Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University, is widely recognized as one of the top honors colleges in the nation. It was founded in 1988 and named in 2001 for Craig and Barbara Barrett, champions of science, education, and student opportunity. Barrett offers the intimacy of a small liberal arts college combined with the boundless opportunities of a world-class research university.
Today, Barrett serves about 7,500 honors students across four campuses and online. In 2021, it became one of the first honors colleges to welcome fully online learners. The college is led by Dean Tara Williams and Vice Dean Kristen Nielsen Hermann, and is supported by nearly 50 full-time honors faculty and more than 80 professional staff.
Barrett students live in honors housing on all four ASU campuses, creating a strong sense of connection and community from day one. Barrett’s signature residential community on the Tempe campus features suite-style honors residence halls for first year students, classrooms, study spaces, and an award-winning dining hall. Sophomores and upper-division students who call the Tempe campus home thrive in Vista del Sol, a vibrant apartment-style community adjacent to Barrett that offers more independence while remaining rooted in the honors experience.
Students at Barrett are encouraged to pursue bold academic and professional goals. With access to faculty mentorship, research opportunities, unique global programs, and tailored support, they compete for and earn prestigious national awards such as the Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, and Goldwater scholarships.
HERU 2026 will take place on ASU’s Tempe campus, the largest of the university’s four metropolitan campuses. Sessions will be held in the centrally located Memorial Union.
