Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State again is included in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s Transfer Honor Roll for its development of transfer pathways leading to excellence and success among community college transfer students.

MSU is one of 122 four-year colleges and universities across the U.S. cited in the 2020 honor roll.

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them grow as scholars and leaders. PTK includes more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations.

John Dickerson, Mississippi State’s assistant vice president for enrollment, said transfers make up more than a third of MSU’s enrollment, and more than 2,300 transfer students enrolled at MSU this academic year. The university set transfer enrollment records the last three out of five years, he added.

Dickerson said he and other MSU administrators work regularly with the honor society’s staff members, who he said are “great partners in helping us ensure that we provide Phi Theta Kappa students, and all transfer students, a successful transition.”

“MSU offers numerous transfer scholarships with specific scholarships for Phi Theta Kappa members, PTK International Officers, PTK Chapter Officers and PTK All State Team members,” Dickerson said.

More information for transfer students is available at https://www.admissions.msstate.edu/prospective-students/transfer-students.

Hannah Pierce, assistant director of transfer recruitment in MSU’s Office of Admissions and Scholarships, said the university’s recognition from PTK “demonstrates Mississippi State’s commitment to providing an environment for outstanding community college transfers to enroll and be successful.”

Colleges were selected based on a “Transfer Friendliness Rating,” assigned by PTK and based on the transfer profile the institutions complete in PTK Connect, an online tool the honor society offers to help students find their best-fit colleges, career pathways and more. The transfer profile includes information about admissions practices, cost of attendance, campus life, recruitment practices and peer reviews. The profile gives colleges an immediate rating they can use to gauge their admissions and recruitment strategies, and the top 25 percent highest-rated colleges were named to the Transfer Honor Roll.

“The Transfer Honor Roll reflects the growing importance of recognizing and responding to the needs of transfer students,” said Phi Theta Kappa President and CEO Lynn Tincher-Ladner. “This award is given to four-year colleges and universities with proven outcomes for transfer success. They are the best at providing a supportive and smooth transition from community college—equating to increased rates of bachelor’s degree attainment for transfer students.”

For more about Phi Theta Kappa, visit www.ptk.org.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.