Phi Beta Kappa

About Phi Beta Kappa

Woman wearing patterned shirt holding award in front of bookshelf

Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most celebrated of the college honor societies in the United States. Membership in the ASU Chapter lasts a lifetime and opens the door to a vast network of successful individuals in nearly every career field.

Phi Beta Kappa (ΦΒΚ) stands for Φιλοσοφία Βίου Κυβερνήτης (Philosophia Biou Kybernētēs), which means "love of wisdom is the guide of life," or "philosophy is the governor of one's life."

Criteria Information

Phi Beta Kappa by the numbers

Phi Beta Kappa membership key

Today there are 290 Phi Beta Kappa chapters at American colleges and universities. Fewer than 10 percent of all colleges and universities have a chapter.

Phi Beta Kappa's legacy includes 17 U.S. presidents, 42 Supreme Court justices, and more than 150 Nobel laureates among its members.

Notable inductees span far beyond academia, from authors like Michael Crichton to actors like Glenn Close, astronauts like Eileen Collins, entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos, and NFL MVP Peyton Manning.