what is cum laude 
cum laude is a latin term that means with distinction with praise or with honor it represents an academic level of achievement educational institutions use the term to signify an academic degree awarded to someone with honorable excellence in academic coursework it is a mark of distinction that some students and others use on their resumes as a hallmark of their success in their higher education cum laude is one of three academic excellence designations recognized in the united states the other two are summa cum laude which indicates the greatest distinction and magna cum laude which indicates great distinction because the terms come from latin they are often called latin honors they are common in the u s but very few countries around the world use them cum laude is awarded when a student achieves academic success and strong grades understanding cum laudecum laude signifies a distinguished level of academic achievement an even greater distinction is magna cum laude which means with high honor or with high praise summa cum laude bestows the greatest honor or praise on its recipient the guidelines by which each level of academic honor is achieved differ at academic institutions each university or college typically outlines its expectations for each award students who receive latin honors are typically recognized during graduation ceremonies and the designation appears on the student s diploma students graduating with honors may also be allowed to wear some special symbol like a specific sash or tassel on their mortarboard in 1869 harvard university became the first academic institution in the u s to award cum laude and other latin honors criteria for cum laudethe criteria for earning latin honors may include a high grade point average gpa class ranking a particular number of credit hours completed and other academic achievements some universities bestow latin honors at certain gpa levels typically a gpa of 3 5 or higher is required to receive the cum laude designation with higher gpas necessary for magna cum laude and summa cum laude the designation is based only on an individual student s final gpa other universities reserve latin honors for a stated percentage of each graduating class that means only a top percentage of a class may receive any honors even smaller percentages of the student body may be awarded the magna cum laude and summa cum laude honors designations an outstanding gpa alone may not be enough to earn these honors at ivy league universities and other highly competitive schools faculty committees also consider students academic records and other academic achievements such as outstanding papers published articles and well researched assignments the professors will usually recommend honors for exceptional students 