Hutton Honors College achieves top 10 ranking

Public University Press named Hutton Honors College 10th best among honors programs with more than 1,800 students and 18th in overall excellence.

The book, “Review of Fifty Public University Honors Programs,” provides information about the honors colleges and programs affiliated with 50 leading public universities.

“Ranking honors programs is no easy task, and no single ranking is likely to be authoritative,” Hutton Dean Matt Auer said in a press release. “Nevertheless it’s satisfying to see IUB’s program receiving external recognition for overall excellence.”

John Willingham, editor of the review, said there is no exact science to the rankings.

“Let us be candid about the data,” he said. “They are not definitive, but we believe that they are strongly suggestive.”

The survey looked at honors curricula, prestigious scholarships, graduation rates, honors residence halls, study-abroad programs and priority registration.

“What we have attempted to do is come at the evaluation process from more than one perspective in order to reflect the subtleties of honors colleges and programs,” he said.

The results were published in a narrative format, allowing readers to see how the overall perception of a university as a whole may differ sharply from the value of its honors program, how high their academic departments are ranked and how extensive their honors curricula are.

Additionally, it provides readers with insight as to how a given program performs in comparison to others with similar SAT, ACT and GPA admission requirements.

“Based on our criteria and methodology, the ideal honors college or program would combine in mutually beneficial ways both the substance of an honors education and the special benefits that many honors students enjoy,” Willingham said.

Hutton was praised for its financial support, strong research in the liberal arts and study-abroad programs.

The review also said Indiana’s program is strong because it allows close interaction with other top academic programs on campus.

“Indiana’s Hutton Honors College allows concurrent study with the university’s high-ranking business school,” the study stated.

Auer cited the same aspects of Hutton that helped it achieve a high ranking.

“Several assets explain the Hutton Honors College’s high ranking, including excellent students, superb instructors and ample resources made available by the University and by private donors, like Edward L. Hutton,” he said.