Loading
Arizona's three public universities each run an honors college — with different fees, requirements, and payoffs. Here is what they actually deliver, what they cost, and how to decide.
Perks: Honors-only housing and dining, priority registration, smaller seminar classes, dedicated advising, thesis project
One of the largest honors colleges in the country (~7,000 students). The fee is real money — weigh it against the perks you will actually use.
Perks: Priority registration, honors housing option, smaller classes, honors thesis, research opportunities
Strong research-university pipeline — honors students get earlier access to labs and faculty mentors.
Perks: Honors housing, priority registration, smaller classes, capstone project
The no-fee structure makes the cost-benefit math simpler — if admitted, the main cost is the thesis/capstone time commitment.
Priority registration
Honors students register before nearly everyone else. At big schools where popular classes fill in minutes, this alone can keep you on a 4-year graduation track — which is worth thousands of dollars.
Smaller classes inside a big school
Honors seminars run 15–25 students instead of 300-seat lectures. If you learn better with discussion and professor access, this changes your entire experience.
Scholarship stacking
Some merit scholarships are tied to or boosted by honors admission. Check whether your award requires honors enrollment — and what happens to it if you leave the honors college.
Research and thesis experience
An honors thesis is the closest an undergrad gets to graduate-level work. For grad school, med school, or research careers, it is a genuine differentiator.
Honors housing community
Living with students who chose extra academic work creates a different dorm culture. For some students this is the biggest hidden benefit; for others it does not matter at all.
Program fees (ASU and UA)
Up to $2,000/year at Barrett. Over 4 years that is real money — make sure financial aid covers it or the benefits justify it for you specifically.
The thesis is a serious commitment
A year-long project on top of your regular coursework, usually in your senior year — exactly when you are also applying for jobs or grad school.
Honors course requirements
You must take a set number of honors credits each year to stay in good standing. These can constrain your schedule, especially in credit-heavy majors like engineering or nursing.
It is not an admissions golden ticket
Employers mostly care about your degree, major, GPA, and experience. Honors helps most for grad school and research paths — be honest about which path you are on.
Are you planning on grad school, med school, law school, or research?
→ Honors is likely worth it — the thesis and faculty relationships matter for those paths.
Is your merit scholarship tied to honors admission?
→ Do the math carefully before declining — leaving honors may cost you the scholarship.
Do you learn better in small discussion classes?
→ The seminar experience may be worth the fee at a 50,000-student school.
Are you in a credit-heavy major (engineering, nursing, architecture)?
→ Check whether honors requirements fit your degree map before committing — ask an advisor in YOUR major, not just honors staff.
Is the program fee a financial stretch for your family?
→ Ask the honors college about fee waivers and whether your aid package covers it. NAU has no fee — factor that into school choice.
Ask each honors college directly about need-based fee waivers — they exist but are rarely advertised. And remember the perks are school-specific: if honors matters to you and money is tight, NAU's no-fee honors college belongs in your comparison.
Comparing schools? Use the college list builder or check the big Arizona scholarships that pair with honors admission.