Elmhurst University has enhanced its status as one of the nation’s most transfer-friendly universities by earning a spot—for the sixth year in a row—on Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s 2025 Transfer Honor Roll; and also by becoming one of the first in the country to offer direct admission to eligible members of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for community college students.
Elmhurst U. was named to Phi Theta Kappa’s 2025 Transfer Honor Roll in recognition of the outstanding programs the University has created to support students transferring to Elmhurst from area community colleges. The Transfer Honor Roll designation is determined by 40 criteria related to the support and success of transfer students, including college costs and financial aid, quality of campus life for transfer students, admission practices and bachelor’s degree completion rates.
In addition, Elmhurst recently partnered with Phi Theta Kappa to offer direct admission to transfer students through PTK Connect, a college planning tool built specifically for community college honor students.
Currently, 71% of PTK members transfer to a four-year college or university. With PTK’s direct admission option, which launched over the summer, that number is expected to grow as students receive proactive admission offers from participating colleges without having to submit a traditional application. Direct admission eliminates the stress and anxiety of the college search process by providing students with not only an admission offer but also scholarship award information. Elmhurst is currently accepting direct admission applications for the spring and fall of 2026.
“It’s a privilege for Elmhurst University to be at the forefront of efforts to streamline admission for eligible Phi Theta Kappa members,” says Kristina Black ’09, MBA ’21, director for academic partnerships and transfer admission. “We’re so proud to augment our support for transfer students by taking this next step to increase their access to scholarships, advanced degrees and a successful future.”
Elmhurst University enrolls more than 500 new transfer students each year, mostly from the Chicago area’s 12 community colleges. Elmhurst is known for a number of highly regarded, transfer-friendly initiatives, including Transfer Talk and Tour Weeks that share information about the University and transfer enrollment; providing transfer credit evaluations early in the process; and offering one-on-one meetings with admission counselors to discuss anything from transferrable credits and scholarship opportunities to what college life is like for transfer students at Elmhurst.
This year also marked the sixth year that Elmhurst U. hosted its Transfer Scholarship Competition, which rewards admitted transfer students who are eager to see how an Elmhurst University education will shape their futures. A record 127 transfer students participated in this year’s competition.
Stefan Soh, a student-athlete who transferred to Elmhurst this fall to study computer science, received the first-place award—a $10,000 renewable scholarship for up to two years of study. Trinity Barrueta, who transferred to Elmhurst from Triton College to study bioinformatics, was awarded the second-place $5,000 renewable scholarship. The third-place award, a $2,500 renewable scholarship, was given to Khamiya Langston, who transferred from College of DuPage to study accounting.
By expanding access to four-year institutions of higher learning through its award-winning transfer programs, Elmhurst fosters growth-minded paths for development in our students, giving them timeless knowledge and skills to thrive as adaptive leaders.