Psi Chi

What Psi Chi does

Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1929 and headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is the largest single-major honor society accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS), an affiliate of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association for Psychological Science (APS). The society serves undergraduate and graduate psychology students, faculty advisors, and alumni at more than 1,100 active chapters spanning all 50 U.S. states, three territories, and 17+ countries, with a cumulative lifetime membership exceeding 900,000 since its founding at Yale University in September 1929. Functional offerings span recognition (lifetime membership credential), funding (over $400,000 annually in scholarships, research grants, travel grants, and chapter awards), publishing (the peer-reviewed Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research indexed in PsycINFO, EBSCO, and Clarivate's Emerging Sources Citation Index; the Eye on Psi Chi magazine; the Psi-Chi-Ology Lab blog; and the PsychEverywhere podcast), research infrastructure (the NICE crowdsourced collaborative research network, the NICER regional variant, and the NSF-funded IGNITE Research Conference), career resources (Psi Chi Career Center, mentor programs), and community programming (six regional conventions plus national APA/APS events).

The society operates a chapter-based delivery model in which prospective members apply online, pay a one-time $55 lifetime membership fee, and are approved by faculty advisors at their institution, with international fees adjusted to local purchasing power parity and a separate $150 charter fee for U.S. university chapters (waived internationally). Funding is diversified across one-time membership fees, individual and corporate donations (including a $50,000 gift from the David and Carol Myers Foundation in 2019 and the $50,000 Inez Beverly Prosser Scholarship Fund), and corporate sponsorships from ABPP, CloudResearch, Macmillan Learning, Hawkes Learning, CSPP/Alliant, and IACCP. Leadership is exercised through an elected Board of Directors with regional Vice-Presidents and an Executive Director (currently Dr. Marianne Fallon, who succeeded Dr. Martha S. Zlokovich in 2023).

Day-to-day operations are supported by a small HQ staff of 11-50 employees organized across Finance, Communications, Information Systems and Membership Operations, Awards and Grants, and Chapter Support functions. Technology includes an online member portal with Facebook and LinkedIn OAuth login, an e-commerce storefront (store.psichi.org), online chapter chartering tools, a job board, and a research collaboration platform integrated with the Open Science Framework. The society's technology footprint is workflow-oriented rather than AI-driven, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Psi Chi

Legal name

Psi Chi The International Honor Society in Psychology

Website

https://psichi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Psi Chi is a 501(c)(3) international honor society in psychology, founded in 1929, serving 900,000+ lifetime members across 1,100+ chapters at colleges and universities in the U.S. and 17+ countries. It offers lifetime membership, peer-reviewed publishing, $400,000+ in annual awards and grants, and a cross-institutional crowdsourced research program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Honor Society Services

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)

akta.pro primary industry

Model United Nations (MUN) (EDAMAGAB)

Keywords

• Psychology honor society
• Academic membership services
• Peer-reviewed psychology journal
• Collaborative research platform
• Student awards and grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Lifetime Membership Fees: One-time $55 lifetime membership fee for all members (undergraduate, graduate, faculty). Additional processing fee of $5 for members of chapters using Psi Chi's individual payment system. International membership fees are adjusted based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). Local chapter dues may also be charged separately.
2. Donations and Charitable Giving: Psi Chi is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that solicits donations for named scholarships (Inez Beverly Prosser Scholarship, Christian Ladd Hall Scholarship), membership assistance, general operations, and legacy giving.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Psi Chi accepts corporate sponsors including ABPP, CloudResearch, CSPP (Alliant), Hawkes Learning, IACCP, and Macmillan Learning. Sponsors receive visibility on the Psi Chi website and at conventions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Psi Chi is a 501(c)(3) international honor society in psychology that awards lifetime membership to qualifying undergraduate, graduate, and faculty members at colleges and universities worldwide. It delivers academic recognition, a peer-reviewed journal, awards and grants exceeding $400,000 annually, regional and national conventions, career resources, and a collaborative cross-institutional research platform (NICE/NICER) for its 900,000+ lifetime members.

Product overview

Psi Chi is an international honor society in psychology offering a comprehensive platform of products and services for its 900,000+ lifetime members. The core offerings include Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research (peer-reviewed journal), Eye on Psi Chi Magazine (member publication), PsychEverywhere Podcast (audio content), and Psi-Chi-Ology Lab Blog. The organization provides career development tools through the Psi Chi Career Center and offers over $400,000 annually in awards and grants. Research collaboration is enabled through NICE and NICER crowdsourced research programs, plus the IGNITE Research Conference. Member services include the Psi Chi Member Portal, Mentor Programs, Membership Assistance Program, and the Psi Chi Store for merchandise and eBooks. Convention programming spans six regional events plus national APA and APS conventions. The organization was founded in 1929 and operates as an ACHS-certified 501c3 nonprofit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research International, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing empirical psychology research by undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty; indexed in PsycINFO, EBSCO, and Clarivate's Emerging Sources Citation Index.
• Eye on Psi Chi Magazine Quarterly member magazine providing articles by psychology professionals and scholars on career advice, graduate school guidance, diversity topics, and chapter activities.
• Psi-Chi-Ology Lab Blog Bimonthly blog featuring short, engaging posts written by staff and members covering psychology topics, chapter management tips, and member spotlights.
• PsychEverywhere Podcast Audio podcast series covering psychology topics including diversity, careers, research, and professional development, with episodes featuring interviews with psychologists and researchers.
• Psi Chi Career Center Online job board providing psychology-related career opportunities, job alerts, and free resume reviews for Psi Chi members.
• NICE (Network for International Collaborative Exchange) Crowdsourced collaborative research program enabling students and faculty to participate in cross-cultural psychological research projects with data collection across multiple institutions globally using standardized protocols and Open Science Framework tools.
• NICER (NICE Regional) Regional collaborative research pilot program applying NICE's open-science model within specific U.S. regions for students and faculty.
• Psi Chi Awards and Grants Programs Financial award programs offering more than $400,000 annually in scholarships, research grants, travel grants, and chapter awards for undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and chapters, including named scholarships such as the Inez Beverly Prosser Scholarship for Women of Color and the Christian Ladd Hall Scholarship for Mental Health Advocacy.
• Psi Chi Conventions Regional and national convention programming including six regional conventions (Eastern, Midwestern, Rocky Mountain, Southeastern, Southwestern, Western) plus national APA and APS events, featuring the Distinguished Lecturer series and award ceremonies.
• IGNITE Psi Chi Research Conference Open-science research training conference funded by NSF, featuring keynote speakers and sessions on open-science initiatives and collaborative research for undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty.
• Psi Chi Store Online merchandise store offering graduation regalia, apparel, jewelry, bracelets, chapter supplies, and digital downloads including eBooks at discounted member pricing.
• Membership Assistance Program Financial support program helping qualified Psi Chi applicants with financial barriers to membership; expanded in 2024 to assist 239 students join at no cost.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 900,000 lifetime members inducted since 1929, including 900,000th member in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Psychological Association (APA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPsi Chi is an affiliate of the APA. APA provides space in the American Psychologist for Psi Chi news and convention programming. Psi Chi sponsors distinguished speakers at the APA annual convention. Psi Chi members receive one year free APA membership for undergraduate students.
• Association for Psychological Science (APS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPsi Chi is an affiliate of APS, supporting mutual goals of advancing psychological science and recognizing excellence among students and researchers.
• Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPsi Chi is a certified member of ACHS and is the largest single major honor society accredited by ACHS. ACHS sets standards for honor societies and Psi Chi maintains compliance with ACHS minimum standards.
• Psi BetaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPsi Beta is the sister honor society of Psi Chi for national honor societies in psychology at community and junior colleges. Psi Chi and Psi Beta cosponsor programs at the annual APA convention.
• American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerABPP is a sponsor of Psi Chi, providing visibility on Psi Chi's website and at conventions. ABPP offers board certification recognized across psychology specialty areas.
• CloudResearchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCloudResearch is a leading provider of online research solutions and a Psi Chi sponsor. Serves academic, corporate, and market research sectors with participant management tools.
• California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP/Alliant)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCSPP, founded in 1969, is one of the nation's first independent schools of professional psychology and a Psi Chi sponsor. CSPP promotes its graduate programs to Psi Chi members.
• Hawkes LearningminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHawkes Learning is a mastery-based learning platform for higher education and a Psi Chi sponsor. Provides courseware with integrated review and tutoring support for psychology students.
• International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIACCP is a scientific society committed to advancing understanding of psychology and culture. Psi Chi's NICE collaborative research program aligns with IACCP's mission of cross-cultural research.
• Macmillan LearningminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMacmillan Learning publishes psychology textbooks and interactive resources. As a Psi Chi sponsor, Macmillan Learning provides discounts and visibility to Psi Chi members.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Psychological Association (APA): The flagship professional association for psychology in the US. Psi Chi is an APA affiliate, and the two organizations co-sponsor convention programming and member benefits; APA is a broader incumbent serving all psychologists rather than students specifically.
• Association for Psychological Science (APS): The scientific society for the discipline of psychology. Psi Chi is an APS affiliate and the organizations co-program at APS conventions. APS serves practicing psychological scientists rather than students, making it an upstream incumbent rather than a direct competitor.
• Golden Key International Honour Society: Large multi-discipline honor society serving high-achieving undergraduates and graduates worldwide. Comparable to Psi Chi in chapter-based delivery, lifetime membership model, and scholarship programming, but operates across all majors rather than psychology specifically.
• Phi Beta Kappa: The oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the US, covering the liberal arts and sciences across disciplines. Comparable to Psi Chi in mission (recognizing academic excellence at colleges), but broader in scope, more selective, and not field-specific.

Direct peers

• National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS): National honor society for first- and second-year undergraduates across all majors. Comparable to Psi Chi in lifetime membership, chapter structure, and awards programming, but with a much broader academic target and lower GPA threshold.
• Psi Beta: National honor society in psychology for community and junior colleges; Psi Chi's explicitly designated sister society and cosponsor of APA convention programming. Operates with the same chapter-based, faculty-advisor-mediated model at two-year institutions.
• Pi Gamma Mu: International honor society in the social sciences. Most directly comparable to Psi Chi as a field-specific, ACHS-accredited honor society with chapter structure, scholarships, and a peer-reviewed journal serving a closely related academic discipline.
• Alpha Chi: National college honor society for juniors, seniors, and graduate students across all disciplines. Comparable to Psi Chi in ACHS-accredited chapter-based model and scholarship program, though it serves the top ~10% across all fields.
• Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society: Honor society for scientific and engineering research, with a strong journal and grants program. Most directly comparable to Psi Chi's research-oriented member value proposition (Psi Chi Journal, NICE/NICER, research grants), though Sigma Xi spans all scientific disciplines.

Regional players

• Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP): Academic society for personality and social psychology, with student-focused programming, awards, and conventions that overlap with Psi Chi's audience. Comparable in psychology-specific programming but focused on one sub-discipline and primarily serving researchers rather than undergraduate members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL6fWga2rbPwZy203sEU8JGEHxH83rJcU0
• Facebookfacebook.com/PsiChiCentralOffice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/psichi
• Instagraminstagram.com/psichieastregion
• Xx.com/PsiChiHonor

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Psi Chi