Trine named to honor roll for supporting transfer students

JACKSON, Miss. — Trine University has been named to an annual list of top four-year colleges and universities creating dynamic pathways to support transfer students.

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK), an honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges, recognized 251 colleges and universities on its 2025 Transfer Honor Roll, citing the dynamic pathways they have created to support transfer students.

“We are continually adding new pathways and resources for students who wish to continue their education at Trine, in addition to the financial support and generous credit transfer we already offer,” said Kim Bennett, vice president for enrollment management at Trine. “We always appreciate the recognition, but the true reward is seeing students complete their bachelor’s degree and go on to successful careers.”

In addition to a $2,500 scholarship toward tuition at its Angola campus specifically for PTK Scholars, Trine University offers robust academic scholarships for transfer students ranging from $14,000 to $24,000. Scholarships are renewable provided the student maintains full-time status and continues to make satisfactory progress toward an undergraduate degree.

Renee Shipe serves the university as Director of Transfer Pathways and Evaluations, ensuring seamless transfer of credits for students.

Students who transfer to Trine also get the benefits every student receives from a Trine education, including career-focused curriculum and personal attention from expert faculty, resulting in more than 99% career placement for Trine graduates.

40 key metrics

The Transfer Honor Roll is determined by 40 key metrics related to the support and success of transfer students, including college cost and financial aid, campus life for transfer, admission practices and bachelor's degree completion.

The Transfer Honor Roll was based on analysis from the National Student Clearinghouse and on data submitted through the four-year institution's profile on PTK Connect, Phi Theta Kappa's online tool designed to help students find their best-fit colleges and career pathways.

Colleges completing the PTK Connect profile are given a Transfer Friendliness Rating. The Honor Roll is chosen from among the top 25 percent of highest-rated colleges.

The Transfer Honor Roll recognizes the importance of creating strong transfer pathways that lead to excellence and success among community college transfer students, and this year's winners had exceptional outcomes. Several of these included:

• Average percent of transfer in undergraduate population - 56%
• Average bachelor's degree completion rate among transfers - 75%
• Average credit transferred toward a degree major and/or plan - 81%
• Average percent of transfer students receiving merit-based financial aid - 74%

"I'm proud of the transfer outcomes we're seeing at these Honor Roll colleges," said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. "These colleges are doing more than just opening doors — they're walking students through them. Their commitment to creating clear, supportive pathways demonstrates what's possible when student success is truly the priority."

About Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa is the first honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 4.4 million members and nearly 1,250 chapters in 11 countries, with approximately 220,000 active members in the nation's colleges. Learn more at ptk.org.