• Summa cum laude is the highest of the three Latin awards that can be awarded to students who have completed a bachelor’s degree.

  • Summa cum laude is a greater honor than Magna cum laude or cum laude.
  • Criteria for an honors degree may include GPA, class ranking, number of hours and special projects completed (such as a thesis), and recommendations from the academic department.
  • Different institutions will select honor criteria differently.
  • Latin awards are impressive, but it is impossible to understand how important they are for getting a job.