Explore All Honors Admission Pathways

Admissions for in-person bachelor’s degree seeking students beginning at Marshall on the Huntington campus in Fall 2026 are open through May 01, 2026. Honors College Scholarship offers must be accepted by May 15, 2026. If you do not meet the criteria for Admission by Invitation, consider applying through our Admission by Holistic Review pathway listed on our Admissions page. Note that all admitted Honors students must accept the scholarship through the process described below. Top Scholar applicants must also be admitted to the Honors College to be considered. Priority for Honors Housing requires admission to the college before May 01, 2026

Admissions

Incoming First-Year Students (High School Students)

Incoming first-year students who have been accepted to Marshall University now have TWO pathways to admission in the Honors College. Most students will join the college through “Admission by Invitation” on the basis of prescribed minimums in standardized test scores and high school GPA. Beginning in the 2022 academic year, we opened admission to students who do not have the standardized test score that would lead to an invitation to join the college. Students who have excelled in high school and have a demonstrated commitment to the mission of Honors education at Marshall University should explore “Admission by Holistic Review” as a pathway to join the college.

Note

Only the second pathway, Admission by Holistic Review, requires an separate application to the Honors College.

All admitted Honors students should also consider applying for one of our available scholarships in the college for incoming, first-year students if they are eligible according to criteria laid out in the donor agreements for the funds that provide these scholarships. Due to a policy of the Office of Student Financial Assistance, the Honors College Scholarship (which is a partial tuition-waiver) can only be awarded to incoming, first-year students at Marshall (i.e., students who have not yet begun their coursework at Marshall as fully admitted students pursuing an undergraduate degree). For incoming, first-year students beginning at Marshall in the Spring semester, they would be eligible to receive 1/2 of the scholarship for that academic year, but could begin receiving the full scholarship in their first full year–as long as they maintain good standing in the Honors College.

Membership in the Honors College requires that students be enrolled full-time in a Bachelor’s degree program at Marshall University.

Are you wondering if honors education is a good fit for you?

Currently, the majority of admissions to the Honors College are by invitation based on quantitative standards. Incoming first-year students who have been accepted to Marshall University and have a 26 ACT or 1230 SAT or higher composite score and at least a 3.5 GPA in high school will be invited to join the Honors College after being accepted as prospective students at Marshall–generally by email. ANY student with the criteria for Admission by Invitation can follow the link below to join the college. You do not need to wait until you are invited. There is no separate application for admission to the college via this pathway to admission. The stated test scores and GPA must be achieved and reported to the university before 01 May of the admission year. We recommend that you accept our invitation as soon as possible. For a helpful checklist for students intending to become #oneoftheherd, checkout the Enrollment Checklist. Students will need to have activated their student account (as seen in the checklist under “ID and Computing Account”) in order to obtain their login credentials for accepting the Honors College invitation as this accesses a student record to confirm eligiblity.

Instructions to View and Accept Our Admissions Invitation

Students admitted to Marshall who do not meet the minimum test score that would lead an automatic invitation to be admitted to the Honors College, through the standard admissions process, but who do have at least a 3.5 GPA in high school may still apply for admission to the Honors College. We are looking for students who demonstrate curiosity, self-motivation, and a passion to contribute to the common good.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through 01 May each year for admission in the coming Fall semester. A decision is normally provided two weeks after submission of an application. Past accomplishment is considered, but we are looking to assess future potential for success in honors education at Marshall. Students who are admitted through the Holistic Review process will be at “Step Five” in the process describe here.

The application includes: Basic background information on the applicant (contact, demographics, high school information); Current 12th grade coursework (including any/all AP and Dual Credit courses); College and career plans; Important roles played in the communities of which the applicant is a part (e.g., those that demonstrate engagement, leadership, and a willingness to serve); Employment information (optional); Forms of public recognition (e.g., awards, scholarships, and honors) received; Information about particular circumstances that may affect the applicant (optional); Short essay prompts that request reflection on the mission of honors education, the applicant’s unique traits, and what the applicant wants out of their experience in the Honors College.

Submit an Application for Holistic Review

Current 1st Semester, Continuing, Transfer, and Late-Admitted Students (College Students)

Current, transfer, and first-year, incoming students admitted to start at Marshall University in the Spring semester have two pathways for admission. The pathway available to them will depend on their particular situation. Only Admission by Holistic Review requires an application to the Honors College.

Note

All requests for admission (Admission by Invitation pathway) or applications for admission (Admission by Holistic Review pathway) must be made before the end of the 7th week of the Fall or Spring semester.

Fall Semester

Current, first-semester students admitted to Marshall to begin their degree requirements in the Fall semester who are NOT classified as transfer students (students who began their Baccalaureate degree elsewhere before coming to Marshall) and who have not yet earned a GPA at Marshall but have at least a 3.5 high school GPA and at least a 26 ACT or 1230 SAT composite score, can request to be considered for late “Admission by Invitation,” which does not require an application. This pathway to admission is only available in the FALL semester for current students and must be done before the 7th week of the semester. These are students who have perhaps not recognized value of their invitation from the Honors College when they were admitted to Marshall, but have come to understand that they want to join the mission of honors education.

Request Fall Admission by Invitation

Current, first-semester students admitted to Marshall to begin their degree requirements in the Fall semester who are NOT classified as transfer students (students who began their Baccalaureate degree elsewhere before coming to Marshall) and who have not yet earned a GPA at Marshall but have at least a 3.5 high school GPA may petition for a Holistic Review.

Continuing students (current students who are continuing at Marshall from an earlier semester) and qualified transfer students (students who began their Baccalaureate degree elsewhere before coming to Marshall) with at least a 3.5 overall GPA in at least 12 completed credit hours as a full-time college student, who will have no more than 30 earned credit-hours applied to their transcript at the end of the Fall semester, may petition for admission by requesting to submit an application to the college. At the time of application, both current and transfer students may request a waiver of up to 6 hours of General Honors credits toward completion of the required Honors Curriculum.

Request an Holistic Admission Review

Spring Semester

Students admitted to Marshall to begin their degree requirements in the Spring semester who are NOT classified as transfer students (students who began their Baccalaureate degree elsewhere before coming to Marshall) and who have not yet earned a GPA at Marshall but have at least a 3.5 high school GPA and at least a 26 ACT or 1230 SAT composite score, can request to be considered for late “Admission by Invitation,” which does not require an application. This pathway to admission is only available in the Spring semester for late-admitted students.

Request Spring Admission by Invitation (Late MU Admitted)

Current students (continuing at Marshall from an earlier semester) and qualified transfer students (students who began their Baccalaureate degree elsewhere before coming to Marshall) with at least a 3.5 overall college GPA in at least 12 completed credit hours, who will have no more than 30 earned credit-hours applied to their transcript at the end of the Spring semester, may petition for admission by requesting to submit an application to the college. At the time of application, both current and transfer students may request a waiver of up to 6 hours of General Honors credits toward completion of the required Honors Curriculum.

Request an Holistic Admission Review

Due to a policy of the Office of Student Financial Assistance, the Honors College Scholarship (which is a partial tuition-waiver) can only be awarded to incoming, first-year students at Marshall (i.e., students who have not yet begun their college coursework as fully admitted students pursuing an undergraduate degree). For incoming, first-year students beginning in the Spring semester, they would be eligible to receive 1/2 of the scholarship for that academic year, but could begin receiving the full scholarship in their first full-year–as long as they maintain good standing in the Honors College. Continuing current students (from earlier semesters) and transfer students would be offered all other benefits of membership in the college, including other merit-based scholarships (as well as other forms of assistance) for which they can apply.

Financial Awards and Assistance for Honors Students

The Honors College is known for challenging students to develop their full academic and personal potential. We are also committed to supporting Marshall students in their quest to identify, plan for, and win scholarships, fellowships, and other forms of assistance that will help them in their research and creative endeavors as students, to study abroad, pursue graduate school, or aid them in their professional development. There are a wide range of scholarships available to incoming and current (continuing) Honors students about which you can learn on our Scholarships page.

77%

Of Undergraduate Students Received
Some Form of Financial Aid

$94M

In Total Financial Aid Awarded

One of the most affordable universities in America

Marshall was named one of the top 100 most affordable universities in America by Best Value Schools.

$17.5M+

Awarded in Federal Grants

$23M

In Institutional Scholarships and Grants Awarded

Learn More about Financial Aid

Branch Campus & Distance Learning Notice

At the present time, honors courses are almost exclusively offered in-person on the main campus of Marshall University located in Huntington. Online courses applicable to the required Honors Curriculum are generally not available and currently there are no online sections of the required HON 200 and HON 480 seminars. As a result, students are generally unable to complete the Honors Curriculum when considered “distance” education at Marshall or enrolled full-time at any of the Marshall branch campuses–including South Charleston and MOVC. This includes students in the aviation program based in South Charleston.

This is a resource issue that the college is not yet able to address given current funding and other limitations. Please contact the College at honorscollege@marshall.edu with any questions.