Phi Theta Kappa, the nation’s largest honor society in higher education, has named Southwestern University to its 2026 Transfer Honor Roll. The recognition is reserved for institutions that have demonstrated exceptional success in creating pathways that help community college transfer students earn bachelor’s degrees.
Phi Theta Kappa’s Transfer Honor Roll is one of the nation’s most comprehensive recognitions of transfer excellence. Southwestern is one of just 275 four-year institutions in the country to earn a spot on the prestigious list.
“This recognition is about much more than transfer agreements,” Phi Theta Kappa President and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner said. “Successful transfer happens when institutions intentionally design policies, practices, and campus cultures that help students thrive after they arrive. These colleges have demonstrated that transfer student success is not accidental. It is a strategic priority.”
Colleges and universities are evaluated for the Transfer Honor Roll using data from the National Student Clearinghouse, as well as data collected through PTK Connect, Phi Theta Kappa’s online platform that connects students with transfer opportunities. The Transfer Honor Roll evaluates how well institutions support transfer admission through graduation, using five key measures: transfer student success outcomes, credit mobility and degree applicability, financial support for transfer students, recruitment and admissions practices, and campus engagement and support for transfer students.
“This honor is a reflection of the collaborative work across our campus to support transfer students from admission through graduation,” Southwestern Vice President for Enrollment and past honoree of Phi Theta Kappa’s National Most Distinguished Chapter Advisor Troy Johnson said. “I am grateful to our dedicated staff and faculty whose efforts have made Southwestern one of the most transfer-friendly colleges in the nation. We are proud to be among the select few institutions recognized. This honor highlights our success delivering a university education where our students can engage deeply in campus life and reap the benefits of our excellent academic programs.”
Institutions that complete a PTK Connect institutional profile receive a Transfer Friendliness Rating. The Transfer Honor Roll recognizes the top-performing institutions based on this comprehensive evaluation. This year, 1,117 colleges and universities completed PTK’s institutional profile, providing students with transparent information about transfer opportunities while allowing institutions to benchmark their transfer practices against peers nationwide.
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society recognizes the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helps them grow as scholars and leaders. PTK has more than 4.5 million members across nearly 1,200 chapters in 11 countries, including about 220,000 active members in colleges today.
“With a 91% student success rate, Phi Theta Kappa members have a proven track record of success,” Tincher-Ladner said. “Our members transfer at a much higher rate (72%) than the traditional community college student (29%). In order to ensure their continued success, the Transfer Honor Roll program identifies colleges and universities that understand the unique needs of community college transfer students and applauds the dynamic pathways these colleges have created to continue fostering student success at the four-year college.”
To learn more about Phi Theta Kappa, visit ptk.org.
Southwestern University published this content on July 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 29, 2026 at 17:25 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]
