University Honors Program

The University Honors Program provides students with the support and enrichment necessary to succeed at NIU and after graduation. Through small, discussion-based courses, hands-on research opportunities, a robust co-curricular program, and personalized mentorship, Honors students learn to think critically, lead confidently, and engage deeply with their communities.

With over 1,200 students across 100+ majors, Honors students completed 851 co-curricular Honors Engaged experiences last year. About 100 Honors scholarships are awarded each year.

When you give to Honors, you directly fuel student success stories like these:

Aaron Williams: "The Honors Program has provided opportunities and support that have brought me closer to my academic and career goals. Through discussion-based classes, access to mentorship from faculty and opportunities for research and leadership, I’ve been able to deepen my knowledge, sharpen my skills and explore my interests more fully. These experiences have helped me feel prepared and confident as I work toward a career in electrical engineering in technology."

Ally Coker: "The Enhance Your Education (EYE) funding has enhanced my academic experience by providing me with an exceptional hands-on introduction to theory that I will learn later in the classroom. Having funding to complete load cell experiments is an opportunity that is difficult to obtain and get approved due to the expense of the parts. I have discovered ways to quantitatively and qualitatively validate my simulated expected results."

Jerry Stamos: "The Honors Program has been a great help in finding where I fit at NIU, in regard to making friends, academics and extracurriculars. Honors Engaged pushes you to be well-rounded while finding ways to explore your areas of interest in depth."

Julia Rozalowski: "I have received a tremendous amount of academic and financial support from the Honors Program, which has allowed me to progress toward my academic and career goals. Academically, the Honors Program allows me to push myself further in my education, allowing me to become the best student I can be and the best teacher I can be in the future. In addition, the honors advising ensures I can succeed in the classroom while having the guidance I need along the way. Financially, I receive support from an Honors Program scholarship, which makes attaining my degree possible."

Your gift to the Honors Program will continue to help students like Aaron, Ally, Jerry, and Julia have access to enriched courses, an award-winning co-curricular program, and much more.

For gifts of $100 or more, you will receive a special Honors t-shirt with our thanks.