• Magna cum laude is an academic honorary award given to students who achieve academic excellence.

  • There is no set standard for this award and each school may set its own criteria.
  • Many colleges award honors degrees in addition to honors degrees, which are above honors degrees, and honors degrees, which are just below.
  • The practice of awarding Latin awards began at Harvard in the mid-19th century and has spread to colleges and universities throughout the world.
  • Some colleges, including Stanford University, do not award Latin awards at all, but instead use the word “distinction” to refer to students who achieve academic excellence.