Southern Miss Named to PTK Transfer Honor Roll for Ninth Consecutive Year

Thu, 08/20/2026 - 09:17am | By: Jennifer Rigney

The University of Southern Mississippi has again been recognized as one of the nation’s leaders in transfer student success, earning a spot on Phi Theta Kappa’s (PTK) 2026 Transfer Honor Roll. This marks the ninth consecutive year Southern Miss has received the prestigious distinction, reinforcing the university’s commitment to providing community college transfer students with clear pathways to earning a bachelor’s degree.

Southern Miss is one of 275 four-year colleges and universities across the country selected for the designation, which recognizes institutions that demonstrate exceptional success in creating pathways that help community college transfer students succeed from admission through graduation. The Transfer Honor Roll is one of the nation’s most comprehensive recognitions of transfer excellence. Institutions are evaluated using data from the National Student Clearinghouse along with information collected through PTK Connect, PTK’s online platform that connects top community college students with transfer opportunities.

Rather than measuring a single outcome, the Honor Roll evaluates institutions across five dimensions shown to influence transfer student success: transfer student success outcomes; credit mobility and degree applicability; financial support for transfer students; recruitment and admissions practices; and campus engagement and support for transfer students.

Institutions that complete the PTK Connect institutional profile receive a Transfer Friendliness Rating, with the Transfer Honor Roll recognizing the top-performing institutions based on the comprehensive evaluation.

“Being named to the PTK Transfer Honor Roll for the ninth consecutive year is a meaningful reflection of the university’s continued commitment to making the transfer experience as seamless and supportive as possible,” said DJ Preiss, Southern Miss executive director of enrollment operations and strategic initiatives. “We recognize the important role transfer students bring to our university, and we are committed to providing them with the resources, guidance and opportunities they need to successfully transition to Southern Miss and earn their degrees.”

For the 2026 Transfer Honor Roll, 1,117 colleges and universities completed PTK’s institutional profile, providing students with transparent information about transfer opportunities while allowing institutions to benchmark their transfer practices against peers nationwide.

Learn more about transferring to Southern Miss.

About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society recognizes the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helps them grow as scholars and leaders. Recognized by the American Association of Community Colleges as the official honor society for two-year colleges, PTK also serves as the nation’s largest honor society in higher education, with more than 4.5 million members and nearly 1,200 chapters in 11 countries, including approximately 220,000 active members in colleges today. Through scholarships, leadership development, and transfer and career pathways, PTK helps students turn their potential into opportunity. Learn more at ptk.org.