University honors programs offer exceptional students a unique learning experience and provide many resources to deepen their education. Opportunities vary by school, but honors students may have access to residential learning communities, honors-only seminar courses, faculty mentorship, priority course registration, experiential learning, and scholarships. The smaller community and access to professors are a great way to make a large university feel more manageable and welcoming. Students seeking personalized attention, interdisciplinary inquiry, and academic rigor may find honors programs to be a great fit.
Read on to learn about five honors programs that make big schools feel smaller!
Michigan State University:
The MSU Honors College allows its students a unique curricular flexibility–they can bypass course prerequisites, access graduate classes, and even make substitutions to their general education requirements. Students complete 8 honors experiences by graduation and have access to special housing opportunities and Honors Navigators, a peer mentorship program. The Honors College makes up just 10.6% of MSU’s 41,000 undergraduates, providing a much smaller community for students who aren’t sure about a large campus environment.
Arizona State University:
The Barrett Honors College offers residential communities at each ASU campus, with 5,800 students located at Tempe. Barrett provides small seminar courses, exclusive research and internship opportunities, pre-professional advising, and Barrett Explores educational trips. Honors students are also required to defend an honors thesis with a research or creative focus, working closely with ASU faculty throughout the process.
University of South Carolina:
The South Carolina Honors College provides its 2,300 honors students with 600+ honors courses and the unique opportunity to design their own major. Its offerings for pre-professional students are particularly strong, with accelerated and early admissions programs for both pre-law and pre-med students. Additionally, all incoming honors students receive one or more scholarships.
The Pennsylvania State University:
Schreyer Honors College students can take advantage of 300+ honors courses, housing options, and mentoring from upperclassmen serving as Scholars Assistants. Each scholar receives a yearly honors scholarship and Schreyer awards $7.9 million in scholarship and grant funding. Students are required to create a capstone honors thesis, completed under the guidance of two faculty members.With Penn State’s 40,000 undergraduates, the honors college and the connections it provides are a great opportunity to find a smaller community.
Indiana University Bloomington:
The Hutton Honors College accepts less than 10% of IU students. Beginning with intro-to-honors courses in the first two years and culminating in a senior thesis or creative project, Hutton students are supported at every stage of their academic career. Beyond the classroom, the Honors Residential Community offers exclusive residence options and honors roommate matching, while the Hutton International Experience Program supports the 2/3 of honors students who study abroad with travel funding and unique international opportunities.
Are honors programs right for your student? Talk to your Galin college counselor!
