Alpha Lambda Delta is a national honor society for college freshmen. It was founded in 1924 and a chapter was organized at Ohio State University in 1945. Members are invited to join based on their first semester grade point average and remain members for life, though they retain active status for just one year from their date of initiation. In addition to encouraging and recognizing academic achievement, Alpha Lambda Delta also focuses on philanthropy and service.

Originally a society exclusively for women, Alpha Lambda Delta became coed in 1976 at the national level, possibly earlier at Ohio State University. Throughout its history, Alpha Lambda Delta often collaborated with Phi Eta Sigma, another national freshman honor society, founded in 1923, that was originally exclusively for men but also became coed in the mid-1970s. As of 2018, the Ohio State University chapters of both organizations are combined as one group referred to as ALDPES, although they remain separate at the national level.