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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Explore Admission Criteria
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Register for Orientation

News and Events

Lewis Honors College Released Honors Admission Decisions

Feb 17, 2026

The Lewis Honors College released its admission decisions to applicants on February 17. This year, the Lewis Honors College received a record-breaking number of more than 7,000 applications, making the selection process more competitive than at any other time in the history of the College. All applicants were carefully reviewed holistically by the Honors selection committee of academic professionals based on the following criteria:

Space, science, and Kentucky’s future: “Becoming Martian” author to speak at UK

By Adrienne Clarke

Mar 11, 2026

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 11, 2026) — Evolutionary biologist Scott Solomon will discuss his recently released book “Becoming Martian” 4- 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26, in the Lewis Scholars Lounge. Lewis Honors College, Humanity in Deep Space, and Kentucky Space Futures are co-hosting this free public event. Solomon will discuss how living beyond Earth could reshape human bodies, minds, and society. He will also answer questions and sign copies of his book, which is available for purchase on-site.

48 UK undergrads to present at national research conference

By Haven L. Patrick

Mar 5, 2026

Forty-eight University of Kentucky students will present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) on April 13-15 in Richmond, Virginia.

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Mathews Garden Work Days

Mar 23, 3:00 pm - Mar 23, 4:15 pm

Mathews Garden

Washington Ave, Lexington, KY 40508

Donuts and Fruit with the Dean

Mar 25, 9:30 am - Mar 25, 11:00 am

Lewis Scholars Lounge

420 Hilltop Ave, Lexington, KY

UK College of Law Visit

Mar 25, 5:00 pm - Mar 25, 6:30 pm

J. David Rosenberg College of Law

620 South Limestone, Lexington, Kentucky 40506

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