What GPA is considered honors in graduate school?
cum laude, “With Honors”, cumulative GPA of 3.5 and above; magna cum laude, “With High Honors”, cumulative GPA of 3.65 and above; summa cum laude, “With Highest Honors,” cumulative GPA of 3.85 and above.
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Does graduating with honors matter for grad school?

An honors degree gives a higher chance to get accepted to better graduate schools like Harvard University, Yale University, and other top universities. These universities consider much more than just your high school and college grades when making admissions decisions.
What does it mean when you graduate with honors?
Graduation honors denote academic achievement beyond completion of the basic requirements for earning a college degree. Before commencement, school administration and faculty select students deserving special recognition for outstanding grades, leadership and other exemplary qualities.
What percentage of masters students get a distinction?
70%
In the case of an integrated Master’s, more weighting is applied to your last two years of studying. Once you’ve completed all your modules and you have your final mark, you get the grade depending on which boundary it falls into. You need to get 50% to get a Pass, 60% to get a Merit and 70% to get a Distinction.

Does summa cume laude matter grad school?
Meaning of Summa Cum Laude In the U.S., Latin honors are usually used only for bachelor’s degrees and the Juris Doctor (JD) law degree. They’re generally not conferred for master’s degrees, PhDs, or MD degrees. Summa cum laude translates from Latin to “with highest honors” or “with highest praise.”
What is a good grade in Masters?
A typical masters degree will be graded using four terms: Distinction: A final grade of 70% or above. Merit: A final grade of 60-69%…Masters Degree Grades.
Percentage | Bachelors Degree Grade | Masters Degree Grade |
---|---|---|
70%+ | 1st | Distinction |
60-69% | 2.1 | Merit |
50-59% | 2.2 | Pass |
40-49% | 3rd | Fail/borderline pass |
Do grades matter in Masters programs?
The short answer is that, yes, your graduate school GPA matters. But, of course, there’s a lot more nuance to it than that. Grades do lose some importance as you continue on your academic path. Colleges pick apart high school grades; graduate schools examine undergraduate transcripts.
What is the highest honors you can graduate with?
Generally, the highest honor in college is the summa cum laude. The next highest is the magna cum laude, and the third is the cum laude.
Do graduate students get Latin honors?
The traditional undergraduate “honors” awards (cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude) are not available for graduate students. However, to recognize exceptional performance on specific examinations, “Passed with Distinction” may be awarded and the notation included on graduate student transcripts.