Eagle Scouts

Eagle Scout is the highest advancement rank in Boy Scouting.

• In 2012, the centennial year of the Eagle Scout Award, 57,976 Scouts earned the Eagle Scout rank—more than in any previous year.
• From 1912 to 2012, more than 2 million Boy Scouts earned the Eagle Scout rank.
• Around 7 percent of all Boy Scouts earned the Eagle Scout rank in 2012.
• In 2012, the average age of boys earning the Eagle Scout rank was 17 years of age.

Eagle Scout Rank

• To earn the rank, a Boy Scout must:
  • Progress through the ranks in the following order:
    • Tenderfoot
    • Second Class
    • First Class
    • Star
    • Life
    • Eagle
  • Earn 21 merit badges, including:
    • First Aid
    • Citizenship in the Community
    • Citizenship in the Nation
    • Citizenship in the World
    • Communications
    • Environmental Science or Sustainability
    • Personal Fitness
    • Camping
    • Family Life
    • Personal Management
    • Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving
    • Cycling, Hiking, or Swimming
  • Serve six months in a troop leadership position.
  • Plan, develop, and give leadership to a service project for any religious organization or any school or community.
  • Take part in a Scoutmaster conference.
  • Successfully complete an Eagle Scout board of review.

Boy Scouts with disabilities may qualify for the Eagle Scout rank by fulfilling alternative requirements as determined by their council.