Emory Merit Aid

Families of exceptional students willing to compete in a holistic, interview-based scholarship process with no published GPA or test score cutoffs. Emory has two undergraduate campuses, Emory College of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta and Oxford College (a smaller liberal-arts campus 36 miles east), each with its own Woodruff tier. Oxford Woodruff and Dean's Scholars continue their awards when they transition to the Atlanta campus after four semesters. The Goizueta Scholars pipeline is one of the smallest in the country (4-7 per class) and targets students with demonstrated business interest. Because Emory meets 100% of demonstrated need for domestic students, most financial aid at Emory is need-based; the pure merit pool is small and intensely competitive.

Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $89,300 for 2025-2026. Tuition $67,080, required fees $976, on-campus food and housing $21,244. Books and supplies estimated at $1,274, transportation $1,088, and personal expenses $1,602 are not included in the total. Oxford College carries the same tuition as Emory College. The 2025-2026 rate represents a 5.8% increase over the prior year. Source

Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.

Outside scholarships are subject to the cost of attendance cap. Emory's published policy states the combined total of all financial aid cannot exceed a student's eligibility or cost of attendance, and outside scholarships will impact federal, state, and institutional aid. The National Merit Scholarship is an explicit exception: Emory states institutional grants will not be reduced by NMF award amounts.

Emory requires students to report all outside scholarships in writing so the financial aid office can adjust packages. The published policy does not specify whether loans, work-study, or institutional grants are reduced first when outside scholarships arrive. The only published carve-out is for National Merit Scholars, where institutional grants are not reduced by the NMF scholarship amount. Emory divides outside scholarships equally between fall and spring unless the donor specifies otherwise. Because Emory meets 100% of demonstrated need for domestic students through the Emory Advantage program, outside scholarships for need-based aid recipients most likely reduce the institutional need-based grant component, but this is not explicitly confirmed on the website. Families should contact the Financial Aid Office at 404-727-6039 for case-specific stacking scenarios.

Source

From the Emory Common Data Set 2024-2025:

Source: Common Data Set

Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.

An out-of-state student receives the Liberal Arts Scholarship at the half-tuition level and wins a $5,000 outside community scholarship.

1. Assuming merit scholarships are automatic based on test scores or GPA.+

   Emory does not publish GPA, SAT, or ACT cutoffs for any merit tier. The Woodruff Scholarship and Goizueta Scholars are selected through a competitive, holistic process culminating in a Finalists Weekend. The CDS shows standardized test scores are 'Important' (not 'Very Important') in admission decisions, and SAT/ACT is 'Not required for admission, but considered if submitted.' Strong stats are necessary but not sufficient.

2. Missing the November 15 Scholar Programs deadline.+

   To be considered for any Emory Scholar Program (Woodruff, Goizueta, Oxford Scholars), students must answer 'yes' to the Scholar Programs question on the application AND submit all materials by November 15. This is earlier than the January 1 Regular Decision deadline. Applying Regular Decision without opting in by November 15 forfeits all Scholar Program consideration. Early Decision I applicants must submit by November 1.

3. Treating Emory College and Oxford College merit programs as interchangeable.+

   Emory College (Atlanta) and Oxford College are separate campuses with distinct Woodruff tracks. Oxford Woodruff Scholars start on the Oxford campus for four semesters before transitioning to Atlanta. Oxford also offers Dean's Scholarships (full tuition) that have no direct equivalent at Emory College. The renewal GPA for Oxford scholarships is 3.2, while Emory College does not publish its renewal threshold. Families should research both campuses independently.

4. Overlooking the Emory Advantage and Emory Advantage Plus programs.+

   Emory meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all domestic undergraduates through the Emory Advantage program. Starting Fall 2026, Emory Advantage Plus covers full tuition for families earning up to $200,000 with typical assets. For many families, the need-based package may be more valuable than chasing the small merit pool (only 6% of freshmen receive non-need merit). Filing FAFSA and CSS Profile is essential even for families who consider themselves too high-income for need-based aid.

• Does Emory require SAT or ACT scores for merit scholarship consideration?

  No. The CDS shows SAT/ACT is 'Not required for admission, but considered if submitted.' Emory is test-optional for both admission and scholarship consideration. The Scholar Programs selection is holistic, focusing on academic record, character, leadership, and the Scholars Qualities (forceful and unselfish character, creativity and leadership, intellectual and personal vigor). Only 43% of enrolled freshmen submitted SAT scores and 20% submitted ACT scores in Fall 2024.

• What percentage of Emory freshmen receive merit scholarships, and how much?

  About 6% of first-time full-time freshmen (81 out of 1,437 in the 2024-2025 CDS) received non-need institutional merit aid. The average award for those recipients was $37,891 per year. This is a small but high-value merit pool. The vast majority of Emory financial aid is need-based: 575 of 1,437 freshmen received need-based scholarship or grant aid averaging $65,482.

• How does the Oxford College scholarship track work?

  Oxford College offers three merit tiers: Woodruff (full tuition, room, board, and fees), Dean's (full tuition and fees), and Liberal Arts ($10,000 to half tuition). All require a 3.2 GPA and four consecutive semesters at Oxford before transitioning to the Atlanta campus, where the scholarship continues. Selection follows the same November 15 deadline and Finalists Weekend process as Emory College. Oxford also has sophomore-specific awards (Brad Edwards Leadership, Judy Greer, Sammy Clark) that are separate from the incoming-student merit tiers.

• Will an outside scholarship reduce my student's Emory merit or need-based aid?

  Emory's published policy states the combined total of all financial aid cannot exceed cost of attendance or eligibility, and outside scholarships will impact federal, state, and institutional aid. The policy does not specify which aid component is reduced first. The one explicit exception is for National Merit Scholars, where Emory states institutional grant awards will not be reduced by the NMF scholarship amount. For all other outside scholarships, contact the Financial Aid Office at 404-727-6039 for your specific scenario.

• Is the Goizueta Scholars Program the same as being admitted to the Goizueta Business School?

  No. The Goizueta Scholars Program is a separate merit scholarship (50% to 100% of tuition) for 4-7 students per class who demonstrate exceptional business interest. Goizueta Scholars receive guaranteed BBA admission and priority business course access, but the BBA program itself admits approximately 200+ students per year through a separate internal application process during sophomore year. Many BBA students are not Goizueta Scholars, and the BBA Dean's Scholarship is a separate renewal award for students who transition into the business school.