Cum Laude GPA: What the Latin Honors Take
By Muhammad Afzaal Afzal, updated , 3 minute read
Quick answer
Cum laude usually takes a 3.5 cumulative GPA, magna cum laude a 3.7 and summa cum laude a 3.9, but every college sets its own line and some use class rank instead. The table below shows published examples; your college catalog has the one that counts.
Where do you stand?
Enter your courses, then set the honors line as a goal.
What cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude mean
The three Latin honors are the distinction levels most US colleges print on a bachelor's degree: cum laude (with praise), magna cum laude (with great praise) and summa cum laude (with highest praise). They reward the whole record, so they are decided at graduation from your cumulative GPA, your class rank, or both, and they stay on your transcript for life. Some colleges add a thesis or an honors program requirement for the top level, and most require a minimum number of credits earned at the school, which matters if you transferred.
Typical GPA cutoffs, with published examples
Where the honors are set by GPA, the pattern is steady across the country: about 3.5 for cum laude, 3.7 for magna and 3.9 for summa, with a few schools a tenth higher or lower. Where they are set by rank, the top few percent of the class earn summa and the honors stop at a fixed share of graduates, so the GPA that qualifies moves every year.
| College | Cum laude | Magna cum laude | Summa cum laude | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Kentucky University | 3.5 to 3.69 | 3.7 to 3.89 | 3.9 or higher | institutional GPA, at least 30 EKU credit hours |
| John Jay College, CUNY | 3.5 | 3.75 | 3.9 | cumulative GPA, at least 56 credits at the college |
| UT Health San Antonio | 3.5 to 3.69 | 3.7 to 3.89 | 3.9 to 4.00 | cumulative GPA |
| Harvard College | up to 50% of the class | summa plus magna at most 20% | top 5% of the class | class rank, not a fixed GPA |
How to reach the line you want
Honors are cumulative, so the earlier you aim the easier the math. A 3.4 after two years needs a 3.6 average over the last two to graduate cum laude at 3.5; a 3.6 needs a 3.8 average over the last two to reach magna at 3.7. Enter your transcript in the cumulative GPA calculator, set the honors cutoff as the goal, and it tells you the term GPA that gets you there and whether it is still reachable. The GPA pages for 3.5, 3.7 and 3.9 show the same scenarios for each line, and the 4.0 GPA page shows what a perfect record takes to keep.
Questions and answers
What does cum laude mean?
Latin for "with praise" (with honor). It is the first of the three Latin honors printed on a bachelor's diploma: cum laude, then magna cum laude (with great praise) and summa cum laude (with highest praise). Each college decides who earns them, usually by cumulative GPA or by class rank.
What does summa cum laude mean?
Latin for "with highest praise". It is the top of the three Latin honors, above magna cum laude (with great praise) and cum laude (with praise), and it usually takes a 3.9 cumulative GPA or a place in the top few percent of the class.
What GPA is cum laude?
Most colleges that use a fixed cutoff set cum laude at a 3.5 cumulative GPA, with some at 3.4 or 3.6. Schools that award honors by rank give cum laude to a share of the class (Harvard caps all three honors at half the class). Your college catalog has the exact line; the examples above show the range.
What GPA is magna cum laude?
Usually a 3.7 cumulative GPA, with some colleges at 3.75 or 3.8. Where honors are by rank, magna goes to the next band under summa (at Harvard, summa and magna together cannot exceed 20% of the class).
What GPA is summa cum laude?
Usually a 3.9 cumulative GPA, sometimes 3.95, and at rank based schools the top few percent of the class (5% at Harvard). It is the highest Latin honor, so a single B+ in a full load can decide it; the college GPA calculator shows what a last year of grades does to the number.
Is cum laude a big deal?
It shows on your diploma and transcript for good, employers and graduate programs read it as a strong record, and it costs nothing extra to earn. It does not change your degree. Many colleges also require a minimum number of credits taken at the school, so transfer students should check that rule early.
Does high school have Latin honors?
Some high schools award cum laude, magna and summa at graduation, usually from the weighted GPA, and a few use the National Honor Society instead. The cutoffs are the school's own; the high school GPA calculator shows both your weighted and unweighted numbers so you can check against them.
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