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For the fifth year in a row, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) has named Russell Sage College to its Transfer Honor Roll in recognition of the dynamic pathways the college has created to support transfer students.
Russell Sage and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are the only two Capital Region colleges named to the list, and just 228 colleges and universities in the country earned the honor. This comes during a year when Russell Sage has already recruited its largest transfer class in six years for fall 2024, with more transfer students expected to enroll throughout the summer.
“Transfer students add so much to the undergraduate campus community, and we’re honored to be selected for the PTK honor roll for a fifth consecutive year,” said Russell Sage College Vice President for Enrollment Management Katie Cooney Lesko. “I also want to commend our admission team, academic advisors, student life team, and faculty for creating such a supportive environment for our transfer students. Fostering a space where students can ‘Be. Know. Do.’ is so important at our college, and this award affirms that transfer students are receiving a warm welcome and smooth transition when they invest in us.”
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. PTK is made up of more than 4.3 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 countries, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges.
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 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, and several of these included:
- Average percent of transfer in undergraduate population: 37%
- Average bachelor’s degree completion rate among transfers: 77%
- Average credit transferred toward a degree major and/or plan: 82%
- Average percent of transfer students receiving merit-based financial aid: 67%
“The goal of most students attending community college is earning a bachelor’s degree, but few do because of financial barriers and the complexity of the transfer process,” says Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. “We are proud to recognize the exceptional colleges and universities that go above and beyond to create accessible pathways to bachelor’s degree completion for community college transfer students.”