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Lewis Honors College
Lewis Honors College and Medals

Lewis Honors College

HS Seniors: Apply by December 1 Honors admission decisions released mid-February

By the Numbers

100% Experiential Education Participation

96% First-Year Retention Rate

90% Employment or Graduate/Professional School

Mission in Action

Nedra McLain and Emily

Explore Your Purpose

Honors advisors and the Center for Personal Development counselors partner with students in their exploration of purpose to cultivate well-being, leadership, and career readiness.

Samantha Jones presenting at NCUR

Develop Intellectually

Honors at Kentucky has a long and proud history, dating back to 1959, and thousands of students have passed through our program, exploring themselves and the boundaries of thought with outstanding faculty.

Jacqueline Coleman, Christian Brady, Laura Bryan, Conner Brumley

Lead With Integrity

Providing leadership development opportunities enables students to fulfill their experiential credit while bolstering lifelong skills to apply as a graduate student or employee.

The Honors classes I took my freshman year exposed me to ideas that I would not have otherwise thought deeply about. The topics we discussed have allowed me to engage with current events and the social sciences more than I would have been able to otherwise.

Asa O'Neal
Asa O'Neal '25
NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, Astronaut Scholar
Asa O'Neal
Maddie Duff waving with other graduating students walking

Why Honors?

Students in the Honors Residential Experience Lounge

Honors Residential Experience

Students attending the Career Expo

Center for Personal Development

Honors students in Costa Rica

Internship, Research, Education Abroad, Service-Learning Opportunities

Dr. Kenton Sena with HON 152 students outdoors

Dedicated Honors Faculty

Interested in Learning More?

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Register for Orientation

News and Events

Katie Keys and Lucy Jett Waterbury

Students Rally Behind Operation Secret Santa with Holiday Food Drive

By Adrienne Clarke
 Nov 14, 2025

During the Ideas that Matter series, our third guest speakers were Operation Secret Santa (OSS) nonprofit founder Katie Keys (also known as “Head Elf”) and Honors alumna Lucy Jett Waterbury, who shared OSS’s inspiring origin story and its growing impact.  Through its mission “Creating Christmas without barriers,” OSS served over 2,000 families, including over 6,000 children, last year.

Campus donors will receive additional perks for helping secure a Big Blue victory against Tennessee Tech.

Big Blue Crush blood drive begins Monday at UK

By Eric Lindsey
 Nov 14, 2025

Giving blood to Kentucky Blood Center (KBC) saves local lives throughout the year, but Kentucky fans who donate during Big Blue Crush have extra incentive: a chance to beat rival Tennessee.

UK students and faculty gather in Norway to prepare their payload for NASA’s GHOST mission. From left: Alexander Barrera, Eric Adams, Carson Brown, Cannon Shields, Savio Poovathingal and Alexandre Martin.

Kentucky dream takes flight: UK joins NASA on Arctic space mission, including a Lewis Honors College alumnus

By Jenny Wells-Hosley
Nov 13, 2025

A team of students and faculty from the University of Kentucky Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering will make history in Norway, launching a UK-developed payload as part of NASA’s GHOST spaceflight mission.

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CPD Honor the Balance: Boba and Bracelets

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Lewis Scholars Lounge

420 Hilltop Ave, Lexington, KY

KY Blood Center Drive

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Lewis Scholars Lounge

420 Hilltop Ave, Lexington, KY

KY Blood Center Drive

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Lewis Scholars Lounge

420 Hilltop Ave, Lexington, KY

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Contact Us

Lewis Honors College
University of Kentucky
Lewis Hall, 420 Hilltop Avenue
Lexington, KY 40526
Phone: 859-257-3111

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