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Detail of medals while entering commencement inside Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center

Honors Fast Facts

Believing in Bold Ambition: The Future of University Honors

University Honors brings together curious, driven students who want to use their talents to make a difference. When you join University Honors on Rocky Top, you enter a community that values bold questions, supports your growth, and helps you turn ideas into action.
 

“Honors is not a label you wear. It is a commitment to lead with empathy, ask braver questions, and turn ideas into action. When we bring together students who care deeply about the world and surround them with genuine mentorship, there is no limit to what they can build.”

— Dr. Amber Williams, Senior Vice Provost for Student Success and Chief Honors Officer

Fall 2026 Cohort: A Dynamic Community of Scholars 

Our honors community is growing because students across Tennessee and beyond see Rocky Top as a place where their ambition will be welcomed and supported. 

  • Remarkable growth: Our incoming Fall 2026 class welcomed 758 scholars, nearly doubling the previous year’s cohort of 394 students. 
  • Academic excellence: The incoming cohort averaged a 33 ACT superscore and a 4.5 GPA. 
  • National distinction: Fifty-two incoming scholars earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT and chose Rocky Top for their next chapter. 
  • Rooted in Tennessee: More than three-quarters of the incoming class, 75.7%, are in-state students. 
  • First-generation scholars: Ten percent of incoming honors scholars are the first in their families to attend college, bringing important perspective, resilience, and drive to the community.

Fall 2026 Admitted Student Profile: By the Numbers 

Students from across Tennessee and beyond continue to seek out University Honors. 

  • Top 10 national recognition: University Honors is ranked No. 8 among the nation’s honors colleges and programs in 2026. 
  • Strong student interest: University Honors received 8,030 total applications across the Chancellor’s Honors Program and the Haslam Leadership Scholars Program. 

Chancellor’s Honors Program (CHP) Admitted Profile 

  • Admitted Scholars: 2,475 
  • Middle 40–60% ACT Superscore: 33–34 
  • Middle 40–60% Core GPA: 4.50–4.58 

Haslam Leadership Scholars (HALS) Admitted Profile 

  • Admitted Scholars: 16 
  • Middle 40–60% ACT Superscore: 33–35 
  • Middle 40–60% Core GPA: 4.49–4.64 

A Track Record That Proves What Authentic Support Can Do 

Our plan for growth is grounded in proven student success. When high expectations come with personal support and clear opportunities, students thrive. 

  • 99.0% first-year retention: Nearly every honors scholar returns for sophomore year, well above the campus-wide retention rate of 93.1%. Our scholars find belonging early and stay engaged. 
  • 80.4% four-year graduation rate: Honors students complete their degree journeys with focus and momentum, compared to the campus-wide rate of 71.4%. 
  • 90.0% six-year graduation rate: Nine out of ten honors scholars graduate within six years, outpacing the campus-wide rate of 76.6%. 
  • Over 90% positive career outcomes: Within months of graduation, alumni move into meaningful careers, graduate and professional programs, and civic leadership opportunities. 

Competitive Starting Salaries: The Value of an Honors Degree 

Honors students build skills that carry into their careers. Through research, problem-solving, leadership development, and hands-on experience, they graduate ready to contribute. 

  • Haslam Leadership Scholars (HALS): $73,917 average starting salary 
  • Chancellor’s Honors Program (CHP): $65,021 average starting salary 
  • University-Wide Average: $59,648 average starting salary 

These outcomes show what happens when strong academics come together with practical experience, close mentorship, and a community that expects students to do meaningful work. 

The University Honors Difference 

  • Two Distinct, Mission-Driven Pathways: 
    • Chancellor’s Honors Program: Our largest interdisciplinary community, where scholars complete an 18-credit minor in complex problem-solving rooted in human-centered design. 
    • Haslam Leadership Scholars: An intimate, four-year cohort experience developing values-driven, community-minded leaders with an academic minor in leadership. 
    • Disciplinary Depth: Scholars in both programs are encouraged to integrate major and college-level honors tracks (engineering, business, nursing, pre-health, and social work) without extending their graduation timeline. 
  • Faculty and staff invested in your growth: Faculty teach directly in the honors curriculum and create space for personal mentorship, discussion, and collaborative inquiry. 
  • Living and learning together: First-year scholars live alongside their peers in the Honors Living and Learning Community, where they build friendships, attend workshops, and feel connected from the start. 
  • Honors coaching for life and career: Honors coaches help students navigate academic challenges, build on their strengths, and prepare for graduate study, professional school, or career opportunities. 
  • Priority course access: Priority registration helps scholars secure the coursework they need to stay on track and pursue interdisciplinary interests with confidence. 
  • Dedicated spaces for connection: Honors students have access to welcoming spaces designed for conversation, quiet focus, and faculty-student collaboration. 
  • Undergraduate research and global learning: Scholars connect with funded experiential opportunities, faculty-led research teams, capstone projects, and nationally competitive fellowship advising. 

Our Five-Year Vision: More Access, the Same Personal Care 

University Honors works because students are known, challenged, and supported. We want more students to experience that kind of community. Tennessee is full of talented, hard-working students with big goals, and we are ready to open more doors for them at Rocky Top. 

Over the next five years, we plan to welcome 1,000 new first-year honors scholars each year and grow University Honors to 4,000 students across campus. 

That growth will not change what makes honors special. You will still find close mentorship, strong academic challenge, meaningful friendships, and people who help you turn your goals into a plan. 

  • More faculty and mentors: You will learn from teacher-scholars who lead engaging honors seminars, guide undergraduate research, and get to know you as a person. 
  • Stronger honors coaching: You will have access to honors coaches who help you make smart choices, work through challenges, build on your strengths, and prepare for what comes next. 
  • More scholarship support: We will expand stackable honors awards, project funding, and global study support so cost does not keep you from pursuing the experiences that shape your future. 
  • New spaces built for connection: You will have places designed for focus, friendship, and support, including the new Student Success Center opening in 2027, a dedicated Honors Lounge, collaborative spaces, and modern living communities such as Torchbearer Hall.