Lewis Honors College

Plan Your Visit High School Seniors: Apply by December 1

By the Numbers

100% Experiential Education Participation

97.2% First-Year Retention Rate

93.4% 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.

Singletary Scholar speaking at the Leadership Conference

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

Honors students wearing Honors medallions at the Honors Medal Ceremony

Why Honors?

Honors Residential Experience

Tamika Tompoulidis with student during EXPO

Center for Personal Development

Internship, Research, Education Abroad, Service-Learning Opportunities

Dr. Ryan Voogt with Honors students in HON 310

Dedicated Honors Faculty

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Schedule Your Visit
Explore Admission Criteria
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Register for Orientation

News and Events

VR practice for public speaking: Brandi Frisby’s CURATE research

By Christian Honce

Sep 2, 2026

Brandi Frisby, Ph.D., associate provost for academic affairs and former acting dean of the University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information (CI) in the School of Information Science at the University of Kentucky, and her team (including Honors faculty member Joe Martin, Ph.D.) examined how 360-degree video and virtual reality (VR) headsets can evolve public speaking pedagogy to better serve students and prepare them for the workforce.

Boost the blood supply: DOUGH-nate at upcoming campus drives

By Eric Lindsey

Aug 28, 2026

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 28. 2026) — The great thing about donating blood is that just about anyone can do it. No “dough” is needed to make a difference in your community — all it takes is a little bit of time and a pint of blood. Stop by the Lewis Honors College (Scholars Student Lounge) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3 or Friday, Sept. 4.

Beam Institute students gain global spirits experience in Scotland

By Grace Sowards

Aug 25, 2026

Bourbon is one of the Commonwealth’s signature industries, but Kentuckians aren’t the only group to pride themselves on their whisky. Students from the University of Kentucky James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits (JBBI) and the Lewis Honors College traveled to Scotland this summer to learn more about how spirits are made and marketed around the world.

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KY Blood Center Drive

Sep 03, 10:00 am - Sep 04, 5:00 pm

Lewis Scholars Lounge

420 Hilltop Ave, Lexington, KY

CPD Pause & Create: Bracelet Making Pop-Up

Sep 09, 10:00 am - Sep 09, 1:00 pm

Lewis Scholars Lounge

420 Hilltop Ave, Lexington, KY

Honors After Hours: Let's Be Blunt About Cannabis

Sep 15, 6:00 pm - Sep 15, 7:00 pm

Lewis Scholars Lounge

420 Hilltop Ave, Lexington, KY

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Lewis Honors College

By the Numbers

Mission in Action

Explore Your Purpose

Develop Intellectually

Lead With Integrity

Why Honors?

Honors Residential Experience

Center for Personal Development

Internship, Research, Education Abroad, Service-Learning Opportunities

Dedicated Honors Faculty

Interested in Learning More?

News and Events

VR practice for public speaking: Brandi Frisby’s CURATE research

Boost the blood supply: DOUGH-nate at upcoming campus drives

Beam Institute students gain global spirits experience in Scotland

KY Blood Center Drive

CPD Pause & Create: Bracelet Making Pop-Up

Honors After Hours: Let's Be Blunt About Cannabis

Campus Map

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