Lewis Honors College

By the Numbers

100% Experiential Education Participation

96% First-Year Retention Rate

90% Employment or Graduate/Professional School

Mission in Action

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.

Savannah King with her Honors Thesis Showcase poster

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 '25

NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, Astronaut Scholar

Maddie Duff waving with other graduating students walking

Why Honors?

Honors Residential Experience

Tamika Tompoulidis with student during EXPO

Center for Personal Development

Internship, Research, Education Abroad, Service-Learning Opportunities

Dr. Kenton Sena with HON 152 students outdoors

Dedicated Honors Faculty

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News and Events

Four years, one voice: A University of Kentucky student’s leadership journey to graduation

By Jacob Rudy

Apr 22, 2026

University of Kentucky and Lewis Honors College student Jackson Baird never expected to become a voice for the student body. Four years later, the Kentuckian leaves campus having dedicated his time to serving students and making their voices heard.

UK junior Hunter Coady was recently awarded an English-Speaking Union Scholarship. The award covers full tuition and expenses for the student’s three-week experience at the University of Oxford.

UK student awarded 2026 English-Speaking Union Scholarship

By Kayla Coffee

Apr 20, 2026

Hunter Coady, a junior from Crestwood, Kentucky, was recently awarded a 2026 English-Speaking Union Scholarship. The award covers full tuition and expenses for the student’s three-week experience at the University of Oxford.

Malena Hughes and Amber McNamara at UK Pre-Vet Experience Day 2025

UK student turns childhood dream into veterinary career

By Angelina Sonoqui

Apr 15, 2026

For as long as she can remember, Malena Hughes has wanted to become a veterinarian. Born and raised in Barren County, Kentucky, Hughes grew up on her family’s cow-calf operation, where she established a love for agriculture that led to her passion for veterinary medicine.

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Lewis Honors College Medal Ceremony

May 07, 4:00 pm - May 07, 6:00 pm

Memorial Coliseum

Ave of Champions, Lexington, KY 40508

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