In 1988, the Arizona Board of Regents created the Honors College at ASU. Among the first honors colleges in the country, the program quickly rose to a position of pre-eminence. Only six years after its inception, Money Magazine named Barrett, the Honors College one of the top eight honors programs in the United States.

Today, Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University is responsible for recruiting academically outstanding undergraduates to ASU. Together, the university and the college provide these students with an intellectually and socially vibrant environment within the context of a larger university. A place where they can benefit from being with others of the same intellectual preparation, but with different talents and interests.

From 1988 through 2003, enrollment in the college increased from 800 students to approximately 2,700 students, majoring in all disciplines throughout the university. Among the recognition and accomplishments of the college:

• Barrett was named “Best in America” by the editors of Reader’s Digest in May 2005.
• The 2003 freshman class included 173 National Merit Scholars. In 1988, there were fewer than ten National Merit Scholars on campus. In fact, 25 percent of students at Barrett receive national merit-based scholarship awards.
• As of 2005, ASU had 69 Fulbright grant scholars, a success rate almost double the national average; 29 Goldwater scholars, recognizing outstanding undergraduate achievement in the sciences and engineering; and 13 Truman scholars, rewarding public service and academic achievement.
• Since 1991, 12 Marshall scholarships for postgraduate study in the United Kingdom were awarded.
• Since 1995, three students have been awarded Rhodes scholarships.

The cumulative impact of these distinctions received signal recognition from the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation in 1996 when it named ASU a Truman Honor Institution for its success in promoting service to the community as a value among undergraduate students.

Support Barrett, The Honors College

• Dean's Investment Fund
• Study-abroad scholarships
• Student Thesis Project Assistance Fund
• Outside Thesis Examiners Fund
• Honors Complex Project Fund 

Contact the development coordinator for more information about these funds or support Barrett, The Honors College with an investment in its primary fund today.