These Public Schools Offer an Honors College

For students looking for small classes and an academic challenge within the setting of a large public school, an honors college might be the right fit.

Publicly supported state schools often offer honors colleges as a way to attract talented students who might normally be lured away to a private school, college advising experts say.

“We often have our students deciding between top public colleges and private colleges, and some of them ultimately elect to attend honors colleges,” says JP Figdor, an education consultant at California-based Synocate College Counseling.

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Figdor says there’s so much branding from private schools that they advise high school students to pay attention to honors colleges, which may not be on their radar. “We explain there are these honor colleges at state universities, and they are able to provide similar quality education and nice living spaces.”

Experts say some perks of an honors college, which differ from honors programs, may include first pick at class registration, support for research opportunities on campus and special freshman dormitories, among other benefits. These schools typically offer small honors classes and are led by a dean, to name a couple defining characteristics of an honors college.

Victoria Crynes, a 21-year-old from Tulsa, Oklahoma, says she chose to attend Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University over a private school because of its academic support and scholarship awards.

“You have a small community and so many resources with so much support,” says the global politics and business major. “They provide us specific clubs and financial resources for conferences, projects and support for our thesis. From the academic angle , they provide you anything you could want or need.”

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The ASU senior also says she picked Barrett because the school offered a national scholar advisement office. “My freshman goal was to become a Fulbright Scholar.”

State honors colleges, such as Barrett, typically have separate admissions requirements — such as a set GPA and ACT or SAT scores — after students are accepted at the main university.

The University of Alabama, for example, requires its honors college students to have at least a 3.5 GPA and a 30 on the ACT or 1390 on the SAT, according to Shane Sharpe, dean and director of the honors college at Alabama.

Sharpe says the university started its honors college more than 10 years ago with the intent to build a community among its high-achieving students. Similar to other honors colleges, UA offers special dormitories to its students during freshman year.

“We do have honors housing for our freshmen, and part of that is to build community engagement , ” Sharpe says.

While Alabama has the largest enrollment of any state honors college, most states offer a similar type of school housed within a larger public institution. According to data submitted in an annual survey to U.S. News, 93 public National Universities offered an honors college during the 2016-2017 school year.

National University (state)	U.S. News rank	Honors college enrollment (2016-2017)
Arizona State University–Tempe	115 (tie)	5,697
Auburn University (AL)	103 (tie)	1,647
Ball State University (IN)	187 (tie)	1,035
Boise State University (ID)	RNP*	721
Bowling Green State University (OH)	202 (tie)	828
California State University–Fresno	223 (tie)	200
Clemson University (SC)	67	N/A
Cleveland State University	RNP	270
East Carolina University (NC)	207 (tie)	384
Eastern Michigan University	RNP	1,703
Florida Atlantic University	RNP	424
Florida International University	216 (tie)	2,033
George Mason University (VA)	140 (tie)	1,338
Georgia State University	223 (tie)	N/A
Indiana University of Pennsylvania	RNP	349
Indiana University–Bloomington	90 (tie)	N/A
Indiana University–Purdue University–Indianapolis	192 (tie)	N/A
Jackson State University (MS)	RNP	940
Kennesaw State University (GA)	RNP	N/A
Kent State University (OH)	176 (tie)	1,417
Lamar University (TX)	RNP	356
Louisiana State University–Baton Rouge	133 (tie)	1,509
Michigan State University	81 (tie)	N/A
Michigan Technological University	124 (tie)	91
Middle Tennessee State University	RNP	815
Mississippi State University	171 (tie)	N/A
Montana State University	207 (tie)	2,656
Morgan State University (MD)	RNP	500
New Jersey Institute of Technology	140 (tie)	716
New Mexico State University	198 (tie)	3,507
Northern Arizona University	RNP	N/A
Oakland University (MI)	RNP	1,100
Ohio University	151 (tie)	275
Oklahoma State University	156 (tie)	2,369
Old Dominion University (VA)	RNP	672
Pennsylvania State University–University Park	52 (tie)	N/A
Portland State University (OR)	RNP	N/A
Purdue University–West Lafayette (IN)	56 (tie)	2,120
Rutgers University–New Brunswick (NJ)	69 (tie)	500
Rutgers University–Newark (NJ)	133 (tie)	N/A
Sam Houston State University (TX)	RNP	600
San Diego State University	140 (tie)	1,026
South Dakota State University	216 (tie)	N/A
Stony Brook University–SUNY	97 (tie)	293
Texas A&M University–Commerce	RNP	190
Texas A&M University–Kingsville	RNP	N/A
Texas Southern University	RNP	87
Texas State University	RNP	1,318
Texas Tech University	176 (tie)	1,360
University at Albany–SUNY	151 (tie)	N/A
University at Buffalo–SUNY	97 (tie)	1,555
University of Akron (OH)	RNP	1,999
University of Alabama	110 (tie)	8,722
University of Alabama–Birmingham	159 (tie)	1,540
University of Alabama–Huntsville	216 (tie)	651
University of Arizona	124 (tie)	4,680
University of Arkansas	133 (tie)	3,121
University of Arkansas–Little Rock	RNP	N/A
University of Central Florida	171 (tie)	1,750
University of Houston	192 (tie)	2,271
University of Kentucky	133 (tie)	N/A
University of Maine	181 (tie)	858
University of Maryland–Baltimore County	159 (tie)	515
University of Maryland–College Park	61 (tie)	N/A
University of Massachusetts–Amherst	75 (tie)	3,689
University of Massachusetts–Boston	202 (tie)	624
University of Massachusetts–Lowell	156 (tie)	1,429
University of Mississippi	145 (tie)	1,406
University of Missouri	120 (tie)	N/A
University of Missouri–St. Louis	RNP	578
University of Montana	207 (tie)	N/A
University of Nevada–Las Vegas	RNP	882
University of North Carolina–Charlotte	198 (tie)	297
University of North Carolina–Greensboro	RNP	1,072
University of North Texas	RNP	1,819
University of Oklahoma	97 (tie)	2,428
University of Oregon	103 (tie)	743
University of Pittsburgh	68	N/A
University of South Carolina	103 (tie)	500
University of Texas–Arlington	RNP	N/A
University of Texas–Dallas	145 (tie)	N/A
University of Texas–San Antonio	RNP	971
University of Toledo (OH)	RNP	1,649
University of Utah	110 (tie)	2,199
University of Vermont	97 (tie)	936
University of West Georgia	RNP	N/A
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee	RNP	695
Virginia Commonwealth University	171 (tie)	928
Washington State University	140 (tie)	857
Wayne State University (MI)	223 (tie)	2,342
West Virginia University	187 (tie)	N/A
Western Michigan University	207 (tie)	1,808
Wichita State University (KS)	RNP	2

*RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one-fourth of its ranking category. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.

The honors colleges data above are correct as of Sept. 12, 2017. For complete financial aid data, full rankings and much more, access the U.S. News College Compass.

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