What is a Cum Laude GPA?
At most US universities, Cum Laude typically requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50, Magna Cum Laude requires 3.70, and Summa Cum Laude requires 3.90.
Key Takeaways & Data Points
- ✓Cum Laude (“With Praise”): 3.50 – 3.69 GPA (or top 20–25%).
- ✓Magna Cum Laude (“With Great Praise”): 3.70 – 3.89 GPA (or top 10–15%).
- ✓Summa Cum Laude (“With Highest Praise”): 3.90 – 4.00+ GPA (or top 5%).
- ✓Transfer students must check minimum credit hours required in-residence.
Detailed Breakdown
Latin honors are honorary designations inscribed on undergraduate diplomas and official transcripts to recognize superior academic achievement over a student’s entire collegiate career.
While many institutions operate on fixed GPA cutoffs (such as 3.50, 3.70, and 3.90), several top institutions (including Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia) award Latin honors based on percentile class rank rather than static numbers. For example, Summa Cum Laude might be awarded to the top 5% of the graduating cohort, Magna to the next 10%, and Cum Laude to the following 15%.
To qualify for Latin honors, institutions almost universally require a minimum number of in-residence letter-graded credits (typically 45–60 semester units) so that pass/fail transfer credits do not distort the honor rank.
Calculate Your Specific Numbers
Use our specialized tools to model your exact course load and test different grading scenarios: