Cum laude is Latin for "with praise". It is the first of three Latin honors that US colleges add to a degree for strong grades: cum laude, magna cum laude ("with great praise") and summa cum laude ("with highest praise"). There is no national GPA cutoff. Some colleges set fixed GPAs, often starting around 3.5, while others give the honors to a set percentage of the graduating class.
This guide explains the three levels, shows how four real colleges award them, and walks through how to check whether you can still reach one.
What Cum Laude, Magna and Summa Mean
Latin honors are an old academic tradition, and the three levels translate directly:
| Honor | Meaning | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Summa cum laude | "With highest praise" | Highest |
| Magna cum laude | "With great praise" | Middle |
| Cum laude | "With praise" | First level |
Latin honors usually appear on your diploma and transcript, and you may be named in the commencement program. They reflect your cumulative GPA across your whole degree, not a single semester, which is why they reward consistency.
Cum Laude vs Magna vs Summa: How Colleges Decide
Colleges use one of two systems, and they lead to very different targets.
1. Fixed GPA cutoffs
Here, every student who reaches the GPA gets the honor. John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) is a clear example: cum laude at a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5, magna cum laude at 3.75 and summa cum laude at 3.9. You know the target from day one.
2. A percentage of the graduating class
Here, the honor goes to a fixed share of graduates, so the GPA you need depends on how your classmates perform. At Duke's Trinity College, summa cum laude goes to no more than the top 5% of the class, magna to no more than the next 10% and cum laude to no more than the next 10%. The actual GPA cutoffs are published by the registrar each year.
| College | Cum laude | Magna | Summa |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Jay Fixed GPA | 3.5+ | 3.75+ | 3.9+ |
| Duke Share of class | 15‑25% | 5‑15% | 5% |
| Maryland Share, by college | 5‑10%* | 2‑5% | 2% |
| Nevada State Share of class | 10‑20% | 5‑10% | 5% |
Percentages mean the top share of the graduating class; for example, 15‑25% means students ranked between the top 15% and the top 25%. *Maryland also gives cum laude to any eligible student with a cumulative GPA of 3.900 or higher, and does not consider students below 3.300 for Latin honors at all. Sources are listed at the end of this article.
Other Rules That Can Decide Eligibility
Reaching the GPA is not always enough. Common extra conditions include:
- A minimum number of credits at the college. John Jay requires at least 56 credits there (52 for students who arrived with an associate degree). Maryland requires at least 60 semester hours.
- Limits on pass/fail credits. Maryland counts no more than six pass/fail credits toward its 60. Nevada State requires at least half of your degree credits to be letter-graded.
- Which grades count. John Jay counts every course taken there, including failing grades, and averages in transfer students' earlier GPAs.
- No rounding. Nevada State does not round GPAs when checking eligibility, so a 3.499 is not a 3.5.
Latin Honors vs Other College Honors
Latin honors are easy to confuse with other awards on a transcript. The main differences:
- Latin honors are awarded once, at graduation, based on your cumulative GPA for the whole degree.
- The Dean's List is awarded semester by semester, based on that term's GPA. One strong semester can earn it, but it does not guarantee Latin honors at the end.
- Departmental honors or "with distinction" are usually earned through extra work such as a senior thesis or an honors program, not GPA alone. At Nevada State, for example, "Distinction" is a separate award that starts at a 3.7 GPA and is capped at the top 10% of the class.
You can earn more than one. A student might make the Dean's List several times, graduate magna cum laude, and also receive departmental honors.
Can You Still Graduate With Honors?
The earlier you check, the more room you have. Take a student with a 3.40 GPA on a 120-credit degree, aiming for a fixed-cutoff college's cum laude (3.5) or magna cum laude (3.75):
| Credits done (at 3.40) | GPA needed for 3.5 | GPA needed for 3.75 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 of 120 | 3.53 | 3.87 |
| 60 of 120 | 3.60 | 4.10 - not possible |
| 90 of 120 | 3.80 | 4.80 - not possible |
| 105 of 120 | 4.20 - not possible | 6.20 - not possible |
These figures use the same formula as our GPA Planning Calculator: required GPA = (target GPA × total credits − current GPA × credits done) ÷ credits left. They show why Latin honors are mostly won or lost in the first two years. With 30 credits done, cum laude needs a 3.53 average from here on. With 90 credits done, it needs a 3.80. With 105 done, it is already out of reach.
Is Cum Laude Worth Chasing?
Latin honors are a clear, verifiable signal of strong academic performance, and you can list them on your resume. They help most where grades are scrutinized: graduate and professional school applications, competitive first jobs, and fields where employers ask for a transcript. Further into a career, experience counts for far more. Does GPA matter after college? covers when grades stop mattering.
If honors are out of reach, a strong upward trend is still worth building. Use what is a good GPA to see where your current number stands, and how to raise your GPA for the steps that move it.
How to Write Latin Honors on a Resume
Put the honor on the same line as your degree or directly under it:
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, magna cum laude
- B.S. in Biology, cum laude (GPA 3.62)
Write the terms in lowercase in the middle of a sentence or line. Style guides disagree on italics: the University of Alabama's editorial guide says not to italicize them, while the University of Alaska Fairbanks guide says to italicize them. Choose one style and use it throughout your resume.