Cum laude. Magna cum laude. Summa cum laude. It might sound like all Greek to the uninitiated, even in halls of learning where these academic distinctions don’t exist. But for job seekers who have been awarded such Latin honors, the mystique usually centers around when and how they should appear on your resume.
We’ll cover these topics:
- Three basic types of Latin honors and levels of distinction
- Reasons to list cum laude on your resume
- When you should list cum laude on your resume
- Two ways to list cum laude on your resume — tips and examples
What does cum laude mean?
Variations of the following tri-level Latin honors system typically apply in some colleges and universities, primarily in the U.S. and several southeast Asian countries.
| Latin Honor | Meaning | Typically awarded to graduates in the top class range of: |
| cum laude kuːm ˈlaʊdeɪ |
with honor (praise) | 20%, 25% or 30% |
| magna cum laude ˈmæɡnə kuːm ˈlaʊdeɪ |
with great honor (praise) | 5%, 10% or 15% |
| summa cum laude ˈsuːmə kuːm ˈlaʊdeɪ |
with highest honor (praise) | 1%, 2% or 5% if awarded at all, or only in extraordinary circumstances |
- Criteria for students to attain these award levels — for example by grade point average, class standing, honors thesis evaluation or early graduation — are set by individual institutions and therefore not consistent from one college to the next.
- Some institutions grant equivalent (or additional) non-Latin honors to undergraduates, or none at all.
Why list cum laude on your resume?
You’ve come by your Latin bragging rights honestly. So why not include these noteworthy honors on your resume — especially if it sets you apart in the eyes of hiring managers?
- First and foremost, cum laude demonstrates your work ethic and commitment to excellence, which could give you an edge over job candidates whose work experience may be equally impressive.
- Job candidates with high academic achievements may be preferred or required by some employers.
- Applicant tracking systems (ATS) might even be screened to pick up these keywords and rank your resume higher against others as a result.
- Although a resume’s employment history section generally gets the most attention from recruiters, adding your Latin honors can rightly shift the focus to proven strengths that are relevant in some industries and positions, or when you lack work experience.
When is cum laude on a resume appropriate?
HR experts recommend listing cum laude on your resume if you:
- Have little or no work experience
- Are a college student or recent graduate
- Seeking a job
- Applying to graduate school
- Are applying for jobs in academia, law, finance or other fields where your educational achievements count significantly.
What if your honors are not Latin?
Never change the wording of any special distinctions you received as a graduate from institutions that don’t use the Latin honors scheme. Plain English equivalents such as “with High Honors” or “with Highest Honors” are no less honorable. The wording on your resume should match exactly what appears on your diploma. The same advice applies in reverse — don’t convert Latin honors into English.
When should you not include Latin honors on your resume?
Unless educational excellence is directly relevant to your qualifications for a particular job or industry, there’s no point listing cum laude on your resume if:
- Your job-related employment history is extensive
- You graduated from college more than three to five years ago.
The more work experience you acquire over time, the more relevant and influential this section of your resume becomes. Except for some occupations where academic credentials remain important, you can gradually devote less attention and space to the education section, including details such as GPA and Latin honors. The relative emphasis on employment history and education in your resume should reflect what hiring managers are most interested in.
Two options for listing Latin honors on your resume
There are two possible places to list cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude on your resume.
The education section
There are two slightly different variations in the way Latin honors can appear in your resume’s education section.
Either way, make sure cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude is italicized but not capitalized.
In the first instance, cum laude appears on the same line beside the name of your degree, separated by a comma. See the examples below.
In these adaptable resume education examples, cum laude appears on the same line as your degree.
St. Louis University
Master of Science in Chemistry, magna cum laude
Vanderbilt University
Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, summa cum laude
The other way to list cum laude in your resume’s education section is on a separate line below your degree, as in the following examples.
These resume education examples can be adapted for listing cum laude on a separate line below your degree.
University of Chicago
Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature
magna cum laude
University of Florida
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
cum laude
In a separate honors section
Under a separate “Honors” heading — perhaps an education subsection — list your Latin honors as a bullet point, along with other special distinctions. Obviously, you need more than one honor or award— three to five is ideal — to justify creating this section or it would not be a list.
In this instance, cum laude does not need to be italicized but should still be all lowercase.
These examples show what cum laude looks like when listed in a separate “Honors” section:
- Graduated magna cum laude
- Computer Science Scholarship Award
- Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, President 2017-2018
- Dean's List (last three semesters)
- Graduated summa cum laude
- top prize, 2019 Undergraduate Student Poster Competition
- Sigma Xi Affiliate Circle Member
- Student Chapter, American Society of Civil Engineers, President 2018-19
- Dean’s List, 2018,
Other options
Other than listing cum laude in the education or honors resume sections as outlined above, there are two additional ways you might draw an employer’s attention to these special distinctions in appropriate circumstances:
- In your resume summary (profile or personal statement)
- In your cover letter
However, Latin honors should not be listed in your resume’s employment history or skills section.
Maybe skip the GPA
As a resume clutter-proofing measure, consider omitting your GPA if you do list cum laude. Hiring managers can take for granted that your GPA would be high enough to earn the Latin honor. Exceptions — if the employer requests GPA information or if the awarding school has particularly high requirements for Latin distinctions.
Key takeaways
- Including Latin honors on your resume could set you apart from other job candidates by demonstrating a commitment to excellence and strong work ethic.
- Including cum laude on a resume is most appropriate for entry level job seekers lacking work experience, for college students or fresh graduates, or in some professions where high academic achievement is always relevant.
- There are two slightly different ways to list cum laude in your resume’s education section, and another option if it includes a separate honors section.
