Here is a list of the Merit Badges that have been required to earn the Eagle Scout rank since 1912. Please note that a total of 21 merit badges must have been earned for the Eagle Scout rank, except from 1972-1979, when 24 were needed.
The number of specifically required MBs has varied from 5, (1912-1915) to 16 (1952-1965) including MBs chosen from specific groups as "required".
Currently, at least 14 of the 21 merit badges must be earned from a list of 18 merit badges listed below. Of the 18 badges in the "required" list, 11 are mandatory. The other 7 badges in the list are divided into 3 categories. The Scout may choose only one of the merit badges in each of those categories as the remaining "required" badges. Any additional merit badge(s) earned in those categories may be counted as one of the seven optional merit badges used to make the total of 21.
Scouts who have a physical or mental disability may qualify for alternative merit badges to substitute for "required" badges that they are unable to complete due to their disability. The physical or mental disability must be of a permanent rather than of a temporary nature or a disability expected to last more than two years or beyond age 18.In the list below, additions are shown in bold Green underline, and deletions in red italic strikeout like the highlighted texts in this sentence.
1912: Athletics, First Aid, Life Saving, Personal Health, Public Health.[5]
1915: Athletics, Bird Study, Cooking, Camping, First Aid, Life Saving, Pathfinding, Personal Health, Physical Development, Pioneering, Public Health.[11]
1916: Athletics, Athletics OR Physical Development, Bird Study, Camping, Civics, Cooking, First Aid, Life Saving, Pathfinding, Personal Health, Physical Development, Pioneering, Public Health.[11]
1925: Athletics OR Physical Development, Bird Study, Camping, Civics, Cooking, First Aid, Life Saving, Pathfinding, Personal Health, Pioneering, Public Health, Swimming.[12]
1927: No change except Swimming specifically listed
1928: Athletics OR Physical Development, Bird Study, Camping, Civics, Cooking, First Aid, Life Saving, Pathfinding, Personal Health, Pioneering, Public Health, Swimming.[11]
1932: Athletics OR Physical Development, Bird Study, Camping, Civics, Cooking, First Aid, Life Saving, Pathfinding, Personal Health, Pioneering, Public Health, Safety.[12] ,
1939: Athletics OR Physical Development, Bird Study, Camping, Civics, Cooking, First Aid, Life Saving, Pathfinding, Personal Health, Pioneering, Public Health, Safety, Swimming.[13]
1941: Athletics OR Physical Development, Bird Study, Camping, Civics, Cooking, First Aid, Life Saving, Pathfinding, Personal Health, Pioneering, Public Health, Safety, Swimming.[12]
1950: Athletics OR Physical Development, Bird Study, Camping, Citizenship, Civics, Cooking, First Aid, Life Saving, Pathfinding, Personal Health, Pioneering, Public Health, Safety, Swimming.[13]
1952: Athletics OR Physical Development, Bird Study, Camping, Citizenship, Cooking, Firemanship, First Aid, Life Saving, Nature, Pathfinding, Personal Fitness, Personal Health, Pioneering, Public Health, Safety, Swimming, one from the Outdoor Sports group, one from any of the following groups - Animal Husbandry, Plant Cultivation, Communication, Transportation, or Building, one from the Conservation group, three from the Citizenship group.[16]
1959: Camping, Cooking, Firemanship, First Aid, Life Saving, Lifesaving (name change only), Nature, Personal Fitness, Public Health, Safety, Swimming, one from the Outdoor Sports group, one from any of the following groups - Animal Husbandry, Plant Cultivation, Communication, Transportation, Building, one from the Conservation group, three from the Citizenship group[16]
1965: one from the Conservation group, three from the Citizenship group, Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Cooking, Firemanship, First Aid, Lifesaving, Nature, Personal Fitness, Public Health, Safety, Soil and Water Conservation, Swimming, one from the Outdoor Sports group, one from any of the following groups - Animal Husbandry, Plant Cultivation, Communication, Transportation, Building, one from the Conservation group, three from the Citizenship group.[11]
1967: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Conservation of Natural Resources, Cooking, First Aid, Lifesaving, Nature, Personal Fitness, Safety, Soil and Water Conservation, Swimming.[11]
1972: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Conservation of Natural Resources, Cooking, Environmental Science, Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, First Aid, Lifesaving, Nature, Personal Fitness, Personal Fitness OR Swimming OR Sports, Personal Management, Safety,.Swimming.[10]
1979: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, Environmental Science, First Aid, Personal Fitness OR Swimming OR Sports, Personal Management, Safety.[11]
1994: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, Environmental Science, Family Life, First Aid, Personal Fitness OR Swimming OR Sports, Personal Management, Safety.[12]
1999: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Cycling OR Hiking OR Swimming, Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, Environmental Science, Family Life, First Aid, Personal Fitness, Personal Fitness OR Swimming OR Sports, Personal Management, Safety.[12]
2010: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications Communication, Cycling OR Hiking OR Swimming, Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, Environmental Science, Family Life, First Aid, Personal Fitness, Personal Management.[12]
2013: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communication, Cycling OR Hiking OR Swimming, Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, Environmental Science OR Sustainability, Family Life, First Aid, Personal Fitness, Personal Management.[12]
2014: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communication, Cooking, Cycling OR Hiking OR Swimming, Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, Environmental Science OR Sustainability, Family Life, First Aid, Personal Fitness, Personal Management.[13]
2022: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Citizenship in Society, Communication,Cooking, Cycling OR Hiking OR Swimming, Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, Environmental Science OR Sustainability, Family Life, First Aid, Personal Fitness, Personal Management.[13]
NOTE: Swimming MB was listed only in a footnote as a required prerequisite to Life Saving MB in 1925 and 1939.
The Merit Badge Groups listed in the requirements between 1952 and 1965 were as follows:
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The information on this page was originally furnished by
Jak Stallings - Fritch, TX
from information in the
Journal of the National Eagle Scout Association
Vol 20, No. 2, Fall 1994
