Nursing honor societies recognize academic achievement and professional promise during your nursing education. The most significant is Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), the nursing-specific honor society with chapters at over 700 institutions worldwide. Whether an invitation to join is worth the membership fee depends on where you are in your education and what you plan to do next.
Quick facts — nursing honor societies:
- Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI): Nursing-specific; requires junior-year standing, top 35% of class, and a minimum GPA (usually 3.0–3.5 depending on chapter)
- Phi Kappa Phi: Multidisciplinary; top 10% of seniors or top 7.5% of juniors; one of the most selective all-discipline honor societies
- Alpha Lambda Delta / Phi Eta Sigma: First-year honor societies; 3.5 GPA in first term
- Membership costs: $95–$160 one-time or annual fee depending on society and chapter
- Benefit to grad school applications: Meaningful, particularly for research-focused MSN or DNP programs
- Benefit to RN job applications: Minimal at the entry level; more relevant for advanced practice positions
If you receive an invitation, the key question is whether you plan to pursue graduate nursing education or leadership roles. For those paths, STTI membership is worth it. For direct-entry staff nursing positions at most hospitals, it carries little weight.
What is Sigma Theta Tau International?
Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI, also known as the Honor Society of Nursing) is the world’s second-largest nursing organization. Founded in 1922 at Indiana University, it now has over 135,000 active members and chapters at nursing programs across the US, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere.
STTI’s stated mission centers on developing nursing knowledge, supporting scholars, and disseminating research. In practice, membership provides access to the organization’s journal (Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing), networking events, leadership development programs, and scholarship opportunities.
Chapters are called “chapters” and are typically housed within a specific nursing school. Some chapters are based at a single institution; others are multi-institutional. If your program has an STTI chapter, you may receive a formal invitation during your junior year (for BSN students) or mid-program (for RN-to-BSN and graduate students).
STTI eligibility requirements
Eligibility for STTI is set at the chapter level within national minimums. The standard criteria for undergraduate candidates:
- Year in program: Junior standing or later (typically after completing at least half of nursing coursework)
- GPA: Most chapters require a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA; many set the bar at 3.2 or 3.5
- Class rank: Top 35% of the eligible class in most chapters
- Character standard: Good academic standing; no substantive honor code violations
Graduate students (MSN, DNP, PhD) may be invited with slightly different thresholds — some chapters focus exclusively on graduate students. RN-to-BSN students are typically eligible once they have completed at least half of BSN coursework with a qualifying GPA.
Not every nursing program has an STTI chapter. If yours does not, you cannot join through that school — though some multi-institution chapters accept students from nearby programs.
| Society | Scope | GPA minimum | Eligibility timing | Fee (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) | Nursing only | 3.0–3.5 (chapter-set) | Junior year / mid-program | $95–$125 one-time |
| Phi Kappa Phi | All disciplines | Top 10% of seniors; top 7.5% of juniors | Junior or senior year | $55–$75 one-time |
| Alpha Lambda Delta | All disciplines (first year) | 3.5 GPA in first term | First year only | $40–$55 one-time |
| Phi Eta Sigma | All disciplines (first year) | 3.5 GPA in first term | First year only | $40–$55 one-time |
| Golden Key International | All disciplines | Top 15% of class | Sophomore and above | $70–$90 one-time |
Phi Kappa Phi and other non-nursing honor societies
Phi Kappa Phi is the most prestigious all-discipline honor society in the US. Membership is limited to the top 10% of seniors and top 7.5% of juniors across all majors — standards that are significantly more selective than most nursing-specific societies.
If you receive an invitation to Phi Kappa Phi, it is worth accepting. The selectivity is widely recognized, the scholarship opportunities are substantial (the organization awards more than $1 million annually in scholarships), and the credential signals high academic performance without being field-specific.
Golden Key International Honor Society invites the top 15% of students at member institutions. It is less selective than Phi Kappa Phi and has faced scrutiny for operating more like a membership business than a scholarly organization. It is generally considered less meaningful than STTI or Phi Kappa Phi in nursing circles.
Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma recognize first-year academic achievement. Both require a 3.5 GPA in your first college term. These are worth joining if you qualify and the fee is manageable — they indicate you started college at a high level — but they carry less weight than upper-division honor societies.
Does nursing honor society membership help with jobs?
For staff RN positions, honor society membership has little measurable impact on hiring decisions. Nurse managers filling floor positions care primarily about licensure, clinical experience, references, and interview performance. Your STTI membership may earn a brief comment in an interview — it will not be a differentiating factor for entry-level bedside roles at most hospitals.
The picture changes for advanced practice and leadership roles. NP, CRNA, CNM, and CNS positions attract candidates with graduate degrees, and at that level, honor society membership is one of several markers of academic seriousness that reviewers notice. For nurse manager and director positions, STTI membership aligns with the organization’s stated value of nursing leadership.
For graduate school applications, honor society membership is a meaningful credential — particularly for research-focused programs. Admission committees for PhD and DNP programs see it as evidence of scholarly engagement beyond minimum academic requirements. If you’re applying to competitive NP or doctoral programs, STTI membership adds weight.
Does honor society membership help with nursing school scholarships?
Yes — this is often the most tangible financial benefit. STTI chapters award local scholarships to members, and the national organization runs scholarship programs for graduate study. Phi Kappa Phi awards competitive national fellowships up to $35,000 for first-year graduate study, which nursing students are eligible to apply for.
Many state nursing associations also give scholarship preference to students who have demonstrated academic excellence — STTI membership can function as supporting evidence in scholarship applications.
If your chapter has an active scholarship program, the membership fee may pay for itself through one award. Check what scholarships your chapter specifically offers before deciding.
How to join a nursing honor society
The process differs slightly between societies, but the general sequence for STTI is:
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Receive a chapter invitation. STTI chapters identify eligible students and send formal invitations. You cannot apply independently — the chapter initiates contact. Invitations typically go out once or twice per year, often in spring.
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Accept the invitation and complete the membership form. This usually involves confirming your contact information, providing a brief professional statement or bio, and paying the membership fee.
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Attend the induction ceremony. STTI inductions are formal events, usually including a pinning ceremony. Faculty advisors and sometimes practicing nurses attend. Most students find this a meaningful professional milestone.
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Activate your national membership. After local induction, your membership is registered with the national organization. This gives you access to national resources, the journal, and the member directory.
For Phi Kappa Phi, the process is similar: you receive a chapter invitation, pay the membership fee, and attend an induction ceremony. There is no separate application.
What active membership actually looks like
Honor society membership can be nominal or substantive depending on the chapter and your engagement level.
At minimum, membership gives you the credential on your resume, access to the national journal and digital library, and member pricing on continuing education. If that is all you extract from it, membership is still worth the fee for the resume line if you plan to pursue graduate education.
Active chapters offer more: regional and national conferences, leadership roles within the chapter, mentoring relationships with faculty and practicing nurses, and research collaboration opportunities. Students who engage at this level get more from membership than those who accept the invitation and do nothing afterward.
If your chapter appears inactive — no events, no mentorship programs, no scholarships — the value beyond the credential is limited. Ask a chapter officer what activities have taken place in the past 12 months before you commit.
When not to join
There are reasonable circumstances where declining is the right decision:
- Financial pressure: If the $95–$160 fee is a genuine hardship and the scholarship opportunities in your chapter are limited or competitive, the return on investment is uncertain. Other uses of that money may serve you better.
- Program has a weak chapter: An inactive chapter provides only the paper credential. If you are in this situation and primarily care about the credential, you may get equivalent recognition by listing your academic honors (Dean’s List, cum laude) directly on a resume.
- You are not planning to pursue advanced practice or leadership: For students committed to floor nursing and not interested in graduate education, STTI membership has limited practical value. It is not harmful to have — but it is not worth significant financial sacrifice either.
If your program offers a chapter with active programming and you qualify, there is little reason to decline. If the chapter is dormant and the fee is a stretch, it is a reasonable call to pass.
How to list honor society membership on your resume
Place honor society memberships in a dedicated “Honors and memberships” section of your resume, separate from experience. List STTI with its full name on first reference:
Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing — Inducted [year]
For Phi Kappa Phi: Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society — [Institution], [year]
If you held a leadership role in the chapter (president, secretary, scholarship committee), list it as a separate entry under the same organization with dates and a one-line description.
Frequently asked questions
Is STTI worth it if I’m only doing ADN? ADN programs are less likely to have active STTI chapters, but some do. If your community college has a chapter and you qualify, membership is worth considering, particularly if you plan to complete an RN-to-BSN and eventually pursue graduate study. The credential transfers.
Can I join STTI as an RN returning for a BSN? Yes. RN-to-BSN students are eligible once they have completed a qualifying portion of their BSN coursework with a GPA that meets the chapter’s threshold. Some chapters have separate invitation cycles for RN-to-BSN students.
What GPA do I need for STTI? Most chapters require a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, with many setting the bar at 3.2 or 3.5. The chapter-specific requirement is in your invitation letter. See our guide to nursing school GPA requirements for context on how GPA benchmarks vary across programs.
Does STTI help with DNP or PhD admissions? It is a supporting credential, not a decisive one. Admission committees for doctoral programs weigh research experience, writing samples, letters of recommendation, and GRE or MAT scores more heavily than honor society membership. That said, it is a recognized marker of academic standing and is worth including in your application.
I was invited but can’t afford the fee. Are there waivers? Some chapters offer fee waivers or installment arrangements for students facing financial hardship. Contact your chapter advisor directly — this is not widely advertised but it is not uncommon for chapters to accommodate students who express genuine need.
For more on preparing a competitive nursing application, see our guides on nursing school application timelines and nursing school scholarships.