College Board National Recognition Program
The College Board National Recognition Program awards academic honors to high-performing students to help them stand out to colleges and celebrate their hard work. Students of all backgrounds from schools nationwide are eligible to claim an award based on their achievement on PSAT/NMSQT (10th or 11th grade), PSAT 10 (10th), or AP Exams (8th, 9th or 10th).
Awardees are among the highest achieving students in their communities, including those from lesser-known high schools, and as a result, many colleges are eager to recruit them.
By claiming a National Recognition Program award(s), eligible students have a tangible way to share their academic achievements with colleges and their communities.
How to Celebrate Awardees in Your School
Educators across the country tell us they celebrate awardees in school and throughout the community. The academic honors reflect the achievement of both the individual and the school. Here are three ways you can celebrate your students:
1. Create School and Community Announcements: Use the celebration toolkit to celebrate your awardees on social media, in a district newsletter, or press release to local media.
2. Showcase your Students on Social Media: When you post on social media, use one the graphics below to celebrate your National Recognition Programs awardees.
3. Host an Award Ceremony: Add your awardees' names to the PowerPoint template to highlight students during your in-school celebrations and award ceremonies.
What Do Students Need to Know?
Students were notified via email August 2025 if they were awarded. Awardees can download their certificates on BigFuture under My Profile.
Colleges and universities use these honors to identify and contact high-achieving students who have opted in and are participating in Student Search Service™. When students are opted in, they hear from colleges and universities that want to recruit awardees like them.
Where can I locate a list of awarded students?
Any educators with Detailed Reporting access can access a full list of National Recognition Program awardees. This report is posted on the K–12 Reporting Portal. For questions about who can access your school’s information, please contact your administrators.
For questions about National Recognition Program, please connect with customer service.
Which of Your Students Were Eligible in 2025?
Current sophomores in the class of 2027 and current juniors in the class of 2026 may be eligible. Students nationwide can claim one or more award designations from the National Recognition Program:
New! School Recognition Award
First-Generation Recognition Award
Rural and Small-Town Recognition Award
Students are eligible in the 10th and 11th for their exceptional academic performance. Students are eligible for awards, based on the following criteria:
Score in the top 10% of PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 test takers in their high school, state's first generation test takers, and/or state's rural and small town test takers. OR Earn a 3+ on 2 or more distinct AP exams in the 8th, 9th and/or 10th grade.
Earn a cumulative GPA of B+ (at least 3.3 or 87%-89%) by the time of submission.
The College Board National Recognition Program is neither affliated nor endorsed by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation or the National Merit Scholarship Program.