The Miss America pageant, organized by the Miss America Organization, is one of the nation's leading achievement programs which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

The Miss America program exists to provide personal and professional opportunities for young women to promote their voices in culture, politics and the community. It provides a forum for today's young women to express their viewpoints, talents and accomplishments to audiences during the telecast and to the public-at-large during the ensuing year. Almost all contestants have either received, or are in the process of earning either college or postgraduate degrees, and utilize Miss America scholarship grants to further their educations.