40 years of Flinn Scholars: Meet the Class of 2025

Top Arizona students to receive prestigious 2025 Flinn Scholarship

Twenty Arizona high-school seniors have been awarded the 2025 Flinn Scholarship, the state’s most prestigious merit-based award that provides a full ride to an Arizona public university.

The 40^th class of Flinn Scholars receives a comprehensive package valued at more than $135,000 over four years, including the cost of tuition, fees, housing, meals, and at least two study-abroad experiences including a two-week group summer seminar following freshman year.

The 20 Flinn Scholars representing 20 high schools will be attending Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona starting this fall.

The Flinn Scholarship is supported by the Phoenix-based Flinn Foundation in partnership with Arizona’s three public universities.

The Foundation, which announced its first class of Flinn Scholars in 1986, created the scholarship to retain Arizona’s highest-achieving students while bolstering the universities’ Honors Colleges as destinations for academic excellence.

Both visions have come true over the four decades.

“Watching these young adults move seamlessly from explaining complex scientific ideas to unpacking global political challenges leaves no doubt that the future is in capable hands,” said Anne Lassen, Flinn Foundation vice president, scholarship and education initiatives. “It’s no surprise that the nation’s top universities compete so fiercely to recruit them.”

The Flinn Scholars Class of 2025 will be introduced formally on May 3 at the program’s annual Recognition Luncheon, where they will be honored before some 200 family members, university officials, community leaders, and graduating Flinn Scholars. Delivering the keynote address will be Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee, a respected public servant and trailblazer whose steadfast leadership and dedication to education make her an ideal speaker to inspire and encourage Arizona’s future leaders.

Class of 2025 Flinn Scholars

• Six high schools are celebrating their first Flinn Scholar: Queen Creek High School, Kingman Academy of Learning, Sunrise Mountain High School of Peoria, Morenci High School, Glenview College Preparatory High School in Phoenix, and Heritage Academy Mesa.
• Eight of the 20 Scholars reside outside Maricopa County, including Clifton, Flagstaff, Kingman, Pinetop-Lakeside, Prescott, San Tan Valley, and Tucson.
• The Morenci High School Scholar is the first in program history from Greenlee County in eastern Arizona.
• Arizona College Prep High School in Chandler, BASIS Chandler, BASIS Flagstaff, and Chaparral High School of Scottsdale each have a Flinn Scholar for the second consecutive year.
• The 20 high schools represented include a mix of public district and charter schools.

There were more than 1,100 applications for the 2025 Flinn Scholarship, an award rate of about 2%.

Computer science, engineering, biological and physical science, social sciences and law, business, education, visual and performing arts, and data science and public policy are some of the fields of study the 2025 Scholars plan to pursue.

The Flinn Scholarship application requires academic transcripts, minimum standardized test scores, essays and short-answer questions, and recommendations. Flinn Scholars are typically in the top 5% of their graduating class and demonstrate leadership and service in extracurricular activities.

“For 40 years, the Flinn Scholars have studied, innovated, created, and formed community at Arizona’s three public universities. The Flinn Foundation is grateful for this decades-long partnership that has led to three exceptional Honors Colleges that benefit not only the Flinn Scholars, but our universities and the state of Arizona,” said Tammy McLeod, Ph.D., Flinn Foundation president and CEO.

Flinn Scholarship Benefits

The Flinn Scholarship provides many benefits beyond the cost of attendance. Other benefits include:

• An international summer seminar with the entire Scholar class after freshman year and at least one additional study-abroad experience.
• Participation in a supportive community of nearly 750 current and alumni Flinn Scholars, including about 80 Scholars studying at the three state universities at any given time.
• Membership in a university honors college, with its small class size, access to top researchers and labs, and guest lectures.
• Personal mentorship from top faculty and fellow Scholars, plus invitations to exclusive events with Arizona and global leaders in business, government, science, and the arts.
• Unique intellectual, cultural, and social activities developed for Flinn Scholars by both the Flinn Foundation and universities.

Meet the 2025 Flinn Scholars (PDF)

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The 40th class of Flinn Scholars receives a comprehensive package valued at more than $135,000 over four years, including the cost of tuition, fees, housing, meals, and at least two study-abroad experiences at an Arizona public university.