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Honor society facts for kids

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For other uses, see Honor society (disambiguation).
1909 Tyee - Honor Societies
"Honor Societies", illustration from the 1909 Tyee (yearbook of the University of Washington)

An honor society is a special group that celebrates people who are really good at something. This could be in school, being a great leader, or other cool achievements. These groups recognize excellence among students and others in many different areas. For example, the Order of the Arrow is the honor society for the Boy Scouts of America. While we often think of honor societies for students who do well in school, they can also be for other kinds of achievements.

History of Honor Societies

The first honor society in the United States was Phi Beta Kappa. It started in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. Back then, it was more like a club for debates. You didn't need super high grades to join at first.

Many honor societies today invite students based on their grades. They might look at your grade point average (GPA) or if you're in the top percentage of your class. This is especially true for groups that focus on school subjects. If good grades aren't the main point, like for a leadership society, they might have other ways to choose members. Most honor societies also look for students with good character.

Joining an honor society is usually by invitation only. It's a special club, and sometimes you can only join one honor society for a specific field.

Honor societies exist at different school levels:

The oldest academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa, began as a social and literary group in 1776. Later, other important honor societies were created:

  • Tau Beta Pi for engineering (1885)
  • Sigma Xi for science research (1886)
  • Phi Kappa Phi for all school subjects (1897)
  • Mortar Board (1918) was the first national honor society for senior college women.

In the early 1900s, honor societies grew a lot. They often supported changes that fought against racism, classism, and sexism. As more students from different backgrounds joined colleges, honor societies became more diverse. Some groups that only allowed certain people eventually changed. For example, Title IX helped make sure that most single-sex societies started admitting women. Any groups that held onto old rules faced a lot of criticism.

After World War II, many students went to college. This led to more changes in honor societies. In 2005, Yale University and Howard University started the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. This group focuses on recognizing diverse scholars. Instead of just picking top students, they let people nominate themselves. This society helps create supportive places for all students to grow, especially those from groups that haven't always been recognized.

What Members Wear

When students graduate, they often wear special clothes called academic robes. These robes show what degree they earned and what school they went to.

Honor society members can also wear special items with their robes. These include:

  • Stoles (like a scarf)
  • Scarves
  • Cords (ropes worn around the neck)
  • Tassels on their graduation caps
  • Medallions

Cords and tassels are the most common items worn by honor society members. Most schools allow students to wear these items. Stoles are less common. Almost all honor societies have their own special colors. They often sell these items to members.

Groups for Honor Societies

The Honor Society Caucus and Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) are two groups that help set standards for national honor societies. ACHS was formed in 1925 to make sure honor societies meet good standards. Not all honor societies join ACHS, but many do.

Scholastic Honor Societies

These are groups that recognize students for their achievements in school.

General College Honor Societies

These societies are open to students from all different school subjects.

  • Alpha Chi, ΑΧ (all academic fields), colors:      Emerald green and      Sapphire blue
  • Alpha Kappa Mu, ΑΚΜ (all academic fields)
  • Alpha Lambda Delta, ΑΛΔ (freshman scholarship)
  • Alpha Sigma Lambda, ΑΣΛ (non-traditional students), colors:      Burgundy and      Gold
  • Alpha Sigma Nu, ΑΣΝ (Scholarship, Loyalty and Service at Jesuit institutions of higher education), colors:      Maroon and      Gold
  • Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (Doctoral, Post-Doctoral, Faculty)
  • Chi Alpha Sigma, ΧΑΣ (college student-athletes)
  • Delta Alpha Pi, ΔΑΠ (students with disabilities)
  • Delta Epsilon Sigma, ΔΕΣ (all academic fields at traditionally Catholic colleges and universities)
  • Delta Epsilon Tau, ΔΕΤ (Distance Education Accrediting Commission institutions)
  • Epsilon Tau Pi, ΕΤΠ (General scholarship, Eagle Scouts)
  • Golden Key International Honour Society (academics), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Mortar Board (Scholars chosen for Leadership united to Serve)
  • National Society of Collegiate Scholars, NSCS (scholarship/leadership/service), colors:      Purple and      Gold
  • Phi Eta Sigma, ΦΗΣ (freshman scholarship)
  • Phi Kappa Phi, ΦΚΦ (all academic fields)
  • Phi Sigma Pi, ΦΣΠ (all academic fields), colors:      Purple and      Gold
  • Phi Tau Phi, ΦΤΦ (all academic fields), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Tau Sigma, ΤΣ (transfer students)
  • Lambda Sigma, ΛΣ (student leadership, scholarship, and service), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Order of Omega (fraternities and sororities), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Sigma Alpha Lambda, ΣΑΛ (all academic fields)

Leadership Societies

These groups recognize students who are great leaders and also do well in school.

  • Mortar Board (leadership), colors:      Gold and      Silver
  • National Residence Hall Honorary, NRHH (Residence hall leadership/service)
  • Omicron Delta Kappa, ΟΔΚ (leadership and academic; exceptional sophomores, but primarily juniors, seniors, graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff, honorary)
  • Sigma Alpha Lambda, ΣΑΛ (leadership)

Military Societies

These honor societies are for students in college who are also part of the armed forces.

Liberal Arts Societies

These groups are for students studying traditional subjects like history, literature, or philosophy.

Business Societies

  • Alpha Iota Delta, ΑΙΔ (decision sciences)
  • Alpha Mu Alpha, ΑΜΑ (marketing), color:      Red
  • Beta Alpha Psi, ΒΑΨ (accounting and finance)
  • Beta Gamma Sigma, ΒΓΣ (AACSB accredited business programs), colors:      Gold and      Yale Blue
  • Delta Mu Delta, ΔΜΔ (ACBSP accredited business programs)
  • Eta Sigma Delta, ΗΣΔ (International Hospitality Management Honor Society, ICHRIE)
  • Mu Kappa Tau, ΜΚΤ (marketing), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Nu Lambda Mu, ΝΛΜ (nonprofit management)
  • Omega Rho, ΩΡ (operations research, management science)
  • Omicron Delta Epsilon, ΟΔΕ (economics), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Sigma Beta Delta, ΣΒΔ (business, management and administration)
  • Sigma Nu Tau, ΣΝΤ (entrepreneurship)

Education Societies

  • Kappa Delta Pi, ΚΔΠ (education), colors:      Jade Green and      Violet
  • Pi Lambda Theta, ΠΛΘ (education), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Pi Omega Pi, ΠΩΠ (business education)
  • Phi Beta Delta, ΦΒΔ (international education)
  • Eta Sigma Gamma, ΗΣΓ (health education)

Fine Arts Societies

  • Alpha Psi Omega, ΑΨΩ (theatre), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Chi Tau Epsilon, ΧΤΕ (dance)
  • Delta Phi Delta, ΔΦΔ (art), colors:      Red and      Bright blue
  • Kappa Pi, ΚΠ (art)
  • Kappa Kappa Psi, ΚΚΨ (music - band), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Mu Beta Psi, ΜΒΨ (music)
  • Pi Kappa Lambda, ΠΚΛ (music)
  • Pi Nu Epsilon, ΠΝΕ (music)
  • Tau Beta Sigma, ΤΒΣ (music - band), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Theta Alpha Phi, ΘΑΦ (theatre)

Journalism and Communications Societies

  • Kappa Tau Alpha, ΚΤΑ (journalism/mass communication), colors:      Light blue and      Gold
  • Lambda Pi Eta, ΛΠΗ (communication)
  • Society for Collegiate Journalists, (SCJ) (journalism)

Language Societies

  • Alpha Mu Gamma, ΑΜΓ (foreign languages), color:      Gold
  • Delta Phi Alpha, ΔΦΑ - (German), colors:      Black,      Red and      Gold
  • Pi Delta Phi, ΠΔΦ (French), colors:      Blue,      White and      Red
  • Sigma Delta Pi, ΣΔΠ (Spanish and Portuguese), colors:      Red and      Gold
  • Phi Sigma Iota, ΦΣΙ (modern foreign languages, Classics, linguistics, philology, comparative literature, bilingual education, second language acquisition), colors:      Purple and      White

Law Societies

  • The Order of Barristers (law)
  • Order of the Coif (law)
  • Phi Delta Phi, ΦΔΦ, (law), colors:      Garnet and      Pearl blue
  • Alpha Phi Sigma, ΑΦΣ, (Criminal Justice, law)
  • Lambda Epsilon Chi, ΛΕΧ, (Paralegal)

Science Societies

These groups are for students studying science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Agriculture Societies

  • Delta Tau Alpha, ΔΤΑ, (Honor Society of Agriculture)
  • Gamma Sigma Delta, ΓΣΔ, (Honor Society of Agriculture) colors:      Sand and      Forest Green
  • Pi Alpha Xi, ΠΑΞ (horticulture), colors:      Nile green and      Cerulean blue
  • Xi Sigma Pi, ΞΣΠ (forestry), colors:      Green and      Gray

Architecture Societies

Engineering Societies

These groups are for students studying different types of engineering.

Health Sciences Societies

This section includes groups for all health-related fields.

  • Alpha Epsilon Delta, ΑΕΔ (pre-medical), colors:     Red and      Violet
  • Alpha Eta, ΑΗ (allied health professions)
  • Alpha Omega Alpha, ΑΩΑ (medical students and physicians),      Forest Green,      Gold and      White
  • Beta Sigma Kappa, ΒΣΚ (Optometry)
  • Delta Omega, ΔΩ (public health)
  • Iota Tau Alpha, ΙΤΑ (Athletic Training)
  • Nu Rho Psi, ΝΡΨ (Neuroscience)
  • Omicron Kappa Upsilon, ΟΚΥ (Dentistry)
  • Phi Zeta, ΦΖ (veterinary medicine)
  • Pi Delta, ΠΔ (podiatry)
  • Pi Theta Epsilon, ΠΘΕ (occupational therapy)
  • Rho Chi, ΡΧ (pharmacy), colors:      Purple and      White
  • Sigma Theta Tau, ΣΘΤ (nursing), colors:      Orchid and      White
  • Sigma Phi Alpha, ΣΦΑ (dental hygiene)
  • Sigma Phi Omega, ΣΦΩ, (Gerontology)
  • Sigma Sigma Phi, ΣΣΦ (osteopathic medicine or medicine)
  • Tau Upsilon Alpha, ΤΥΑ (human services)
  • Upsilon Phi Delta, ΥΦΔ (health administration)

Information Technology Societies

Mathematics Societies

Local Honor Societies

Some universities have their own honor societies. These are not part of national or international groups. They usually recognize students who have done very well in their studies, no matter what subject they are studying.

Societies for Certificates, Vocational, Technical, and Workforce Education

  • Alpha Beta Kappa, ΑΒΚ
  • National Technical Honor Society

Two-Year Colleges and Community Colleges

These honor societies are for students at two-year colleges and community colleges.

  • Alpha Beta Gamma, ΑΒΓ (business at two-year colleges)
  • Alpha Gamma Sigma, ΑΓΣ (California community colleges)
  • Delta Psi Omega, ΔΨΩ (theatre), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Epsilon Phi Delta, ΕΦΔ (German at two-year colleges)
  • Kappa Beta Delta, ΚΒΔ (business at Community Colleges)
  • Mu Alpha Theta, ΜΑΘ (mathematics, high school and two-year colleges), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Phi Rho Pi, ΦΡΠ (forensics at two-year colleges)
  • Phi Theta Kappa, ΦΘΚ (All academic fields at community and junior colleges), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Psi Beta, ΨΒ (psychology at two-year colleges), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Sigma Kappa Delta, ΣΚΔ (English at community and junior colleges)
  • Sigma Zeta, ΣΖ (natural sciences/mathematics/computer science - Associate membership available for community and junior colleges), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • La Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española (Spanish at two-year colleges)

High School Societies

These are honor societies for students in high school.

General High School Societies

  • California Scholarship Federation, colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Cum Laude Society, colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • National Beta Club
  • National Honor Society (high school), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • National Junior Honor Society (middle school), colors:      Blue and      Gold

Subject-Specific High School Societies

  • Computer Science Honor Society (computer science)
  • German National Honor Society-Delta Epsilon Phi (Deutsche Ehrenverbindung) (German)
  • International Thespian Society (theatre), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Mu Alpha Theta, ΜΑΘ (mathematics), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • National Art Honor Society (visual arts)
  • National English Honor Society (English)
  • National Honor Society for Dance Arts (dance)
  • National Junior Classical League (Latin and Greek)
  • National Speech and Debate Association (public speaking), colors:      Red and      Silver
  • National Technical Honor Society (vocational education)
  • Quill and Scroll (journalism), colors:      Blue and      Gold
  • Rho Kappa, ΡΚ (social studies)
  • Science National Honor Society (science)
  • Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica) (Spanish and Portuguese)
  • Société Honoraire de Français (French)
  • Technology Student Association (STEM), colors:      Red      blue      White
  • Tri-M Music Honor Society, MMM (music), colors:      Pink

Other Honor Societies

These honor societies are not mainly about school grades.

Boy Scouts

  • Order of the Arrow, National BSA Honor Society
  • Tribe of Mic-O-Say, Heart of America Council and Pony Express Council
  • Firecrafter, Crossroads of America Council

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sociedad de honor para niños

  • Professional fraternities and sororities
  • Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS)
  • Honor Society Caucus
  • Honor Cords
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