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!
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