Most chapters at Phi Beta Kappa schools
 

Phi Beta Kappa has a very select standard for placing its chapters so it is a pretty good gauge for determnining which institutions are the likeliest to have the brightest students that we would all want in our organizations. Here is a list of the sororities and fraternities which have the most chapters at Phi beta Kappa schools:

(1) Kappa Kappa Gamma 109, (2) Delta Gamma 99, (3) Pi Beta Phi 97, (4) Kappa Alpha Theta 95, (5) Delta Delta Delta 90, (6) Chi Omega 89, (7) Alpha Chi Omega 87, (8) Alpha Phi 74, (9) Kappa Delta 64, (10) Gamma Phi Beta 61, (11) Alpha Delta Pi 57, (12) Delta Zeta & Sigma Kappa 44, (14) Zeta Tau Alpha 40, (15) Sigma Delta Tau 38, (16) Alpha Omicron Pi 37, (17) Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Xi Delta & Phi Mu 31, (21) Phi Sigma Sigma 22, (22) Delta Phi Epsilon 16, (23) Sigma Sigma Sigma 13, (24) Alpha Sigfma Alpha 8, (25) Theta Phi Alpha 4 & (26) Alpha Sigm Tau.

(1) Sigma Chi 117, (2) Sigma Alpha Epsilon 112, (3) Sigma Phi Epsilon 110, (4) Pi Kappa Alpha 95, (5) Kappa Sigma & Lambda Chi Alpha 85, (7) Phi Delta Theta 84, (8) Sigma Nu 83, (9) Beta Theta Pi 79, (10) Alpha Epsilon Pi 78, (11) Phi Gamma Delta 74, (12) Delta Tau Delta 70, (13) Tau Kappa Epsilon 69, (14) Alpha Tau Omega 66, (15) Phi Kappa Psi 64, (16) Theta Chi 57, (17) Kappa Alpha 56, (18) Pi Kappa Phi 54, (19) Delta Upsilon 52, (20) Delta Chi 50, (21) Sigma Pi 49, (22) Sigma Alpha Mu 48, (23) Phi Kappa Tau 39, (24) Alpha Gamma Rho, Delta Kappa Epsilon & Zeta Beta Tau 37, (27) Delta Sigma Phi 35, & (28) Chi Phi & Phi Sigma Kappa 33.

Among the sororities, it appears that Alpha Epsilon Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma & Sigma Delta Tau have the highest percentage of their chapters at the more elite institutions. With the fraternities, Alpha Gamma Rho, Delta Tau Delta, Delta Upsilon, Phi Gamma Delta & Phi Kappa Psi have the highest percentage.

VERY interesting. What is Phi Beta Kappa's criteria? I remember hearing years ago that the size of the campus library was part of their equation. I'd be interested to know how many schools rated "competitive" do not have a Phi Beta Kappa Chapter.

How about the NPHC groups?

Starting a Chapter

http://staging.pbk.org/AM/Template.c...ContentID=2045

You read my mind.

These threads never include NPHC groups. Maybe they will in another highly accomplished 100 years.

At least you don't have to worry about your group getting a typo.

For the purpose of this discussion, please define "elite." Thanks.

"I'd rather you omit than not edit."

I counted 90, but I'll let it slide. ;)

Here is a listing of all colleges and universities with Phi Beta Kappa chapters
http://staging.pbk.org/AM/Template.c...chapterdir.cfm

This is an application for an educational institution to be considered for PBK. It asks various questions regarding tenured faculty, terminal degree percentages, etc. http://staging.pbk.org/AM/Template.c...ContentID=1750

For personal membership: "The ideal Phi Beta Kappan has demonstrated intellectual integrity, tolerance for other views, and a broad range of academic interests. The Phi Beta Kappa Society recognizes three types of members: members in course, alumni members, and honorary members. Membership in the Society is for life.

Members in course are elected on the basis of their academic records as college seniors, juniors, or — rarely — Ph.D. candidates. To be eligible for election, students must have pursued a broad program of study in the liberal arts and sciences and met other academic criteria as required by the electing chapter. Typically, no more than 10 percent of the candidates for degrees in liberal arts and sciences are elected. Each year, about one college senior in a hundred, nationwide, is invited to join Phi Beta Kappa."

I want to go on record as saying that, even though my school has a chapter, I do have a problem with calling a school "elite" just because the instituation has a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. I say this knowing a few members, and just because one meets their criteria, it doesn't make them Einstein.

I imagine it's "elite" as defined by Phi Beta Kappa's criteria. The list of campuses where they have chapters is quite impressive...the flagship state schools like Univ. of Michigan, Tennessee, Wyoming; the strong academic private schools like Northwestern, Stanford, Vanderbilt; and the highly selective small schools like Sewanee (Univ. of the South), Millsaps, Birmingham-Southern.

Thanks for this link. :)

Some of these schools are great and would be considered "elite" by nonPBK standards.

However, some of these colleges and universities aren't considered "elite" by nonPBK standards. In fact, I would chuckle if people from some of these colleges and universities called themselves "elite."

There are definitely academically elite institutions that do not have Phi Beta Kappa chapters. USMA, USNA, USAFA are absent as well as Caltech, arguably one of the finest engineering schools in the country. PBK doesn't recognize many programs that lead to professional degrees such as engineering (which knocks out the 4 I mentioned).

I also see many schools on that list that are not exactly known for their academic prowess.