Latin honors recognize high academic performance at college graduation:
- Cum Laude ("with praise")
- Magna Cum Laude ("with great praise")
- Summa Cum Laude ("with highest praise")
How they're decided: each college sets its own GWA cut-offs and other rules (for example, no failing grades or a minimum number of units taken in residence). Look them up in your school's student handbook.
Scales differ: on a 1.0–5.0 scale a lower GWA is better; on a 4.0 scale a higher one is better.
What it means for you:
- Plan from your first year — early grades count toward your final GWA
- Honor graduates may qualify for civil service eligibility under PD 907, subject to CSC rules