Presidential Scholars

Overview

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was expanded to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts, and in 2015, it was again expanded to recognize students in career and technical education fields. Each year, up to 161 students are named as Presidential Scholars, which remains one of the nation's highest honors for high school seniors.