Magna cum laude versus summa cum laude: What’s the difference?

If you’re a high school graduate entering your first fall semester or a college student dreaming about life after university, you may wonder about the importance of graduation honors. 

Maybe you’re considering the difference between magna cum laude versus summa cum laude, or whether academic honors give graduating students a leg up on landing their first job or applying to prestigious grad schools.

No matter your program, receiving honors helps you stand out from the crowd. Your university experience is the first step in your career development. And high performance provides important insights to potential employers or college admissions boards, like your motivation levels, self-discipline, and the ability to handle high-level work. 

Different schools have different honors systems. Whether you’re a student or recent graduate, understanding the distinctions affects your short and long-term goals and can help you clearly explain just how impressive your academic distinction is to a recruiter or university board. 

What’s a Latin honor? 

A Latin honor typically marks undergraduate academic achievement, although some higher-education programs such as law and medicine also bestow these honors. Depending on your university, you may be eligible to receive honors both for your degree (like political science) and college (like the College of Letters and Sciences).

Latin honors have three main academic distinctions, in order from highest to lowest praise:

1. Summa cum laude

2. Magna cum laude

3. Cum laude

In Latin, the word “laude” means praise, glory, and fame. Depending on the distinction your school offers you, they’re recognizing you with the highest praise, with great praise, or with praise.

Every school has their own definitions for qualifying. What summa cum laude or magna cum laude mean at your college is unique to your university, so it’s important to check with your registrar’s office about specific requirements. But schools largely determine who receives honors distinctions by your cumulative grade point average (GPA). 

Some schools, like New York University, define the GPAs that qualify for each distinction based on the top 5%, 10%, and 15% of your graduating class. Other schools, like the University of Pennsylvania, have standard GPA cutoffs like 3.4 or 3.8. And some institutions, like the University of Connecticut, use a combination of GPA cutoffs and top percentile rankings. 

Latin honors in depth

What’s higher, summa or magna? For those unfamiliar with Latin terms, it’s easy to confuse the different distinctions. And varying criteria for minimum GPA requirements make it difficult to define what GPA is summa cum laude and what’s simply cum laude. Let’s explore the meanings and key takeaways for each. 

Summa cum laude meaning

In Latin, “summa cum laude” means “with the highest praise” or “with highest honors.” While a summa cum laude GPA varies for each institution, it’s the highest academic distinction you can earn. Students who graduate summa cum laude have cumulative GPAs close to 4.0 and perform in the top percentiles in their graduating class. 

Summa cum laude honors are similar to high school valedictorian and salutatorian recognitions. You haven’t only excelled in your coursework, but the quality of your work and your work ethic place you among the top performers in your class. 

Magna cum laude meaning

In Latin, “magna cum laude” means “with great honor” or “with great praise.” In the US university system, you can also translate it as “with great distinction.” It’s higher than cum laude but just below summa cum laude.

If you’re wondering whether receiving magna cum laude is a good thing, the answer is yes. All academic achievements demonstrate you acquired valuable hard skills and soft skills during your college career. Graduating at the top of your class with a high cumulative GPA requires smart goal setting, initiative, and an eagerness to learn, all of which will appeal to hiring managers and college recruiters. 

Cum laude meaning

“Cum laude” means “with honor.” It’s below both summa cum laude and magna cum laude, but it’s still a high distinction in higher education. Since every institution has its own criteria, cum laude eligibility varies widely. At the University of Kentucky, Knoxville, you need a 3.5–3.64 GPA, whereas at the University of California, Santa Cruz, it's 3.8. 

Summa cum laude versus magna cum laude

Summa cum laude and magna cum laude are the highest academic honors you can receive. While summa cum laude ranks higher in academic excellence, magna cum laude still showcases high grades and class rank. 

Again, there are no rules or regulations across American universities to separate a summa cum laude from a magna cum laude GPA and other qualifiers. 

What other honors can I receive? 

Latin honors aren’t the only academic recognitions you can earn throughout your university education. Here are four others to aim for.

1. Dean’s list

The dean is the person in charge of the organization of your college, like the School of Medicine or College of Letters and Sciences. Making the dean’s list is a recognition of your academic excellence. 

But rather than receiving an award when you complete an undergraduate or law school degree, a school releases the dean’s list at the end of each quarter or semester. Your school may also have a yearly dean’s list based on your cumulative GPA over an academic year. 

Similar to Latin honors, every school has different standards. Some schools, like Baylor University’s School of Law, base eligibility on earning a certain GPA. Other schools, like Duke University, require you to have a GPA that places you in the highest percentiles of your class. 

2. Chancellor’s scholars

The chancellor holds the highest position at a university and is in charge of overseeing the entire school. Chancellor’s awards are recognitions of excellence that go beyond academic performance. For example, at the University of San Francisco, several chancellor awards recognize leadership, community advancement, and public service. 

Involve yourself in community outreach initiatives, mentorship programs, and volunteer opportunities your university offers to be considered for a chancellor award.

3. Honors program

Many universities have honors courses and programs that allow you to take a more advanced curriculum. Depending on your university, admission may be by referral only or depend on highly selective GPA criteria. Honors students receive special academic opportunities, and gaining this recognition will surely help your resume stand out to potential employers and graduate schools. 

4. National Honor Society

The National Honor Society is a non-profit that provides grants, scholarships, and other educational initiatives. Like Latin honors, the Honor Society has tiered requisites beginning at a 3.2 GPA. But some schools may have their own eligibility requirements. At Harvard University, a 3.8 GPA is the recommendation for eligibility for their chapter. 

Whether you’re a college student or soon-to-be graduate, the National Honor Society isn’t just a nationally recognized society. Joining offers plenty of networking opportunities to grab the attention of hiring managers, potential employers, and mentors.

Should I include Latin honors on my resume?

If you’re a new graduate without extensive work experience, showing off your honors could make your application stand out from other candidates. High university performance tells recruiters and hiring managers you’re ambitious and hard-working with a strong sense of purpose. 

There’s a caveat. If you’re applying to graduate school, the college board can differentiate between the varied Latin phrases. But don’t assume every hiring manager or job recruiter will do the same. A general rule of thumb for any application, CV, or resume is to give the reader answers, not questions. 

Including details like your GPA, Latin honors, and awards depends on several factors, like the role you’re applying to, other relevant experiences, or the number of years in the workforce. Recent graduates with little work experience can place more emphasis on their education section.

And if you’re applying to a master’s program, law school, or any other higher education, focusing on honors shows college boards you have what it takes to handle challenging coursework. 

Here’s an example of how a recent graduate could list accomplishments on a resume or grad school application:

Bachelor of Science: Major in Mechanical Engineering

Cornell University, 2018–2022

• Graduated Summa Cum Laude in top 1% of graduating class

• Annual Dean’s List 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

• College of Engineering Excellence Award winner

If you’ve already spent over 3–5 years in the workforce, hiring managers and job recruiters will likely focus more on your work experience, relevant skills, and know-how.

While academic achievements are impressive, they’ll be more concerned with professional growth and employee strengths. In that case, you may want to choose a shorter format, like:

University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, Kansas

2015–2018

Graduated Magna Cum Laude

It’s with great honor 

Whether you graduate cum laude or are in the top 1% of your class, graduating with a high level of distinction is an incredible personal achievement. The difference between magna cum laude versus summa cum laude doesn’t undermine your achievement. Every academic accomplishment requires hard work, patience, and focus. 

And these are all qualities your future employer or grad school are going to appreciate because they show your incredible character.