VCU Honors College named Top 50 Honors College; sets enrollment record for first-year students
The Virginia Commonwealth University Honors College was named a Top 50 Honors College in the United States by College Transitions, a higher-education admission counseling company.
The VCU Honors College, which was ranked 48th in the national ranking, was included along the list beside other Honors programs from the University of Georgia, Penn State University, Texas A&M, Purdue University and others. The only other Virginia university included in the Top 50 was the University of Virginia. Overall, more than 500 Honors Colleges and programs in the U.S. were assessed in College Transitions’s research.
“The recognition of VCU’s Honors College on this list reflects the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff to our students’ success," said Honors College Dean, Scott Breuninger, Ph.D. "The Honors College curriculum and community provide them with the meaningful, transformative learning experiences that they need in order to be successful in their chosen fields and compete on a national level.”
Colleges were ranked in three categories: selectivity, student benefits and rigor scores. Cumulatively, the VCU Honors College was highlighted for its professional outcomes for its students, with almost half of all VCU Honors College graduates finding a professional job immediately after graduating with another 22 percent of graduates enrolling in an advanced degree program.
The VCU Honors College has also set a record for first-year enrollment with its fall 2024 class.
More than 330 first-year students are enrolled in the Honors College this semester. The record for enrollment for this year is roughly 20 percent higher than the next highest year, which was in fall 2020. The VCU Honors College now has more than 1,200 students enrolled.
“This year’s record enrollment is amazing and demonstrates the value incoming students see in us,” Breuninger said. “We are thrilled to have this many students coming through our doors and know that they will receive incredible support from our faculty and staff here in Honors.”
Breuninger attributed the record enrollment to both the great reputation the Honors College has built over the course of its existence for shaping and the curriculum and programming in the Honors College that prepares students to be leaders in and outside of the classroom.