Sarah Grace Meyn

For the eighth year in a row, the University of Southern Mississippi has been recognized as one of the most transfer-friendly institutions on Phi Theta Kappa’s 2025 Transfer Honor Roll.
Southern Miss is among 251 colleges and universities nationwide selected for the honor, which recognizes excellence in developing and supporting the transfer population on campus.
USM Director of Enrollment Operations DJ Preiss said the recognition highlights the university’s commitment to transfer students.
“Southern Miss is proud to be named to the PTK Transfer Honor Roll, a recognition that reflects our ongoing commitment to transfer students,” Preiss said. “It’s a testament to the hard work, dedication and support that our campus community provides to transfer students. These students enrich our university, and we are proud to offer them the resources, opportunities and guidance they need to succeed.”
Junior Darby Felton transferred to Southern Miss this fall from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and was a PTK member. Felton said the university supports her needs as a transfer student and accommodates her severe ADD and ADHD.
“Southern Miss does take very good care of our transfer students,” Felton said. “My learning disability, I was able to talk to my advisor, and they were so kind and considerate and really listened to me about what I needed.”
Felton said she feels welcomed on campus and considers USM a family. She encourages other transfer students to choose Southern Miss for both its environment and its support system.
“All of my teachers are so welcoming, it’s just like more of a family than it is like having a classroom,” Felton said. “It feels more like a family than it does anything else. When it comes to clubs or being around campus, you can talk to anybody and they’re more than happy to help and everything, but it’s just a beautiful campus, beautiful crew.”
To make the PTK Transfer Honor Roll, institutions are evaluated on factors such as cost, financial aid, campus life for transfers, admission practices and bachelor’s degree completion. Four-year institutions submit their data through PTK Connect, a tool members use to explore colleges and careers. Colleges that create an account receive a transfer-friendliness rating, and the top 25% are named to the honor roll.