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

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.

2025 Sustainability Showcase celebrates campus changemakers including Lewis Honors College faculty and students

By Carlie Laughlin and Jennifer T. Allen

Oct 22, 2025

The annual Sustainability Showcase, recently presented by the Office of Sustainability, the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment and the Office of Undergraduate Research, was a celebration of the incredible sustainability work happening across the University of Kentucky campus. From research and student initiatives to operations and community engagement, the awards recognize passionate students, faculty, staff and community members who are helping to shape a more sustainable future at UK.

A University of Kentucky team has been selected for the 2025-26 Scholars Transforming Through Research (STR) Program of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR).

UK team selected for national research advocacy program, including two Lewis Honors seniors

By Jesi Jones-Bowman

Oct 17, 2025

A University of Kentucky team has been selected for the 2025-26 Scholars Transforming Through Research (STR) Program of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). The five-month program culminates in a two-day event March 2026 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

View all news

View all events