Arizona State's merit aid centers on the New American University awards, National Merit recognition, and Barrett Honors College scholarships, with several awards scoped by residency and a renewable structure - the verdict depends heavily on your honors fit and whether you are in-state or out-of-state.
Verified Jun 20263 months ago
The short answer
Is ASU worth a closer look?
ASU is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 5 published awards, and 2 are based on those numbers.
Merit tiers52 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJun 2026By our research team
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Published scholarships
These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.
$7,500
Commitment Scholarship Outofstate
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Notes
Official ASU Commitment Scholarship snapshot states fall 2026 out-of-state scholarship: renewable $7,500 for Arizona campus or up to $5,500 at ASU California Center; first-time first-year out-of-state U.S. citizen eligibility, family income no higher than $200,000, admitted students automatically reviewed, and stackable with New American University/campus-based scholarships up to cost of attendance.
Official Barrett snapshot states Austin James Service Scholarship is $2,500 for incoming freshmen who are Arizona residents and first-generation students with community service; primary $2,500 award renewable for three additional years and secondary $2,500 first-year plus $750 book scholarship for three additional years. Same page states applications closed February 1, 2026 and all scholarship applications close Feb. 1, 2026.
Official ASU snapshot states National Merit Finalists are eligible for New American University National Scholar award of $15,000/year, renewable for an additional three years and worth $60,000 over four years, with ASU first-choice selection with NMSC by May 1, 2024.
Official ASU snapshot states $16,500 national scholar award for National Merit Finalists selecting ASU first choice by May 1 and admitted/enrolled in Barrett; it replaces previous New American University award, is not stackable with other NAU awards, covers nonresident base tuition for eight semesters, total $66,000 over four years.
Official Barrett snapshot states Grady & Kathryn Gammage Memorial Scholarship is $4,500 in-state/$5,500 out-of-state; four outstanding high school seniors designated Gammage Scholars annually; applicants must be National Merit Semi-Finalist/Finalist and/or College Board National Recognition Finalist. Same page states applications closed February 1, 2026 and all scholarship applications close Feb. 1, 2026.
Strong applicants aiming for Barrett, The Honors College, and National Merit Finalists who name ASU as their first choice. Out-of-state students should compare ASU's named awards against the nonresident sticker price; Arizona residents should weigh in-state cost against honors and named scholarships rather than the headline nonresident merit figures.
Published yearly cost: Approximately $38,946 for 2026-2027. Source
Cost and graduation facts
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at ASU, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
Average annual net price by family income at ASU, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family income
Average net price paid
$0–$30,000
$9,070
$30,001–$48,000
$10,711
$48,001–$75,000
$16,801
$75,001–$110,000
$20,130
$110,001+
$24,296
All income levels (average)
$14,967
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$12,223
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$33,139
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$14,967
That works out to roughly a 50% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $30,111 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).
ASU is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.
Outcomes for students who enrolled here
Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
68%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
87%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$19,500 (~$207/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$62,668
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
32%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
28%
ASU merit aid FAQ
What is the deadline for Barrett Scholarship Application Deadline?
Barrett, The Honors College scholarship applications for fall 2026-spring 2027 opened November 1, 2025 and closed February 1, 2026. Recipients notified by April 1. For consideration, incoming students must be admitted to Barrett by March 6, 2026. No application extensions granted. Next cycle applications open November 1, 2026.
See sources and other schools+
How ASU compares
665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
ASU is one of them. The cohort minority (84 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.
132 of 749 verified schools publish a dedicated National Merit Finalist package.
ASU is one of them. NMF packages typically carry their own stacking and renewal carve-outs separate from the standard automatic merit ladder; confirm those before assuming the headline NMF value is final.
Sources used on this page
Every claim is checked against ASU’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
