296 |
133 | Composite Materials | 17,025 |
134 | Scuba Diving | 16,987 |
135 | Mining in Society | 12,356 |
136 | Signs, Signals and Codes | 11,478 |
137 | Programming | 11,112 |
138 | Animation | 5,736 |
* On required list for Eagle Rank
** Required for Eagle (must complete Cycling, Hiking or Swimming)
*** Required for Eagle (must complete Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving)
**** Required for Eagle (must complete Environmental Science or Sustainability)
Ranked by rise or fall from 2015 to 2016
Merit Badge | 2015 | 2016 | Rise/Fall |
Animation | 1,099 | 4,637 | 322% |
Signs, Signals and Codes | 3,453 | 8,025 | 132% |
Whitewater | 2,888 | 3,476 | 20% |
Surveying | 879 | 1,028 | 17% |
Fly Fishing | 3,981 | 4,577 | 15% |
Entrepreneurship | 2,927 | 3,365 | 15% |
Programming | 3,577 | 4,085 | 14% |
Game Design | 12,313 | 13,689 | 11% |
Truck Transportation | 2,157 | 2,391 | 11% |
Safety | 3,937 | 4,267 | 8% |
Traffic Safety | 5,604 | 6,072 | 8% |
Automotive Maintenance | 9,961 | 10,748 | 8% |
Moviemaking | 10,064 | 10,851 | 8% |
Hiking** | 6,967 | 7,485 | 7% |
American Business | 587 | 627 | 7% |
Farm Mechanics | 2,244 | 2,368 | 6% |
Landscape Architecture | 1,434 | 1,494 | 4% |
Nuclear Science | 6,728 | 7,005 | 4% |
Robotics | 13,700 | 14,264 | 4% |
Public Health | 1,780 | 1,837 | 3% |
Chemistry | 10,560 | 10,865 | 3% |
Sustainability **** | 6,625 | 6,813 | 3% |
Metalwork | 12,340 | 12,639 | 2% |
Citizenship in the Nation* | 57,161 | 57,919 | 1% |
Home Repairs | 3,288 | 3,325 | 1% |
Chess | 27,235 | 27,416 | 1% |
Citizenship in the Community* | 52,071 | 51,975 | 0% |
Backpacking | 3,973 | 3,963 | 0% |
Digital Technology | 9,383 | 9,344 | 0% |
American Cultures | 2,233 | 2,218 | -1% |
Personal Fitness* | 52,499 | 52,079 | -1% |
Model Design and Building | 2,795 | 2,770 | -1% |
Soil and Water Conservation | 10,437 | 10,341 | -1% |
Skating | 1,972 | 1,953 | -1% |
Snow Sports | 7,251 | 7,177 | -1% |
Medicine | 3,807 | 3,767 | -1% |
Citizenship in the World* | 60,171 | 59,363 | -1% |
Camping* | 54,342 | 53,534 | -1% |
Family Life* | 51,008 | 50,177 | -2% |
Personal Management* | 51,105 | 50,251 | -2% |
Emergency Preparedness*** | 47,879 | 47,004 | -2% |
Pottery | 8,384 | 8,230 | -2% |
Climbing | 21,574 | 21,171 | -2% |
Astronomy | 16,706 | 16,355 | -2% |
Geocaching | 15,582 | 15,210 | -2% |
Welding | 11,019 | 10,737 | -3% |
Engineering | 11,735 | 11,429 | -3% |
Bugling | 492 | 479 | -3% |
Archaeology | 7,590 | 7,388 | -3% |
Kayaking | 34,054 | 33,137 | -3% |
Electricity | 10,035 | 9,762 | -3% |
Forestry | 12,905 | 12,519 | -3% |
Fishing | 26,050 | 25,256 | -3% |
Graphic Arts | 3,356 | 3,251 | -3% |
Motor Boating | 9,880 | 9,515 | -4% |
Public Speaking | 7,793 | 7,497 | -4% |
Architecture | 3,362 | 3,230 | -4% |
Fish & Wildlife Management | 13,164 | 12,647 | -4% |
Radio | 6,709 | 6,442 | -4% |
Canoeing | 29,461 | 28,288 | -4% |
Rifle Shooting | 43,196 | 41,444 | -4% |
Fire Safety | 12,782 | 12,257 | -4% |
Communication* | 55,738 | 53,367 | -4% |
Reptile and Amphibian Study | 6,700 | 6,411 | -4% |
Cycling** | 6,626 | 6,334 | -4% |
Shotgun Shooting | 21,895 | 20,912 | -4% |
Aviation | 15,170 | 14,477 | -5% |
Theater | 2,665 | 2,543 | -5% |
Woodwork | 5,242 | 4,975 | -5% |
Disabilities Awareness | 6,153 | 5,833 | -5% |
Scouting Heritage | 5,558 | 5,266 | -5% |
Wood Carving | 36,890 | 34,938 | -5% |
Music | 12,369 | 11,689 | -5% |
Art | 24,374 | 22,990 | -6% |
Golf | 3,826 | 3,605 | -6% |
Rowing | 9,995 | 9,408 | -6% |
Archery | 41,879 | 39,419 | -6% |
Environmental Science**** | 63,783 | 60,026 | -6% |
Salesmanship | 6,412 | 6,031 | -6% |
Swimming** | 71,821 | 67,446 | -6% |
Crime Prevention | 6,581 | 6,178 | -6% |
Collections | 4,004 | 3,753 | -6% |
Wilderness Survival | 37,581 | 35,221 | -6% |
Electronics | 8,352 | 7,814 | -6% |
Journalism | 1,037 | 970 | -6% |
Small Boat Sailing | 15,092 | 14,108 | -7% |
Veterinary Medicine | 2,764 | 2,580 | -7% |
Lifesaving*** | 23,983 | 22,382 | -7% |
First Aid* | 80,716 | 75,256 | -7% |
Space Exploration | 21,607 | 20,137 | -7% |
Bird Study | 5,587 | 5,199 | -7% |
Fingerprinting | 43,743 | 40,700 | -7% |
Leatherwork | 40,805 | 37,920 | -7% |
Nature | 14,679 | 13,635 | -7% |
Law | 5,633 | 5,226 | -7% |
Energy | 3,190 | 2,955 | -7% |
Sports | 8,272 | 7,626 | -8% |
Water Sports | 3,389 | 3,123 | -8% |
Pets | 4,645 | 4,278 | -8% |
Pioneering | 17,341 | 15,959 | -8% |
Mining in Society | 4,613 | 4,224 | -8% |
Mammal Study | 23,427 | 21,303 | -9% |
Plumbing | 4,960 | 4,510 | -9% |
Dog Care | 2,666 | 2,414 | -9% |
Painting | 4,245 | 3,829 | -10% |
Photography | 16,931 | 15,142 | -11% |
Basketry | 17,158 | 15,282 | -11% |
Sculpture | 10,042 | 8,900 | -11% |
American Heritage | 5,599 | 4,952 | -12% |
Search and Rescue | 11,725 | 10,361 | -12% |
Orienteering | 15,642 | 13,753 | -12% |
Scholarship | 4,911 | 4,316 | -12% |
Coin Collecting | 4,715 | 4,135 | -12% |
Animal Science | 4,414 | 3,852 | -13% |
Drafting | 1,339 | 1,168 | -13% |
Horsemanship | 10,878 | 9,457 | -13% |
Gardening | 1,582 | 1,375 | -13% |
Athletics | 3,604 | 3,125 | -13% |
Weather | 14,622 | 12,665 | -13% |
Railroading | 7,651 | 6,599 | -14% |
Genealogy | 5,316 | 4,570 | -14% |
Oceanography | 9,892 | 8,499 | -14% |
Reading | 4,179 | 3,574 | -14% |
Inventing | 3,369 | 2,834 | -16% |
Scuba Diving | 2,135 | 1,792 | -16% |
Dentistry | 3,485 | 2,910 | -16% |
Geology | 22,180 | 18,516 | -17% |
Cooking* | 67,691 | 55,841 | -18% |
Pulp and Paper | 7,379 | 6,081 | -18% |
Indian Lore | 22,241 | 18,234 | -18% |
Plant Science | 2,922 | 2,363 | -19% |
Stamp Collecting | 996 | 793 | -20% |
Textile | 3,225 | 2,480 | -23% |
American Labor | 1,106 | 812 | -27% |
Composite Materials | 2,183 | 1,597 | -27% |
Cinematography | 1,260 | 841 | -33% |
Insect Study | 3,550 | 2,341 | -34% |
Computers | 1,686 | 354 | -79% |
Your takeaways?
To those of you who made it down this far: Congrats! What surprised you about this list? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments.
2016 Merit Badge Rankings unveiled: These were the most and least popular