50 Best Honors Colleges – 2026

About: The Jere W. Morehead Honors College began in 1960 with a handful of classes and about 40 students and now serves more than 2,800 undergraduates each year — including 651 incoming first-year students for fall 2025. Honors students can choose any degree program at UGA, which has 170-plus majors and academic programs. Benefits include small class sizes, internship programs, travel-study funding, research opportunities, faculty connections, scholarship support, early registration, and access to unique alumni networking opportunities.

Professional Outcomes: 94% of the Class of 2024 was employed or continuing their education six months after graduation. Popular employers include Amazon, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Bank of America, and the US Department of Agriculture. Salaries vary between colleges; engineering grads had a median starting salary of $74k while journalism and communication grads reported a $50k median. In 2024, 25% of graduates enrolled directly into a graduate/professional degree program, with the most commonly attended schools including NYU, UT Austin, Emory, Vanderbilt, and UNC-Chapel Hill.

About: Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University is a highly regarded, residential college for academically outstanding undergraduates. As the honors college on all four campuses of the nation’s largest public university, Barrett offers the best of both worlds – a highly-personalized academic experience backed by the resources and expansive opportunities of a Research I university. A $12 million endowment exclusively supports honors students and their projects. Barrett students can enrich their experience in many ways through unique honors-only opportunities including study abroad and globally-focused programs, undergraduate research and internships, social and cultural events, and leadership and service initiatives.

Professional Outcomes: While recent university-wide outcome data isn’t available, 99% of graduates of the Fulton Schools of Engineering are either employed or pursuing an additional educational program. What’s more, the median full-tim starting salary of Fulton grads is $75,000. In 2025, the top employers of ASU graduates include Amazon, Intel, Banner Health, Deloitte, Honeywell, Boeing, Charles Schwab, PepsiCo. A sizable percentage of recent grads enrolled in graduate school. Similar to employment, the size and scope of the university lead to many graduate pathways. Many grads continue at ASU itself, but some continue at various prestigious institutions.

About: The Schreyer Honors College is widely and consistently recognized as one of the top undergraduate programs in the United States. With access to distinguished faculty, smaller honors class sizes, and individualized support, the honors experience at Penn State offers highly motivated high school students a rigorous undergraduate academic experience that combines the resources of one of the country’s largest research institutions with all the benefits of a small liberal arts college.

Professional Outcomes: While university-wide professional outcome data isn’t available, 84.3% of Smeal College of Business grads are successful within three months of exiting, flocking in large numbers to stellar finance, accounting, consulting, and technology firms. Top hiring companies include Deloitte, PWC, and KPMG. What’s more, more than 500 Penn alumni currently work at IBM, Amazon, and Google.

About: The Honors College at Clemson University combines the strengths of a public, land-grant university with those of a highly selective small college. Honors students have the ability to engage in cutting-edge research with some of the leading faculty in the country. And they are able to do so while getting to know their professors in small classes and in other settings. Honors students can also take advantage of a wide range of classes in the sciences and engineering, education, the arts, humanities, and the social sciences, and can also take specially designed, intensive seminars.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 89% of 2023 grads had already entered the working world or were pursuing a graduate degree. Some of the top employers of newly-minted diploma holders include Prisma Health, Boeing, Eastman Chemical Company, and Bank of America. Computing and Applied Sciences reported a median starting salary of $75,000. College of Business graduates enjoyed median earnings of $61,000. Of the 18% of recent graduates directly entering grad school, the largest number retained their Tiger stripes by continuing their studies at Clemson.

About: The mission of the Miami University Honors College is to produce citizen scholars, who emerge from their honors education equipped not only with a lifelong love of learning, but also a lifelong commitment to use their talents, interests, and ambitions to advance the common good. MU’s Honors College offers unique courses, study abroad programs, opportunities for faculty mentorship, and a supportive residential experience in which students thrive. Honors College students complete rigorous, scholarly curricular requirements and produce an Honors Senior Project that meets the quality of publishable or professional work by the time that they graduate.

Professional Outcomes: The overall success rate for the Class of 2024 was 98%, roughly the same as for the previous two cohorts. Fifty-seven percent of the Class of 2024 were employed and by mid-career, alumni enjoy a median salary of $132k. Over one-quarter of recent grads elected to continue their education in graduate or professional school. Miami boasts a strong premed program that resulted in 70% of medical school applicants gaining acceptance over the last four years.

About: South Carolina Honors College combines the resources of a top-tier research university and the feel of a small liberal arts college. Honors students have access to nearly 600 honors courses offered each year, special campus housing, unique research projects, study abroad, service learning and internships. Students are also supported by the National Fellowships and Scholar Programs office, and have a strong record of success in the Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, Fulbright and many other prestigious competitions.

Professional Outcomes: While recent university-wide data isn’t available, within the School of Business, 81% of 2025 grads were employed within three months and the average starting salary was $65k. Top employers of recent classes included KPMG, IBM, Aramark, Bank of America, Vanguard, PwC, and Marriot. The majority of those continuing their studies in a graduate/professional degree program did so at the University of South Carolina; other popular landing spots are Duke and Wake Forest.

About: The University Honors Program promotes the intellectual and personal development of undergraduate students through an enriched academic experience and integration of curricular and co-curricular programming. Honors students can take advantage of honors status in 200+ majors across campus; choose from more than 350 sections of honors classes, averaging about 20 students each; pursue original research and write an honors thesis under the guidance of a faculty member; live in three designated honors learning communities; and receive university-level priority course scheduling to meet your honors requirements.

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their diplomas, 36% of Class of 2024 graduates were entering the world of employment while 23% were already accepted into graduate or professional school. Hordes of Buckeyes can be found at many of the nation’s leading companies, including JPMorgan Chase, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Of the grads who directly matriculate into graduate or professional school, many continue in one of OSU’s own programs.

About: Being an honors student at UTK is more than simply taking specialized classes and participating in a specialized curriculum. Additional benefits include honors-only advising, research funding, and access to an honors living-learning community. University Honors students graduate at rates nearly 20% than other students and report going to graduate or professional school after graduation almost twice as frequently as non-honors students.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after receiving their diplomas, 60% of UT-Knoxville’s Class of 2024 have found jobs and nearly 30% have started their graduate school careers. The top employers of the Class of 2024 were the UT Medical Center, PepsiCo, and Axle Logistics. Among those headed to graduate/professional school, the five most commonly attended institutions were the University of Tennessee, UT Health Science Center, Lincoln Memorial University, East Tennessee University, and Belmont University.

About: The University of Connecticut Honors Program was instituted nearly sixty years ago and has awarded honors designations to almost 9000 UConn graduates. Approximately 2,300 students are currently enrolled in this vibrant community across all UConn’s campuses in majors spanning all undergraduate schools and colleges. The Honors Program provides unique access to undergraduate research, honors-specific courses across the curriculum, dedicated faculty advisors, education abroad opportunities, and other special programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Professional Outcomes: 86% of the Class of 2025 experienced a positive outcome (job, continuing education, military) within six months of earning their degrees. Among the 56% who found employment, the largest numbers landed at Travelers, Hartford HealthCare, RTX, and. General Dynamics. The median starting salary was $69,840. Other major employers include The Hartford Financial Services Group, UConn Health, PwC, and The Cigna Group. Of the 30% of 2025 graduates continuing their education, the most common universities are UConn, UConn Health Center, SCSU, and Columbia.

About: The University Honors Program focuses on personal, professional, and intellectual development through layering high-impact experiences. The central goal of an Honors education at Texas A&M is to provide students who thrive on challenge and enrichment the opportunity to realize their full potential of personal, professional, and intellectual growth. Benefits include close contact with accomplished faculty, collaborative learning with other motivated students, small, discussion-based seminars and/or one-on-one instruction, knowledge production through individual research experiences, and engagement with internships, study abroad, and campus or community service.

Professional Outcomes: On graduation day, 77% of the Class of 2024 had either already received a job offer or were pursuing further education.  Many Aggies go on to work at major oil, tech, and consulting firms; more than 1000 are employed at each of ExxonMobil, Amazon, and Deloitte. Starting salaries were strong — the median salary for the Class of 2025 was $75k. (That being said, salary variation between majors is high: students majoring in petroleum engineering averaged $99k per year, while kinesiology majors averaged just over $44k.)

About: The University of Delaware Honors College provides opportunities for academically talented and motivated students to take advantage of the resources of a major research institution while maintaining the feel and attention of a much smaller university. Students in the UD Honors College will have opportunities to lead class discussions, conduct innovative research, and tackle some of the most challenging topics in your major and beyond. Additional benefits include small honors courses, a living-learning community, close connections with faculty, research funding, honors advisement, and access to an engaged honors alumni network.

Professional Outcomes: 94% of Class of 2024 grads quickly found their next destination. Of the 62% employed, 71% took jobs at for-profit companies, 16% at nonprofits, 8% in K-12 education, and 5% with a government entity. The greatest number of newly minted alums were hired by ChristianaCare, JPMorgan Chase & Co., University of Delaware, EY, and Bank of America. The median starting salary for this cohort was $64,292. 31% immediately pursued an advanced degree, with 68% entering master’s programs, 18% entering a professional program (e.g., law or medicine), and 8% beginning a PhD.

About: The HTC tutorial program provides high-achieving students with flexibility to pursue their academic interests in intensive one-on-one and small-group tutorials with faculty. HTC students have few general education requirements, giving them autonomy to select courses from across the university to supplement their tutorials each semester. From tuition scholarships to financial aid for research or study abroad, students in tutorial programs have a variety of funding available to support their academic exploration.

Professional Outcomes: 67% of the Class of 2024 are employed and 7% are pursuing further education. What’s more, 15% are working while also attending school. The top employers for recent Ohio University graduates include Ernst and Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Plante Moran, and Deloitte. The average graduate earns a starting salary of just over $50k. Graduate schools enrolling recent alumni include the University of Cincinnati, Kent State, Ohio State, and Case Western.

Academic Highlights: The John Martinson Honors College offers a dynamic and rigorous curriculum designed to challenge and inspire enrolled students. With small class sizes, personalized mentorship, and a network of alumni, friends and industry connections, Martinson aims to cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills that prepare honors students for the challenges of the modern world. Martinson also supports new programmatic initiatives which promote undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity, leadership and professional development, global and community engagement, and innovative pedagogies.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after receiving their diplomas, 61% of 2024 grads headed to the world of employment while 26% headed to graduate/professional school. The top industries entered by grads in recent years are (1) finance, insurance, and consulting; (2) health care, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices; (3) manufacturing and machinery; (4) airline, aviation, and aerospace. In 2024, companies employing the greatest number of recent alumni were Eli Lily, PepsiCo, Crowe LLP, Amazon, and Boeing. The average starting salary was almost $71k across all degree programs.

About: Michigan’s LSA Honors Program is a four-year program that provides an especially rich and challenging set of academic offerings to talented and highly motivated students in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Through Honors courses, research with faculty, and a vigorous intellectual community, this highly-ranked academic program enables students to identify their intellectual interests and to pursue them deeply. During their first two years, students will participate in an Honors Core course from the areas of Natural Science (NS), Social Science (SS), and the Humanities (H). In their final two years at U-M, students who graduate with honors all participate in a capstone project by writing a thesis in their major area.

Professional Outcomes: Within three months of graduating, 89% of LSA grads are employed full-time or in graduate school, with healthcare, internet and software, higher education, and K-12 education being the most popular sectors. Within three months, 99% of Ross grads are employed with a median salary of $100k. Top employers include PwC Strategy, EY Parthenon, JP Morgan Chase, Deloitte, and Citi. Within six months, 89% of the Class of 2024 engineering grads were employed (average salary of $97k) or in grad school. Amazon, Ford, Google, Tesla, General Motors, and Space X employ the greatest number of alumni.

About: Established in 1997 through a gift from the Jim Barksdale family, the Honors College merges intellectual rigor with community action. It offers an education similar to that at prestigious private liberal arts schools and universities, but at a far lower cost. Small, discussion-based classes, dedicated faculty and a nurturing staff enable honors students to experience intellectual as well as personal growth. Honors students live on honors floors in the residence halls and enjoy 24-hour access to the Honors College building.

Professional Outcomes: Outcomes vary by school. For example, 75% of College of Business grads were employed full-time upon graduation, and 12% were continuing their education. The median starting salary was $57k, and top employers included Brown & Riding, FedEx, Amazon, and Higginbotham. Of those Ole Miss graduates who pursue further education, 21% pursue a JD.

About: In 1986, the University of Pittsburgh established an honors college to meet the special academic and co-curricular needs of students who sought to elevate their undergraduate experience. Honors students can enhance their Pitt undergraduate degree in any major by choosing one of three distinctive programs–the Honors Distinction, the Honors Degree, and the Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil)–all while having access to a dedicated advisor within the Frederick Honors College as as well as access to unique honors courses and undergraduate research opportunities.

Professional Outcomes: Within a few months of graduating, 95% of 2024 University of Pittsburgh grads entered some sort of employment or continuing education. This number goes up to 97% for honors college graduates. Engineering, nursing, business, and information sciences majors tend to have higher employment rates, while majors are more likely to pursue graduate school. For the Class of 2024, the most common employers include the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the University of Pittsburgh, BNY Mellon, PNC, and Westinghouse. Overall, the median starting salary was $65k.

About: The University Honors Program at Florida State University is the only Florida honors program with a dedicated cohort of honors teaching faculty, full-time instructors assigned specifically to the program and who design the innovative courses they offer. Honors students enjoy tailored courses designed in partnership with faculty across the university, dedicated advisors available daily, two centrally located residence halls for living with like-minded peers, and guaranteed priority registration for classes each term.

Professional Outcomes: Eighty-three percent of job-seeking Seminole grads receive at least one offer of employment within three months of graduation. The top five sectors employing 2023 grads are (in order) finance, health, technology, marketing, hospitality, and engineering. Roughly one-third of 2023 Florida State grads elected to pursue further education. Of these, 84% received at least one admission offer. A typical graduating class sees about 100 students accepted into medical schools and 200 accepted into law schools.

About: Because of their deep curiosity and intrinsic motivation, Echols Scholars enjoy flexibility in their academic requirements in order to pursue their individual scholarly interests. Scholars are granted an exemption from the General Education requirements within the College of Arts & Sciences while also receiving special access to priority enrollment, honors-only advising resources, and honors-only housing. Since the Echols Scholars Program is founded upon the principle of academic motivation and intellectual creativity, students in the program have the opportunity to define a course of study that will permit attainment of academic and career goals that fall outside existing majors or interdisciplinary programs within the college.

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their degree, 82% of the Class of 2023 immediately joined the workforce or opted to pursue further education. The average starting salary was just under $83k. The most popular industries were healthcare, consulting, internet & software, investment banking, and financial services. Capital One, UVA, Amazon, Deloitte, and Accenture scooped up the greatest number of 2023 grads. UVA itself was the most popular grad school destination followed by Columbia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Duke.

Academic Highlights: Leahy Honors College makes available special programs, courses, and student activities. It also offers honors students academic mentoring and provides opportunities for leadership, community participation, and academic achievement. The Honors College also oversees the office of Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research, which advises on undergraduate research opportunities, coordinates the annual UVM Student Research Conference, and gives access to advising on national fellowship and scholarship opportunities.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2024 enjoyed a 94% success rate and earned an average starting salary of $55,792. Roughly 95% of grads stated that their current job was related to their career goals. Top employers included University of Vermont Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beta Technologies, and Fidelity Investments. Looking at the Class of 2024 who enrolled in advanced degree programs, the vast majority opted to continue their education at the University of Vermont.

Academic Highlights: The Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University is the nation’s only university-affiliated, free-standing honors college. Located in Jupiter, FL on the John D. MacArthur campus of Florida Atlantic, this close-knit, residential, highly-selective liberal arts and sciences college offers a distinctive all-honors curriculum and is surrounded by world-renowned scientific research institutes, where undergraduates benefit from unique access to research internships.

Professional Outcomes: In a recent year, 53% of FAU graduates were employed full-time. What’s more, just under 19% opted to pursue further education. Currently, over 3,000 alumni work at Florida Atlantic itself while just over 1,000 are employed by Broward County Public Schools. 200+ alumni work for each of Broward College, Palm Beach State College, Broward Health, and NextEra Energy. Many can also be found at major corporations such as Amazon, Microsoft, Hilton, Marriott, and Salesforce. Sector-wise, most alumni work in business development followed by operations, education, and sales.

About: The Robert D. Clark Honors College (CHC) offers a small liberal arts college experience with the added benefit of a major research university and its cutting-edge research faculty and facilities. The small, discussion-based class sizes – capped at 19 – allow students to develop one-on-one relationships with faculty members, and you’ll learn with CHC students from majors across the UO campus. At the Honors College, there is a clear pathway toward involvement in hands-on research, along with access to internships and other career opportunities.

Professional Outcomes: Members of the Class of 2023 already had their next destination lined up at graduation with 87% already employed or entering graduate school. Of the 14% of recent grads who opted for continuing education, the most popular schools include Oregon State, Portland State, and the University of Oregon. Top employers of recent grads include the University of Oregon, Nike, Moss Adams, KPMG, and Thermo Fischer Scientific. Top graduate schools include ASU, Boston University, and Columbia. Median starting salaries range from $50K (Lundquist College of Business) to $40K (College of Arts and Sciences).

Academic Highlights: Honors Carolina is a rigorous, interdisciplinary academic program designed for students who are eager to explore beyond their immediate academic concentrations and anticipated career trajectories. Benefits include preferred registration, access to honors-only internships and study abroad opportunities, dedicated advisors, personalized coaching, designated housing, and alumni networking.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after leaving Chapel Hill, 99% of 2024 grads had entered employment, military service, or graduate school. Among the for-profit companies that hire the most graduates are Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Fidelity Investments, Ernst & Young, and Amazon. In the nonprofit sector, a large number of alumni are employed by UNC, UNC Health Care, and Duke Health. The median starting salary is just over $62K. Of the Class of 2024, 12% enrolled directly in graduate/professional school. Popular schools include UNC, Duke, and North Carolina State.

About: A state-of-the-art Honors College, students have opportunities from the very beginning, including exposure to research, extensive collaboration with fellow students and faculty, and even one-on-one discussions with live-in faculty to share ideas. Students collaborate in the high-tech seminar rooms, in the Innovation Lab, and in the many lounges and study areas throughout the building. They also have on-site academic advising and administrative support.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduation, 84% of Class of 2024 grads had secured a first job or were heading to an advanced degree program. 63% headed directly to the world of employment, where the companies hiring the largest number of grads included Rutgers University, Amazon, the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and RWJBarnabas Health. Other top employers include Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson. The median starting salary across all majors was $70,000.

About: Commonwealth Honors College is a community of scholars on a campus full of opportunities. Students build community through collegewide events, take small classes that support their academic journey through direct engagement with renowned faculty and intellectually curious peers, have access to dedicated advising staff, and can receive support for their thesis through Honors Research Grants. An integrated living, learning community is also fostered in the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community where many honors students live.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 58% of newly minted 2024 grads were employed and 28% were continuing their education.  The most populated industries are health/medical professions (15%), internet & software (6%), and higher education (4%). Companies presently employing 100+ Minutemen and Minutewomen include Mass General Brigham, UMass Amherst, Fidelity Investments, TJX, Beth Israel Lahey Health, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Boston is the most popular landing spot for graduates.

About: Grounded in the resources of a globally-ranked research university, the W.A. Franke Honors College provides the opportunity to take small classes with the University of Arizona’s top educators, engage in research and creative expression with the University’s top researchers, designers, and artists, experience the world through study abroad, and create lifelong friends through shared experiences.

Professional Outcomes: Of the Class of 2024, 56% are employed full-time and 2.4% part-time. Impressively, 19% opted to continue their education (at places like the University of Arizona, ASU, Grand Canyon University, and Northern Arizona University). In 2024, the top employers for UA grads include Banner Health, Amazon, Raytheon, Deloitte, and the Walt Disney Company. The mean starting salary for Class of 2024 grads was just over $61K, and the median salary clocked in a bit lower, at $60K.

About: The Honors College at the University of North Carolina Wilmington attracts an intellectually and socially diverse group of engaged students, involved in every major and in all areas of university life. The University Honors Program is a four-year curriculum including seminars, honors-enhanced University Studies, extra-curricular experiences, and applied learning experiences. In addition, honors students enrich their studies with domestic and international travel, undergraduate research and creativity, service-learning, unique interdisciplinary courses, and a community of citizen scholars.

Professional Outcomes: While specific data is hard to come by, the UNCW career center estimates that 75% of UNCW graduates work full-time, 11% work part-time, and 14% attend grad school. In a recent year, nursing grads made an average starting salary of $67k. Business majors—the second-most popular discipline—had a post-grad employment rate of 45%. 15% of newly minted business alums immediately pursued a graduate or professional program. Business students enjoyed an average starting salary of $55k.

Academic Highlights: Plan II is a small honors program within the University of Texas at Austin where students can explore the issues and questions that shape the human experience. The Plan II major can be combined with other studies, giving students the best of what UT has to offer. In addition to small classes with the best teachers on campus, the program offers extremely personalized support. Two professional academic advisors hold walk-in advising hours year-round to help you navigate your academic path. Plan II also has its own scholarship and grant programs so that once you are a Plan II student you can apply for tuition, study abroad, and/or research funding support.

Professional Outcomes: Though collegewise data isn’t available, in a recent year, 68% of Longhorns College of Liberal Arts grads were employed and 24% had entered graduate school. The for-profit sector attracts 65% of those employed while 19% enter public sector employment and 16% pursue jobs at a nonprofit. Major corporations that employ more than 500 UT Austin grads include Google, Meta, Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, and Apple. Engineering majors took home a median income of $79k and business majors took home $70k.

About: Macaulay Honors College at CUNY is a highly selective college where New York’s most promising students receive the financial and academic support to realize their leadership potential. Macaulay students receive a tuition scholarship, funding for experiential learning, personalized advising by dedicated staff, internship opportunities with nearly 600 organizations, and an opportunity to work with CUNY professors on research projects across dozens of academic disciplines.

Outcomes: Many Macaulay graduates continue their education, going on to earn a master’s degree, a professional degree such as medicine or law, or a doctoral degrees. Others decide to begin their careers immediately, and work across a wide spectrum of market sectors, the arts, entrepreneurship, public service, or work overseas. Nearly 250 Macaulay alumni are winners of prestigious awards like the Rhodes, Fulbright, and Truman. Nearly 90 percent of all Macaulay students graduate debt-free.

About: Each member of the Honors College is awarded one of three scholarships and takes part in a diverse range of high-impact experiences that extend far beyond the classroom, including undergraduate research, study abroad, research, internships, living-learning experiences, and a multitude of service-related opportunities. All first-year honors students live together in the Honors College Living Learning Community, housed in ECU’s Greene Residence Hall.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 55% of the Class of 2024 were working full-time while 26% were enrolled in an advanced degree program. Top employers of recent grads included ECU, ECU Health, Pitt County Schools, WakeMed, UNC Health, and Novant Health. Of those who elected to continue their education, just over two-thirds did so at East Carolina. Others went on to institutions like Duke, Wake Forest, Appalachian State, UNC Wilmington, and UNC Chapel Hill.

About: Texas Tech Honors College offers small, discussion-based classes taught by dedicated faculty. Students benefit from priority registration, personalized advising, and seminars that foster critical thinking and leadership. The program emphasizes research, global learning, and interdisciplinary exploration, providing access to competitive scholarships and unique experiential opportunities. Honors students can also enjoy exclusive housing and a close-knit network that supports academic excellence, creativity, and meaningful campus involvement throughout their college journey.

Professional Outcomes: Of the Class of 2024, 45% were employed or about to be employed and 26% had opted to pursue further education. Texas Tech graduates launch successful careers at top-tier companies, including Dell Technologies, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, and Oracle. Median salary varies according to major, with future chemical and petroleum engineers at the high end and art and theater majors on the low end. These outcomes reflect Texas Tech’s strategic alignment with high-growth sectors, with many graduates securing positions in Texas’s booming economy and national industry leaders.

About: Oklahoma State University’s Honors College blends the resources of an R1 university with a close-knit, small-class experience. Students get priority enrollment starting in the spring of their sophomore year (registering the same day as graduate students), access to honors-only sections, seminars, over 200 honors courses per semester, and specialized honors advising. Perks also include honors housing in Stout Hall and an Honors Lounge/Student Activity Room in historic Old Central, plus experiential learning credit for research, study abroad, leadership, and service.

Professional Outcomes: OSU graduates form the backbone of Oklahoma’s professional workforce, securing positions with leading employers like Paycom, Walmart, and ONEOK. Alumni predominantly build their careers in the state’s key economic hubs, the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metropolitan areas, while others contribute to the vibrant Stillwater community. These outcomes demonstrate how OSU fulfills its land-grant mission by preparing graduates who drive innovation in Oklahoma’s various sectors while maintaining strong ties to their alma mater.

About: The UH Honors College combines the advantages of a small community of motivated learners with the opportunities of a diverse and cosmopolitan major research university. Its intellectually challenging courses, minors and programs emphasize speaking and writing, encourage critical inquiry in disciplined conversation, and promote active learning and principled leadership. Students participate in co-curricular activities such as global engagement, service learning and mentored research.

Professional Outcomes: By graduation day, 32% of recent grads had already accepted a full-time position and 11% had been accepted to graduate school. For those who entered the workforce, top employers were Houston ISD (as well as several other school systems), JPMorgan Chase, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist, and Amazon. Of those continuing their education, the highest percentage stayed at the University of Houston followed by the University of Texas, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M, Texas Woman’s University, and Rice.

About: UCF University Honors is a four-year program designed to offer a small college experience within a large research university throughout each student’s undergraduate career. The University Honors curriculum, which consists of Honors Symposium, General Education courses, upper-division courses for a variety of majors, and interdisciplinary seminars, contributes to a robust and well-rounded educational experience.

Professional Outcomes: Of the 65% of Class of 2024 graduates who were looking for employment, 44% had accepted a position. 28% of the class opted to pursue further education. The average starting salary was nearly $58K and the most common employers included Walt Disney, AdventHealth, Universal Parks and Resorts, and Orlando Health. The most popular graduate degrees pursued were in the sciences, health professions, education, and medicine.

About: The Interdisciplinary Honors curriculum merges sciences and humanities to fulfill UW’s general education requirements, primarily through small, seminar-style classes. Experiential learning requirements guarantee development outside of the classroom while honors’ portfolio practice strengthens writing, reflection, and synthesis across disciplines. Honors students benefit from unique opportunities such as small, engaging Interdisciplinary Honors classes that teach new ways of thinking and learning; reflection to promote deliberate educational choices; engagement in international study, community service, leadership and research; close contact with professors and community scholars; as well as unique honors study abroad opportunities.

Professional Outcomes: Within months of graduation, 60% of Class of 2024 grads were employed and 17% were continuing their education. The most popular employers of the Class of 2024 included UW Medical Center, Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, and Microsoft. Across all alumni, 5,000+ work for Microsoft and Boeing, while 4000+ work at Amazon. Of those headed to graduate/professional school, most remain at UW. Large numbers of 2024 grads also headed to Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and USC.

About: The University Honors Program (UHP) provides students with an enriched opportunity within each of the U of M freshman colleges, creating a program of shared passions, creative collaboration, and intellectual and cultural diversity. Benefits include honors seminars and courses, an honors residential community, one-on-one honors advising, and the opportunity to engage in NEXUS experiences, which bring together students and faculty from across the university in small groups to engage in non-standard learning models and address interdisciplinary problems.

Professional Outcomes: Of the Class of 2024, 67% are employed, while 23% have been accepted to further education. 70% of those employed work for a Minnesota-based program, including the Mayo Clinic, Fairview Health, Boston Scientific, and Target. What’s more, Google, Apple, and Meta all employ hundreds of Twin Cities alumni. In a recent year, the mean starting salary for grads was $50k. With 130 graduate programs in science, art, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and the humanities, the University of Minnesota retains many of its graduates as they pursue their next degrees.

About: Combining a close community of diverse students with the singular opportunities of a premier public research university in the nation’s capital area, the Honors College offers a flexible array of eight state-of-the-art living-learning programs. These highly acclaimed programs, innovative and at the frontiers of honors education, offer exciting exploration of different interdisciplinary areas. Maryland Honors combines the access and care of a small liberal arts college with the vast resources and opportunities of our leading research university. Students take 15-18 credits in one living-learning program in order to earn an Honors Citation, an academic distinction noted on their transcript. Each program’s unique curriculum is designed to fit into the general education requirements already established as part of students’ degree plans.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 91% of Class of 2024 grads had positive outcomes. Of these, 69% found employment at companies like Northrop Grumman, Deloitte, Amazon, and EY. The mid-50% salary range for 2024 grads was $57K-$87K. On the other hand, 20% of the Class of 2024 headed directly to graduate and professional school. Of these, 63% began a master’s or MBA, 14% entered doctoral programs, 8% entered a medical professional degree, and 6% entered law school.

About: In 1985, NJIT established an aonors program to encourage and challenge its brightest and most motivated students. Dorman students enroll special classes in areas of their greatest strength, attend special seminars in the humanities, management, as well as science/technology/society. They also enjoy Honors Colloquia (lectures, trips, networking with distinguished speakers and alumni), conduct research or attend seminars in their major field of study, attend small classes, and create their own honors education plan. All students accepted into the Honors College receive a generous scholarship package.

Professional Outcomes: Students in the Class of 2024 enjoyed a 78% full-time employment rate within six months of earning their diploma. Another 6% were employed part-time. Of the 1,174 respondants, just over 12% opted to pursue further education. The average starting salary was a hair over $74K. Top employers include PSEG, Optum, Verizon, and Merck.

About: The University of New Mexico Honors College delivers a small, liberal-arts experience inside a flagship research university. Seminar-style classes are capped at 18 students and emphasize interdisciplinary inquiry and primary texts. Students gain priority registration (with active status), personalized advising/success coaching, and peer mentoring. The college also offers undergraduate research and study abroad pathways, plus designated honors housing that builds a close, supportive community.

Professional Outcomes: UNM graduates form the backbone of New Mexico’s professional workforce, with most establishing careers in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe metropolitan area. They lead at top employers including Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Presbyterian Healthcare Services, while many continue to contribute to UNM’s academic mission. With median earnings of just under $45K, alumni play vital roles in advancing the state’s key industries.

About: The Honors Program at Temple University is dedicated to providing high-achieving students with enriching academic opportunities, holistic advising, a dynamic and inclusive community, and strong encouragement and support all the way to commencement and beyond. Honors faculty lead small seminars in a variety of interesting subjects. Honors staff is dedicated to providing individualized advising on course selection, scholarships, fellowship applications, careers and graduate schools.

Professional Outcomes: In a recent year, 51% of grads quickly secured employment and another 18% were enrolled in graduate school. Hundreds of Owl alumni can be found at big-time companies such as Merck, Comcast, Vanguard, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, and Bristol Myers Squib. Within six months of graduating, 90% of Fox School of Business 2024 graduates who indicated they were seeking employment were employed or had started their own businesses. The average base salary for all graduates of Fox was $69K.

About: At CSU Honors, students benefit from small, discussion-based seminars that center students’ voices, creating an enriched space that prioritizes free exchange of ideas and stimulating conversation. Honors students can enrich their required major and minor classes with deeper work that allows them to collaborate one-on-one with their professors. Outside of academics in co-curricular events, Honors@CSU works diligently to help students connect with other community and campus partners, enlarging their networks and expanding their worldviews.

Professional Outcomes: Among 2024 graduates, 82% quickly secured their next job or grad school opportunity. For the 61% who landed their first job, the median salary was $50K. Overall, 82% of those surveyed stated that this job was related to their career plans. Common employers include Charles Schwab, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and the Oracle. Some popular grad schools include CU Boulder, the University of Michigan, UIUC, and Columbia University.

About: The University of Kansas University Honors Program offers a small liberal arts college feel within the larger university, with small, discussion-driven honors courses and a required first-year honors seminar that introduces students to key mentors. Honors students receive priority enrollment and complete four Enhanced Learning Experiences (ELEs) to build real-world depth; options include research, study abroad, internships, and community service.

Professional Outcomes: KU graduates achieve strong career momentum, with 50% employed full-time and 37% pursuing advanced degrees within six months of graduation. The university serves as both Kansas’s premier educator and top employer, with many graduates contributing to KU Medical Center, Kiewit, Garmin, and EY.  In 2024, the average salary of a KU graduate was just over $61K. While hundreds build careers in the Lawrence/Kansas City area, alumni networks flourish in major hubs like Chicago, Denver, and Dallas, demonstrating KU’s dual impact as both a state anchor and national talent source.

About: LSU’s Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College engages a diverse population of high-achieving students in a dynamic interaction of outstanding instruction, innovative research, and public service. Honors students take advantage of an established curriculum including small, seminar-based courses, the opportunity for research, faculty mentorship, and exclusive scholarships and resources to create a premier undergraduate experience.

Professional Outcomes: Of the Class of 2024 graduates, just under 59% were working six months after graduation. Another 24% chose to pursue further education. The average salary for those employed was a bit more than $68K. Companies hiring the most LSU alums were Deloitte, MMR, and Handshake. For those headed to graduate school, the most frequently studied disciplines were law, business administration, medical school, accounting, and physical therapy.

About: Founded in 1981, the University Honors College currently attracts students across 115+ majors, offering small class sizes, special academic opportunities, dedicated faculty, and a learning community that supports and encourages intellectual curiosity and high achievement. By cultivating a small college setting that offers access to all the resources of a large research university, honors student are able to engage in rigorous coursework both in and out of their major as well as dive into experiential learning like research, internships and study abroad.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 92% of Class of 2024 had found employment or were enrolled in a graduate program. UB graduates are well-represented in the corporate offices of many top finance, accounting, consulting, and technology companies, with more than one hundred alumni currently employed at the likes of M&T Bank, Citi, Amazon, and Microsoft.

About: The Honors College is a learning community within the College of Charleston, providing enrolled students access to a living-learning community, personalized mentoring, small, seminary-style courses, additional scholarship support, unique networking opportunities, professional development guidance, and student leadership roles.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 78% of the Class of 2022 was employed and 18% were attending graduate/professional school. 5% were volunteering, serving in the military, or pursuing a paid internship. Of those employed, popular sectors included science, technology, engineering, and math; health services; and marketing/sales. Top employers for alumni who exited in the past five years include the College of Charleston itself, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston County School District, Blackbaud, and Boeing.

About: George Mason University’s Honors College features small, inquiry-based seminars and a 1-credit Honors College Colloquium (HNRS 111) that builds community through lectures, workshops, and mentoring. Students receive individualized advising and priority registration, plus access to an Honors Residential Learning Community and fellowship support through Mason’s Office of Fellowships.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after receiving their degrees, 85% of the class of 2024 had accepted a job offer or started work in a graduate program. GMU grads flow into major consulting firms like Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, and Accenture, as well as Capital One, Goldman Sachs, General Dynamics, IBM, and Microsoft. Mason graduates earn a median salary of $70,000, with 85% of grads employed in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. Top industries include education, government, technology, and healthcare.

About: At Georgia State University Honors College, students take small, seminar-style honors sections (including core requirements), build close faculty mentoring relationships, and can pursue upper-division interdisciplinary and service-learning courses as well as an honors thesis. Benefits include priority registration, specialized advising, research assistantships, merit scholarships, national fellowship/graduate school coaching, and honors living-learning community housing in University Commons/Patton Hall.

Professional Outcomes: More than 500 alumni work at companies such as Delta, Emory Healthcare, Home Depot, and Amazon. Deloitte, Microsoft, EY, IBM, Google, and Salesforce each employ more than 100. The median salary for graduates early in their careers is $65,800. Prestigious graduate school destinations include Notre Dame, UVA, the University of Michigan, Emory, and Yale. Duke University, and Harvard University.

About: The University Honors Program combines rigorous academics with strong mentoring and flexibility. Students receive priority registration, take honors courses and exclusive seminars typically capped around 17 students, and build an individualized plan that can include research, independent study, and innovation-focused pathways. The program also offers optional honors housing and early access to faculty mentors.

Professional Outcomes: Though aggregate data is hard to come by, 85% of the College of Liberal Arts and and Sciences Class of 2023 was either employed or pursuing further education 6 months after graduation. Popular employers include John Deere, Principal Financial Group, Amazon, Collins Aerospace, Corteva Agriscience, Bayer, Cargill, and Microsoft. Most remain in Iowa after graduation but many also move to Minnesota, Chicago, California, or Texas. Median salaries vary according to major. For example, the median salary for world language majors was $70K, while the median salary for meteorology was only $50K.

About: Across three USF campus, the Judy Genshaft Honors College fosters a thriving learning environment that empowers students to reach their full potential by providing a distinctive interdisciplinary honors curriculum featuring small classes taught by engaged and creative faculty; empowering student achievement with expert, individual academic advising and world-class opportunities through the Office of National Scholars; encouraging each student to participate in a significant and rewarding research experience; and supporting every eligible student with an Honors scholarship worth up to $2,000, plus the opportunity to win one of nearly 40 academic and travel scholarships.

Professional Outcomes: Employers that gobble up significant numbers of University of South Florida alumni include Citi, Moffitt Cancer Center, BayCare Health System, Tampa General Hospital, Raymond James, Centene Corporation, Deloitte, Microsoft, AWS, and Kforce. Therefore it’s little surprise that a study by the Florida Board of Governors revealed that USF is a highly-rated contributor to the local economy, represents excellent value, and facilitates social mobility.

About: The Lewis Honors College offers a small college where students take seminar-style honors courses capped at 25, benefit from campus-wide priority registration, and receive individualized honors and career advising. A signature feature is the honors thesis, culminating in a public presentation. Students also build community through the honors residential experience and the Lewis Scholars Lounge.

Professional Outcomes: UK’s Class of 2024 achieved strong career outcomes, with 45% entering the workforce at leading employers like UK Healthcare, Fidelity Investments, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, earning median salaries of $55,000. Another 35% pursued advanced degrees, predominantly within Kentucky’s academic network, choosing UK, University of Louisville, and Northern Kentucky University, demonstrating the university’s dual role as both the state’s premier educator and its most significant talent pipeline for professional and graduate education.

About: JMU’s Honors College offers a highly flexible honors interdisciplinary studies minor designed to fit any major, anchored by first-year experience courses, a yearly discussion-based honors seminar, and dedicated advising. All honors students are expected to undertake a sustained research or creative project, and are strongly encouraged to extend their Honors College experience by pursuing a two-semester portfolio project or three-semester faculty-mentored departmental capstone. They are also strongly encouraged to study abroad; JMU offers several programs specifically tailored to the needs of Honors College students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 73% of 2024 grads had obtained full-time employment, 22% were continuing their education, and 4.6% were still figuring out their next step. Inova Health and Deloitte each hired at least 20 JMU grads. The vast majority of Dukes found employment in Virginia and the median starting salary was $56,000. Among the almost Class of 2024 grads who matriculated directly into a graduate school program, the most popular location VCU.