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

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

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Schedule Your Visit
Explore Admission Criteria
Apply for Housing
Register for Orientation

News and Events

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.

‘UK at the Half’: Join the #BBN for Fall 2026

By Meg Mills

Dec 1, 2025

For this “UK at the Half,” Sarah Ballard, the acting senior executive director for strategic enrollment, explains the importance of applying early. High school seniors now have two online application options to begin their University of Kentucky journey. Future Wildcats can apply using either the UK Application or the Common App.

‘It’s a special outdoor classroom’: UK Robinson Forest Field Day demonstrates flash flooding modules for local youth

By Christopher Carney

Nov 20, 2025

CLAYHOLE, Ky. (Nov. 20, 2025) — More than 60 middle school and high school students from Breathitt and Letcher counties were invited to learn about the factors influencing flash flooding at Robinson Forest, a 14,800-acre forest in the Cumberland Plateau and home to some of the least disturbed watersheds in Eastern Kentucky.

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Donuts and Fruit with the Dean

Dec 04, 9:00 am - Dec 04, 10:30 am

Lewis Scholars Lounge

420 Hilltop Ave, Lexington, KY

CPD Honor the Balance: Massage Chairs

Dec 10, 3:00 pm - Dec 10, 5:00 pm

Lewis Scholars Lounge

420 Hilltop Ave, Lexington, KY

Honors Thesis Showcase

Dec 16, 5:00 pm - Dec 16, 7:30 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

Students Rally Behind Operation Secret Santa with Holiday Food Drive

‘UK at the Half’: Join the #BBN for Fall 2026

‘It’s a special outdoor classroom’: UK Robinson Forest Field Day demonstrates flash flooding modules for local youth

Donuts and Fruit with the Dean

CPD Honor the Balance: Massage Chairs

Honors Thesis Showcase

Campus Map

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