The Impact of Honors
A MESSAGE FROM UD HONORS COLLEGE DEAN MICHAEL CHAJES
As the University of Delaware’s Honors College approaches its 50th anniversary in 2026, we celebrate the impact that Honors students have had on the University of Delaware. As a college, we FOSTER TALENT, bringing in high-caliber undergraduates who earn Honors Degrees, attend the nation’s top graduate schools, and secure jobs with prestigious companies. Honor’s students win national scholarships and fellowships, competing with the most outstanding students across the country. The Honors College is committed to INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE, as demonstrated by our fall 2022 entering class being the most diverse in our college’s history. Every day we work to STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY among and between students, faculty, and alumni. We establish new programs and test out new ways to enhance the community that is foundational to Honors. ADVANCING THE HONORS COLLEGE into the future is also one of our strategic priorities. With the generous support of our donors, we are able to enhance student success by supporting a variety of enrichment opportunities. I invite you to learn more about the impact our students are having on UD and the community, and to support us in our mission to educate curious, courageous, and community minded scholars who will leave UD and change the world.
Sincerely,
Michael Chajes
Dean, Honors College
FOSTERING TALENT
Honors students, who comprise 12% of the University’s undergraduate population, are engaged in UD’s high-impact programs at significant rates: 25% of the UD Marching Band, 25% of World Scholars, 84% of Medical Scholars, 31% of Blue Hen Ambassador tour guides, and 58% of senior thesis writers. Honors graduates are twice as likely to attend graduate or professional school after graduation as students not in Honors. UD Honors graduates pursue further education at schools like Columbia University, Cornell University, King’s College in London, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, University of Cambridge, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of Pennsylvania.
Fast Facts
ON FOSTERING TALENT
10x
Honors students are 10 times more likely to write a senior thesis and 5 times more likely to participate in Summer Scholars research.
98.6%
Honors graduates employed or pursuing further education within 6 months of graduation.
85%
11 of the 13 undergraduate national scholarship winners in 2021-22 were from the Honors College.
INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE
Only by creating a truly diverse and inclusive community of scholars can the Honors College achieve true excellence. We welcome students with multiple interests and interdisciplinary pursuits, and are proud to say that our class of honors students who entered UD in the fall 2022 is the most diverse in Honors College history. During the pandemic, our students created PACCT (People of all Colors & Communities Together), an organization focused on developing strategies for nurturing an antiracist culture on campus and beyond. This efforts of this organization, working in tandem with the college, has played a significant role in our strides towards inclusive excellence.
Fast Facts
ON INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE
107%
Increase in students from underrepresented groups in higher education enrolling in Honors
(2017-present)
17,189
Number of applications to the Honors College in 2022-23 (300% increase in two years)
2,178
Total students in the Honors College representing all 8 undergraduate colleges
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY
A strong sense of community is a hallmark of the Honors experience at UD; Honors students start their first-year living together in Louis L. Redding Residence Hall. Current students, alumni, faculty, and staff are all part of this community, which has been at UD for more than 45 years. Faculty are a critical component to the Honors experience, and 347 UD faculty members were engaged in teaching Honors courses and sections in the past year.
Fast Facts
ON STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY
79
Student Fellows in Honors leadership positions
26%
Percent of UD Faculty who taught 589 Honors courses and sections in 2021-22
12,000+
Alumni of the Honors College
ADVANCING THE HONORS COLLEGE
Since becoming a College, Honors received 9 new endowments to help support College initiatives and individual students. Alumni engagement has also increased through a variety of alumni speaker events and a new alumni mentoring program.
Fast Facts
ON ADVANCING THE HONORS COLLEGE
250%
Increase in Honors College endowment since 2020
19
Students receiving donor-funded enrichment grants in 2021-22
2020
Year Honors changed from a Program to a College