Florida State University’s Honors Program was ranked No. 1 in Florida by the college ranking publication College Transitions, a resource for high school students and college counselors and the primary source for honors college rankings.

On its 2026 list of “50 Best Honors Colleges,” College Transitions ranked FSU No. 17 nationally among all honors colleges and programs.

While some universities offer separate honors colleges, FSU offers a comprehensive program designed to meet student needs. The program placed No. 6 among honors programs on College Transitions’ list using methodology that considers selectivity, benefits and program rigor.

“Our Honors Program has seen so much exciting growth in the past few years, thanks to President McCullough’s visionary investments,” said DeOnte Brown, dean of Undergraduate Studies. “We’re proud to offer a vibrant community that nurtures highly inquisitive students, engages them in a dynamic academic experience with their peers and prepares them for a future where they can thrive out in the world.”

The Honors Program has grown during McCullough’s tenure from about 400 per class before 2023 to more than 800 in the Fall 2025 class. It is the only Honors program in Florida that has a dedicated faculty who design Honors Signature Courses — interactive, interdisciplinary classes available exclusively to Honors students.

Ten full-time Honors faculty members offer courses on a variety of topics such as superheroes and ethics, coffee and culture in the U.S. and gaming in the ancient world.

“I’m so grateful for the dedication of our faculty and staff across campus who mentor, teach and support our remarkable students every day,” said Joe O’Shea, vice president for Student Academic Success. “We are honored to serve the brightest scholars from across Florida and elsewhere so they can thrive as leaders in their fields and strengthen the future of our communities.”

“The Honors Program at FSU was such a meaningful part of my undergraduate experience. It gave me incredible professors and engaging courses, but most importantly, an amazing community and friendships that lasted throughout my time at Florida State.”

– Hayley Schermer, FSU Honors graduate

Former Honors student Hayley Schermer, who graduated in December with a cell and molecular neuroscience degree, is working as a patient care assistant in the Neuro and Cardiac Intermediate Care Unit at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare while she prepares to start medical school in the summer.

“The Honors Program at FSU was such a meaningful part of my undergraduate experience,” Schermer said. “It gave me incredible professors and engaging courses, but most importantly, an amazing community and friendships that lasted throughout my time at Florida State.”

Students can live in Honors housing in one of two centrally located residence halls and have dedicated program advising. They have access to classrooms, study spaces, gathering areas and resources such as advising, the Office of National Fellowships and the Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement in the Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House.

More than 200 students are enrolled in Honors in the Major, an opportunity within the Honors Program that provides students from any major the chance to engage in graduate level research, either with an original thesis or creative project.

Last summer, the Honors Program debuted its new Honors Global Experiences program in London, where 15 students traveled with Honors Associate Director Michael Furman to explore the city and surrounding areas while taking the Honors Signature Course “In the Footsteps of the Ancients: Roman Britain.”

Hayden Thomas is a senior political science and economics Honors student from Tampa who is studying abroad at the FSU London Study Center and interning at a United Kingdom policy organization.

“The Honors Program gave me a community of intellectually curious student leaders who pushed me to grow academically, professionally and personally,” Thomas said. “That foundation made it possible for me to pursue transformative opportunities, including serving as president of the Honors Student Association, conducting research through Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and Honors in the Major, and engaging in immersive professional experiences.”

To provide more opportunities for students, FSU has also doubled the size of its Presidential Scholars Program in recent years. Presidential Scholars is FSU’s premier undergraduate merit scholarship program that invests in students who stand out for their potential to be transformational leaders.

There are now 60 students admitted to each class of the Presidential Scholars Program, where students engage in a four-year sequence of learning and community engagement that focuses on four foundational tenets: wisdom, leadership, service and character.

On top of the generous scholarship funding, students in the program receive financial support for enrichment opportunities such as international study or service, internships, research and creative projects, and more.

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Florida State University junior Daniel Siegel has a passion for environmental public outreach.

Coming from a background in English and literature, Siegel won the Sassaman Undergraduate Critical Writing Award for his paper, “Chester Himes’ Noir: Alternative Characterization of the Detectives of a Rage in Harlem.”

In addition, his time as an intern with the University of Georgia Marine Extension inspired him to use his communication skills.

As he approaches his last year, Siegel reflects on how much he grew as a student at FSU.

“Over the last couple of years, I’ve tried a lot of new things,” he said. “Some have been fun, some challenging. Some were academic, some were extracurricular. Some have become important parts of my life, and others I’ve moved on from. All of them, though, have two things in common. They have been incredibly valuable opportunities to learn and grow, and they have all been provided in some way by Florida State University.”

Can you elaborate on your award-winning paper?

I had written the paper for a class with Professor of English Barry Faulk, who encouraged me to continue working on it. I improved the paper before I submitted it for consideration. Without Faulk’s advice and encouragement, I probably would have completely forgotten about it. Apparently, I cleaned it up well enough, because the English department thought it was good enough to give me an award. The same paper passed the initial editorial evaluation and is being circulated for peer review for the literary journal “Crime Fiction Studies.”

How has your experience with the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Club (DUF) impacted your time at FSU?

Joining DUF was one of the most impactful things I’ve done at FSU. I love playing Frisbee. I’ve been playing since my freshman year of high school, but DUF has been more than just a team. I spend a lot of time sitting inside (or outside when it’s a nice day) staring at a computer or a book. It’s nice to have something that gets me outside and moving on a regular basis. Frisbee gives me some continuity. My classes change every semester, but my work on the field has been consistent. The most important thing about DUF has been the people. I can’t imagine what my life in college would’ve been like without having such a fun, supportive and driven group of people around me. My teammates pick me up when I get down, but they’ll also encourage me to hit the ground and are willing to put me in the dirt themselves, which is a level of friendship that’s hard to find and takes work to cultivate. I’ve been the president this year, so I’ve been putting in some extra work off the field to help the team succeed.

How have the resources provided at FSU influenced your academic career?

The resources at FSU haven’t just influenced my academic career, they have been my academic career. I owe FSU a massive debt for all the resources it provided me with. From taking amazing classes with amazing professors to exploring new career paths and goals in an internship in Georgia, to a summer abroad in London, every new experience I’ve had over the past three years has in some way been provided, encouraged or funded by FSU. One of the biggest or most obvious impacts has been my current status as a graduate student. I don’t think I would have continued on to education past a bachelor’s if it weren’t for FSU’s Honors and English programs.

How did your internship at UGA Marine Extension impact your college career?

During my freshman year, I was pretty sure I wanted to stick with English literature not just academically, but professionally. I didn’t know if I wanted to be a professor, an editor or a journalist, but I knew I wanted my job to have to do primarily with books and stories. I had an internship in London working with a company that published children’s books and had an educational website that encouraged literacy and storytelling. I have always cared deeply about the environment, so I took that experience to an internship with UGA Marine Extension during the summer after my sophomore year. While I was doing a lot of writing and educational work, getting to engage with the environment in a professional setting was an amazing experience. My entire academic and professional trajectory pivoted. While I still want to continue studying English lit, I’m planning to focus on ecological and environmental literature. My professional goal now is to become a science communicator or public outreach professional who focuses on the environment and ecology.

My internship with UGA Marine Extension allowed me to try out this new interest and build a passion for outreach and communication. My Directed Independent Study work on the Center for Ocean and Atmospheric Science’s SAMOS project encouraged these passions and once again drove home that I do want to engage with science in my professional life and that I’m especially passionate about translating science for people.

What have been your most cherished moments at FSU?

My most cherished moments at FSU have mostly involved spending time with friends. Hanging out in the dorm freshman year, getting together for game nights and just chilling on Landis with friends have been some of my favorite moments, and I think they’re the things I’m going to miss the most after I graduate.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I hope to get a job working in environmental communication or public outreach, possibly at a university extension office. I really enjoyed working with UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. Working with a similar sort of organization seems like a solid and achievable goal. I’m also looking forward to the chance to read a bunch of books for fun, which I still do, but I’ve also got a lot of books to get through for classes.

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Florida State University awarded honors medallions to 53 high-achieving graduates during a Dec. 11 ceremony in the Alumni Center Ballroom.

The FSU Honors Program supports the efforts and talents of the university’s most intellectually curious students who have the potential, dedication and drive for creating change.

The ceremony included remarks by Craig Filar, Associate Dean of the Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House; Joe O’Shea, Dean of Undergraduate Studies; Parker Franklin, Outstanding Senior Scholar; and Julie Decker, President and CEO of the FSU Alumni Association.

The breakdown of the honors awardees is as follows:

33 graduates, University Honors Program
Earned at least 18 honors points in fulfillment of the FSU Honors Program requirements.

18 graduates, Honors in the Major Program
Completed an honors thesis in fulfillment of the requirement for the distinction “with honors” in their major department.

2 graduates, Outstanding Senior Scholar
Completed both the University Honors Program and the Honors in the Major Program, with a 3.9 cumulative GPA or higher.

The honors medallion recipients, along with their hometowns, award designations, and academic majors, are listed by state and city below:

Florida

Bradenton

Elizabeth Bernate, Biochemistry, Honors in the Major

Clermont     

Giovanni Moraes, Biology, University Honors

Clewiston

Eileen Perez, Political Science, University Honors

Coconut Creek

Sophia Fandino, Environmental Science, University Honors

Crawfordville

Daniel Zdrazil, Creative Writing, Honors in the Major

Gulf Breeze

Riley Hart, Exercise Physiology, University Honors

Hialeah

Karen Iglesias, Psychology, University Honors

Jacksonville

Andrew Lodge, Psychology; Statistics, University Honors

Jupiter

Kendall McMullen, Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences (Clinical Professions), University Honors

Kissimmee

Nayeli Marcial, Environmental Engineering, University Honors

Lake Mary

Avery Hall, Civil Engineering, University Honors

Live Oak

Lilian Lamb, Behavioral Neuroscience, University Honors

Longwood

Lara Alston, Psychology, University Honors

Miami

Miguel González, International Affairs, Honors in the Major

Robert Kirk, Exercise Physiology; Psychology, University Honors

Arthur Noriega, Creative Writing; Humanities, Honors in the Major

Anthony Ogando, Biological Science, Honors in the Major

Taylor Torres, Political Science; Japanese Language and Culture, Honors in the Major

Joel Weeks, Finance; Management Information Systems, University Honors

Naples

Rylee Price, Psychology, University Honors

North Lauderdale

Janeen Green, Religion; Humanities, Honors in the Major

Orlando

Gabriela Kaiser, Finance; Marketing, University Honors

Palm Beach Gardens

Julianne Strickland, Accounting, University Honors

Panama City

Makayla Evans, Psychology; Social Work, Honors in the Major

Parrish

Eric Rindermann, Political Science, Honors in the Major

Plantation

David Marblestone, Finance; Professional Sales, University Honors

Rockledge

Anna Nguyen, Public Health, Honors in the Major

Sarasota

Noah Kunkel, Economics, University Honors

Raeanna Michael, Actuarial Science; Statistics, University Honors

St. Johns

Caleb Towne, Biological Science, University Honors

St. Petersburg

Jillian Kuusela, Psychology, Honors in the Major

Christopher Sanders, Political Science, University Honors

Tallahassee

Braidan O’Connor, Public Health, University Honors

Laura Obermaier, Computer Science, University Honors

Ashleigh Witherington, Latin and Greek, Outstanding Senior Scholar

Georgia

Atlanta

Grace Lege, Instrumental Music Education, Honors in the Major

Cumming

Hailey Anderson, Statistics; Applied and Computational Mathematics, University Honors

Marietta

Harper Coombs, Biological Science, University Honors

Parker Franklin, Commercial Music; Management Information Systems, Outstanding Senior Scholar

Illinois

Vernon Hills

Jiayi Guo, Statistics, University Honors

Maryland

Bethesda

Marlo Friedland, Criminology, University Honors

Takoma Park          

Daniel Siegel, Literature, Media, and Culture (English), University Honors

Missouri

Kansas City

Julianna Cartwright, Cell and Molecular Neuroscience, University Honors

North Carolina

Cary

Aimee Wagner, Criminology; Anthropology, Honors in the Major

Raleigh

Lilliana Solovay, Political Science; Editing, Writing, and Media (English), University Honors

New Jersey

Livingston

Alissa Kalyan, Cell and Molecular Neuroscience, Honors in the Major

Ohio

Lakewood

Stephanie Posedel, Chemical Engineering, Honors in the Major

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City

Serena Aiken, Psychology; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Honors in the Major

South Carolina

Fort Mill

Rachel Strickland, Criminology, Honors in the Major

Tennessee

Chattanooga

Ashley Holland, Cell and Molecular Neuroscience, University Honors

Collierville

Angelina Perera, International Affairs, University Honors

Knoxville

Lauren Russell, Biological Science; Public Health, University Honors

Panama

Panama City

Andrea Espinoza, International Affairs, Honors in the Major

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