Biola’s Torrey Honors Institute changed its name in September to Torrey Honors College — a move that better reflects the program’s impact and position as a national leader among Christian undergraduate honors programs, university leaders said.

“I am thankful to Biola’s leadership for recognizing our commitment to academic excellence by changing our name to Torrey Honors College,” said Paul Spears, Torrey’s director. “We are grateful for these past 25 years of work as Biola’s undergraduate honors institute, and we look forward to the many years ahead as Biola’s undergraduate honors college, equipping students in mind and character to impact the world for the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Founded in 1996, Torrey Honors is a world-class great books program designed to replace undergraduate core curriculum courses with classical learning and discussion. Early on, the program quickly rose to prominence as an innovative leader in liberal arts education among Christian universities, and over time it has been recognized by numerous Christian scholars and leaders as the nation’s premier honors program.

In recent years, Torrey Honors has experienced steady growth in the number of enrolled students, with aspirations to grow further. It currently has more than 400 students and 16 professors dedicated entirely to teaching in Torrey. The new “college” designation is more consistent with naming standards in American higher education for honors programs of Torrey’s size and breadth.

Torrey Honors College will continue to be housed under the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. For more information about Torrey Honors College, visit biola.edu/torrey.