Lewis Honors College

HS Seniors: Apply by December 1 Prospective Students: Learn more about admission

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.

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

Center for Personal Development

Internship, Research, Education Abroad, Service-Learning Opportunities

Dr. Kenton Sena with HON 152 students outdoors

Dedicated Honors Faculty

Take a Virtual Tour
Schedule Your Visit
Explore Admission Criteria
Apply for Housing
Register for Orientation

News and Events

Exceeding interest and enrollment expectations

Sep 12, 2025

Purpose. Intellect. Integrity. These are the primary attributes that the second-largest class of incoming first-time first-year students will have the unique opportunity to develop as part of the University of Kentucky Lewis Honors College. Preliminary enrollment numbers indicate that this year’s cohort will be the most distinguished, well-rounded, and academically prepared group of scholars in Lewis Honors College history.

UK student Kaitlyn Brock, left, and Professor Robin Cooper work together in a research lab.

Advancing undergraduate research through the Chellgren Endowed Professorship: Robin Cooper

By Ryan Girves

Oct 1, 2025

The Chellgren Endowed Professorship gave Cooper the runway to amplify that spirit of inquiry, transforming his classroom and lab into even more powerful spaces where undergraduates could test ideas, take intellectual risks and share their discoveries on the national stage. One such student is Katie Neglia, a 2025 Chellgren Student Fellow and health sciences major in the Lewis Honors College.

UK faculty and staff gathered Sept. 8 to explore ways to share leadership initiatives across campus.

UK launches campus-wide Leadership Development Collaborative for 2025-26

By Adrienne Clarke

Sep 18, 2025

The University of Kentucky Leadership Development Collaborative (LDC) kicked off the academic year by bringing together 37 faculty and staff from 15 colleges and units to explore ways to share leadership initiatives across campus on Sept. 8.

View all news

Community Forest Work Day (During Lexington's Tree Week!)

Oct 16, 9:30 am - Oct 16, 11:30 am

Mary Todd Park

525 Rogers Road

C-A-T-S, Canines, and Community

Oct 18, 10:00 am - Oct 18, 12:00 pm

Lewis Scholars Lounge

420 Hilltop Ave, Lexington, KY

CPD Honor the Balance: Sound Bath and Tea

Oct 20, 7:00 pm - Oct 20, 8:00 pm

Lewis Hall Room U136

420 Hilltop Ave

View all events