Miss USA and Miss America are not the same pageant. Here's how to tell the difference.

Madison Marsh crowns Abbie Stockard at Miss America 2025. Courtesy of Miss America Miss USA and Miss America are often confused, but the pageants are quite different. Women aged 18 to 28 can compete in Miss America. All women 18 and over can now compete at Miss USA. Miss USA has a swimsuit round, which Miss America got rid of in 2018. Do you know the difference between Miss USA and Miss America? They're the two biggest pageants in the country, and both involve a sash and crown. But that's where most of their similarities end. From eligibility requirements and prize packages to swimsuit versus talent competitions, here are all the differences between Miss America and Miss USA. The Miss USA pageant began because of a Miss America winner's protest Miss America predates Miss USA by 31 years. The first pageant — held in September 1921 — was part of a strategy to bring tourists to Atlantic City after Labor Day, according to the Miss America website. It was won by a 16-year-old named Margaret Gorman, who was competing as Miss Washington, DC. The Miss America website states that the pageant also featured a "bathing beauty review," which was an "act of rebellion during a time when women weren't permitted to wear swimsuits in public." Jackie Loughery was crowned the first Miss USA in 1952. CBS via Getty Images Miss USA began because of a very different act of rebellion. In 1951, the new Miss America winner, Yolande Betbeze, refused to pose for pictures in a swimsuit. Catalina, a swimwear company sponsoring the competition, was upset by her decision and decided to create its own pageants. In 1952, Jackie Loughery was crowned the first Miss USA, and Armi Kuusela from Finland became the first Miss Universe. Nine American women have won Miss Universe since its inception — the most of any country. The pageants have very different eligibility requirements Madison Marsh was crowned Miss America in January 2024. Courtesy of Miss America IP, INC. To be eligible to compete in Miss America, contestants must be between the ages of 18 and 28. Women between 14 and 18 can compete in Miss America's Teen, its sister pageant. Miss America contestants cannot be married or have children. It's a rule that past winners, including Grace Stanke and Camille Schrier, defended in interviews with Business Insider. The Miss America pageant also previously had a strict "anti-boyfriend" rule. Madison Marsh, who won Miss America in January 2024, told Business Insider at the time that the policy had changed under current CEO Robin Fleming. "She has been saying it's a new day at Miss America, and she really meant that," Marsh said. "There are a lot of outdated rules that have gone away, one being that you can't be engaged and be Miss America." Miss USA has significantly changed its eligibility rules in recent years. The pageant began allowing married women and mothers to compete in 2023, and 2024 was the first year that all women 18 and over were eligible (the previous cutoff age was 28). Women ages 14 to 19 can compete in Miss Teen USA. Unlike Miss USA, Miss America does not have a swimsuit competition The swimsuit round during the Miss USA 2024 pageant. Alberto E. Miss USA contestants are judged on swimsuit, evening gown, and interview rounds. Unlike Miss USA, Miss America features a talent competition. It also has evening wear, interview, and fitness rounds. The pageant removed its swimsuit round in 2018, announcing that it would no longer judge contestants based on their "outward physical appearance." The pageants also have very different prize packages Cassie Donegan is the current Miss America. Stephanie Augello/Variety via Getty Images According to its website, Miss America was one of the first organizations in the country to offer college scholarships to women, beginning in 1945. Instead of offering scholarships, the Miss USA Organization has typically paid the winner a salary for their yearlong reign. In past years, the prize package has also included an apartment in New York or Los Angeles for their time as Miss USA. Both Miss USA and Miss America have had their share of controversies Sam Haskell ran the Miss America Organization for 12 years before he stepped down in 2017 after his internal emails about past Miss America winners were leaked to the press. In the 2023 A&E docuseries "Secrets of Miss America," Mallory Hagan, who won in 2013, said Haskell repeatedly spread false rumors about her sex life. Haskell said Hagan slept with more than 25 men in one of the emails, which were leaked to The Huffington Post. Haskell resigned from the organization days after the emails were published. In a statement included in the docuseries, he said that much of what was reported was "dishonest, deceptive, and despicable" and "based on private emails that were stolen by ex-employees." Fox News host and Miss America 1989 Gretchen Carlson took over the pageant at the beginning of 2018, but her reign was short-lived. Carlson resigned in June 2019 after Cara Mund, who was Miss America at the time, spoke out against her leadership. Mallory Hagan after being crowned Miss America 2013. Associated Press/Isaac Brekken Miss USA made headlines in October 2022 when then-president Crystle Stewart was suspended after contestants said that year's pageant had been rigged. The Miss Universe Organization, which oversees Miss USA, said it found no evidence of rigging during its investigation, though Stewart and the organization parted ways. The pageant was back in the headlines after Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava relinquished their crowns in May 2024. It was the first time in the pageant's history that a woman had given up her title. Both pageant queens said they could not share details publicly due to nondisclosure agreements, but their mothers, Jackeline Voigt and Barbara Srivastava, told Business Insider in an interview in May 2024 that their daughters experienced "eight months of torture and abuse" while working with Rose — allegations that Rose has denied. UmaSofia Srivastava and Noelia Voigt both resigned their titles. for Supermodels Unlimited In September 2025, Thom Brodeur announced he was taking over Miss USA. A day after Brodeur's announcement, Rose took to Miss USA's official Instagram page and said she was still in charge. The Miss Universe Organization officially announced Brodeur as the new CEO and president weeks later. The next Miss USA pageant will take place in Miami on August 27 and will stream live on the Queen Beauty Network at 8 p.m. ET. The next Miss America pageant will take place in West Palm Beach on September 6. It will stream on PageantVision.com. Read the original article on Business Insider

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