A Scout is resilient. So, too, are the summer camps where they love to spend their time.
After the pandemic forced most summer camps to temporarily shut their gates in 2020, these beloved Scouting destinations returned in full force in 2021.
For proof, just look to the annual merit badge rankings, where a number of summer camp staples reclaimed their positions high on the list.
In our 2020 rankings, we tracked a rise in the popularity of merit badges that could be earned at home. The top five from 2020 tell a fascinating story: Family Life, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Citizenship in the Community and Personal Management.
But in 2021, the top five shuffled again as summer camp favorites like Swimming, First Aid and Environmental Science bounced back in a big way.
Speaking of reshuffling, we had a new No. 1 in 2021: Swimming. Fans of that merit badge are doing backflips today because their favorite badge is No. 1 for the first time since we started tracking merit badge rankings in 2009. Before 2021, only three merit badges had ever taken the top spot: First Aid, Cooking and Family Life.
And 2021 saw even more merit badge history: For the first time since at least 2009, a merit badge that is not Eagle-required has found its way into the top 10. And not just one — two elective merit badges made the list. Find out which ones below.
The actual top 10
In most years, all 10 merit badges in the top 10 have something in common: they’re required to earn the Eagle Scout Award, Scouts BSA’s highest honor.
That makes sense. These are the badges the BSA has deemed essential to a Scout’s journey, and so most Scouts and troops incorporate them into their plans for the year.
But things changed in 2021. For the first time ever, we saw an elective merit badge in the top 10. Actually, we saw two: Rifle Shooting and Archery.
2021 Rank
Merit Badge
1
Swimming
2
First Aid
3
Environmental Science
4
Camping
5
Citizenship in the World
6
Cooking
7
Communication
8
Rifle Shooting
9
Personal Fitness
10
Archery
The alternative top 10
Just for fun, let’s remove Eagle-required badges from the list and look at our “alternative” top 10. This will tell us which badges Scouts choose most from the 100-plus options that remain.
Alternative Rank
Merit Badge
Actual 2021 Rank
1
Rifle Shooting
8
2
Archery
10
3
Fingerprinting
12
4
Leatherwork
13
5
Kayaking
14
6
Wood Carving
19
7
Fishing
20
8
Chess
21
9
Wilderness Survival
22
10
Canoeing
23
The bottom 10
Each year, we publish a list of the 10 least-earned merit badges. Our intent is not to criticize but to challenge Scouts to earn these rarest badges.
That’s a challenge for you Scouters, too. If you see a badge on this list that you might be qualified to lead, contact your local council about becoming a merit badge counselor.
2021 Rank
Merit Badge
128
Truck Transportation
129
Veterinary Medicine
130
Journalism
131
Dentistry
132
Composite Materials
133
Stamp Collecting
134
American Labor
135
Surveying
136
Drafting
137
Bugling
The ups and downs
Which merit badges bounced back in full force in 2021? Which saw their fortunes fall? Check out the top 10 gains and losses from 2020 to 2021.
Top 10 gains
2021 Rank
Merit Badge
2020 Rank
Difference
38
Small Boat Sailing
98
+60
51
Pottery
101
+50
35
Metalwork
80
+45
62
Motor Boating
107
+45
53
Sculpture
96
+43
72
Rowing
113
+41
26
Shotgun Shooting
63
+37
46
Forestry
81
+35
49
Search and Rescue
84
+35
42
Horsemanship
73
+31
Wow, the winds of change have hit Small Boat Sailing. Well done, Scouts!
You’ll find all 10 of those merit badges at many council summer camps.
Top 10 drops
2021 Rank
Merit Badge
2020 Rank
Difference
104
Safety
50
-54
105
Genealogy
54
-51
90
Scholarship
41
-49
118
American Business
71
-47
68
Digital Technology
29
-39
69
Pets
32
-37
82
American Heritage
46
-36
91
Law
56
-35
54
Public Health
20
-34
81
Collections
48
-33
The trend here: Most of these merit badges are ones Scouts can earn more easily at home.
We should also point out that seven of these 10 badges — all but Digital Technology, American Heritage and Law — were on the 2020 list of top 10 gains. That means we likely can attribute their one-year spike to changes in earning behavior during the pandemic.
Public Health is one dramatic example of this. It was ranked:
120th in 2019
20th in 2020
54th in 2021
A similar pattern happened with Safety:
105th in 2019
50th in 2020
104th in 2021
The complete 2021 rankings
Blue means a merit badge is required for Eagle.
A total of 21 merit badges must be earned for the Eagle Scout rank, including these 13 merit badges:
First Aid
Citizenship in the Community
Citizenship in the Nation
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
2021 Rank
Merit Badge
2020 Rank
Difference
1
Swimming
13
12
2
First Aid
9
7
3
Environmental Science
12
9
4
Camping
10
6
5
Citizenship in the World
3
-2
6
Cooking
8
2
7
Communication
7
0
8
Rifle Shooting
22
14
9
Personal Fitness
6
-3
10
Archery
24
14
11
Citizenship in the Nation
2
-9
12
Fingerprinting
14
2
13
Leatherwork
23
10
14
Kayaking
21
7
15
Citizenship in the Community
4
-11
16
Family Life
1
-15
17
Personal Management
5
-12
18
Emergency Preparedness
11
-7
19
Wood Carving
27
8
20
Fishing
17
-3
21
Chess
15
-6
22
Wilderness Survival
19
-3
23
Canoeing
26
3
24
Art
16
-8
25
Space Exploration
30
5
26
Shotgun Shooting
63
37
27
Mammal Study
35
8
28
Climbing
43
15
29
Lifesaving
58
29
30
Astronomy
39
9
31
Geology
38
7
32
Nature
53
21
33
Photography
18
-15
34
Basketry
40
6
35
Metalwork
80
45
36
Indian Lore
42
6
37
Game Design
37
0
38
Small Boat Sailing
98
60
39
Pioneering
52
13
40
Weather
28
-12
41
Geocaching
59
18
42
Horsemanship
73
31
43
Robotics
66
23
44
Welding
74
30
45
Orienteering
67
22
46
Forestry
81
35
47
Fish & Wildlife Management
72
25
48
Aviation
33
-15
49
Search and Rescue
84
35
50
Automotive Maintenance
45
-5
51
Pottery
101
50
52
Engineering
36
-16
53
Sculpture
96
43
54
Public Health
20
-34
55
Fire Safety
34
-21
56
Music
25
-31
57
Signs, Signals, and Codes
76
19
58
Chemistry
44
-14
59
Animation
78
19
60
Hiking
55
-5
61
Sustainability
31
-30
62
Motor Boating
107
45
63
Oceanography
79
16
64
Soil and Water Conservation
70
6
65
Scouting Heritage
47
-18
66
Moviemaking
60
-6
67
Electricity
51
-16
68
Digital Technology
29
-39
69
Pets
32
-37
70
Pulp and Paper
86
16
71
Reptile and Amphibian Study
91
20
72
Rowing
113
41
73
Bird Study
87
14
74
Disabilities Awareness
49
-25
75
Cycling
68
-7
76
Archaeology
106
30
77
Traffic Safety
61
-16
78
Snow Sports
57
-21
79
Public Speaking
65
-14
80
Electronics
85
5
81
Collections
48
-33
82
American Heritage
46
-36
83
Salesmanship
69
-14
84
Woodwork
99
15
85
Nuclear Science
92
7
86
Crime Prevention
64
-22
87
Painting
97
10
88
Animal Science
103
15
89
Railroading
83
-6
90
Scholarship
41
-49
91
Law
56
-35
92
Reading
62
-30
93
Coin Collecting
75
-18
94
Fly Fishing
109
15
95
Backpacking
122
27
96
Sports
89
-7
97
Architecture
105
8
98
Radio
90
-8
99
Insect Study
119
20
100
Programming
77
-23
101
Entrepreneurship
94
-7
102
Mining in Society
88
-14
103
Plumbing
104
1
104
Safety
50
-54
105
Genealogy
54
-51
106
Graphic Arts
111
5
107
Dog Care
82
-25
108
Exploration
127
19
109
Home Repairs
93
-16
110
Textile
115
5
111
Inventing
118
7
112
Farm Mechanics
128
16
113
American Cultures
100
-13
114
Medicine
95
-19
115
Golf
110
-5
116
Whitewater
126
10
117
Gardening
102
-15
118
American Business
71
-47
119
Plant Science
121
2
120
Skating
120
0
121
Scuba Diving
131
10
122
Model Design and Building
130
8
123
Athletics
124
1
124
Water Sports
133
9
125
Landscape Architecture
129
4
126
Theater
123
-3
127
Energy
112
-15
128
Truck Transportation
114
-14
129
Veterinary Medicine
108
-21
130
Journalism
125
-5
131
Dentistry
116
-15
132
Composite Materials
135
3
133
Stamp Collecting
132
-1
134
American Labor
117
-17
135
Surveying
136
1
136
Drafting
134
-2
137
Bugling
137
0
Special thanks
Thanks to the BSA’s Garfield Murden for supplying this year’s rankings!
