Information for Prospective Honors Parents
The Honors College Advantage
Why Honors is Worth It
More Financial Support
Every Westminster student has access to a variety of financial aid options. Honors College students have additional, exclusive financial aid options to support travel experiences, research opportunities, conference participation, and more.
$1M+
Endowed Scholarships
Roughly $1M in additional endowed Honors scholarships layered on top of the institutional scholarship every Honors student receives.
$3,500
Summer Research Awards
Honors students can apply for $3,500 in summer research grants to work directly with a faculty mentor on an original project.
$1,000
Conference and PD Funding
$1,000 given annually for Honors students to attend academic conferences, present research, and pursue professional development opportunities.
Exclusive Professional Opportunities
Your student will have opportunities to present their own research at national conferences, like the annual National Collegiate Honors Council Conference, attend Honors-only events and lectures, and sit down with distinguished visiting scholars.
Fast-track to Nationally Competitive Opportunities
Chasing a postgraduate fellowship or scholarship like Fulbright, Marshall, Truman, NSF, or Gilman? Westminster's Fellowship Advising Office gives your student one-on-one support every step of the way.
Advantages in Job and Graduate School Applications
Your student will build a resume that stands out. They can publish original scholarly work in national Honors journals, participate in grant-supported summer research, build leadership skills through the Student Honors Council, and earn special recognition like the Nelson Creative Arts and Writing Awards.
Interested in pre-med? The Westminster Honors network boasts a 95% medical school acceptance rate.
#1
4-year graduation rate
In Utah and at Westminster University
2025–26
95%
First-year retention rate
The highest retention at Westminster University
2025
$8,404
Average net tuition paid by first-year students
2025–26
How We Support Your Student's Success
From day one, your Honors student has a supportive community in their corner: advisors, mentors, faculty, alumni, and peers who will help them make the most of every opportunity.
Dedicated Honors Advising
Beyond their regular undergraduate academic advisors, your student gets a dedicated Honors advisor. The Honors advisor helps students navigate Honors requirements, pick the right courses, and stay on track to graduate as an Honors Scholar.
Supportive Faculty Relationships
Honors College classes are capped at 16 students. Your student won’t just be a face in a crowd. They’ll have more hands-on guidance, more chances to speak up in class, more accountability, and a real sense of belonging.
Wellness Programming
Honors College students benefit from Westminster’s integrated wellness services and programs, as well as nationally recognized Honors-exclusive programming, including yoga, meditation, and reflective writing exercises.
How Families Stay Involved
Support Your Student Without Overstepping
Once your student joins the Honors College, you’re automatically added to our mailing list. Every quarter, you’ll get an email from the dean's office—updates on major events and application cycles, the amazing work of current scholars, and tips for supporting your student as they grow more independent.
If you have a concern, email the dean of the Honors College directly. You'll get a personal response within 2 business days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prospective families have lots of questions. Important questions. Here are our answers to common questions, and maybe some you hadn’t thought about yet.
Small class sizes. Individualized attention.
At a state university, your student might be sitting in a 300-person lecture hall for gen-eds. At Westminster, the average student-to-faculty ratio in an Honors classroom is 1:7, and the dean makes a point of learning every student’s name.
A Truly Accessible Education
The cost looks different, too. In Fall 2025, every first-year student started out with a financial award. Those same students paid an average net tuition of $8,404.
Try our Net Price Calculator for a personalized estimate of tuition and fees.
Like all Westminster students, Honors scholars take 3–4 classes per semester, usually 1–2 in their major and 2–3 Honors seminars. Those seminars are what stand out.
Compared to typical courses, Honors classes are more challenging and provide more opportunities for hands-on learning, interactive discussion, and guided writing exercises.
Westminster University has consistently low crime rates and received the only 100% campus safety score in Utah.
Our location is key: A small residential community of around 1,200 students, tucked inside Sugar House—a quiet residential neighborhood outside downtown Salt Lake City.
Campus Security is staffed 24/7 (801.832.2525). And we take mental health seriously: support through Integrated Wellness, plus 24/7 telehealth through TimelyCare.
For Honors students especially, their close-knit cohort makes a difference. Peer mentors and faculty tend to notice when something’s off—often before parents do.
We are deeply committed to student care and work closely with the Dean of Students Office to make sure your student has all the support they need to thrive, including welfare checks, mentoring, tutoring, and mental health support services. If you have concerns about your student, you can contact the Honors College dean or assistant dean any time. We are just a phone call away and can support your student directly.
Your student’s academic records belong to them under FERPA, but they can approve proxy access in Self-Service.
Roughly half of each Honors class heads straight into graduate or professional school. The other half moves into jobs—in industry, government, or the nonprofit sector—that often set them up for their long-term careers.
91% of Westminster graduates found employment within 3 months (Westminster Graduating Survey, 2024–25).
#1 in Utah for Economic Mobility - Westminster graduates are more likely to out-earn their parents than graduates from any other college.
Yes!
We’ve admitted students with a 3.4 GPA whose applications genuinely impressed us—and turned down students who looked perfect on paper, but didn’t engage with the kind of critical thinking we’re looking for.
Grades and test scores aren’t what decide admission at Westminster. Your student’s application and essay are what matter most. We're looking for students who like to think, who read for fun, and who have tried—and sometimes failed at—something intellectually difficult.