Since 1996, the Honors Program has sought students who are looking for challenges in their studies and in their lives.

This invitation-only program, comprised of about 400 students, fosters the highest levels of academic achievement. The program is open to students in every school and program. Designed to fulfill the College’s general education and distribution requirements, this 19-credit minor will give you a highly enhanced experience in the liberal arts and develop your spirit of inquiry.

Honors seminars are taught by specially selected faculty who have been chosen for their depth of knowledge and exceptional teaching abilities. There are more than 50 honors faculty, from many disciplines, offering seminars on a wide variety of subjects.

The heart of the Honors Program is a series of interdisciplinary seminars. With topics that center on problems or themes that can be looked at from multiple and often conflicting perspectives, these seminars require you to read important texts, test time-honored theories, and engage in an active and ongoing exchange of ideas. Honors also fosters international study with a our London Honors Semester, taught at Ithaca College’s London campus. Our Scholar-in-Residence program brings major writers, intellectuals, and academics to work directly with our students.

Our Honors Program extends far beyond the classroom. With the largest residential learning community on campus, Honors housing offers the opportunity to be surrounded by intellectually serious and curious students. Honors students also share a 24-hour lounge with computer access reserved especially for them. We also have a robust co-curricular program with educational, social, and service components.

The program has proven to be an excellent preparation for for graduate and professional education. Historically, over 85% of honors students go on to graduate or professional school within five years of graduation. Our students have pursued degrees some of the best universities in the country. Many others have gone on to receive prestigious fellowships, such as Killams and Fulbrights.

If you're looking for that kind of challenge, we're interested in you.