Summa cum laude on resume: how to showcase academic excellence (with tips & examples)

No matter your thoughts on academia, earning a cum laude distinction is a remarkable accomplishment, one that is only earned after hours of hard work and dedication to one’s studies. And while it’s a great way to end a college career, is it relevant in the working world? It can be, and knowing where to mention your summa cum laude on your resume can show hiring managers your commitment to hard work and help set you apart from the crowd.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to mention summa cum laude on your resume, including:

• What is the difference between summa cum laude and other honors 

• What a recruiter might learn about you when they see summa cum laude on your resume

• Utilizing Latin terms on your resume

• Tips and examples of how to write your academic awards on your resume

What is the difference between summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude? 

Summa cum laude (aka a “Latin honor”) is one of the awards you can earn on your degree when you graduate from college. Considered a mark of distinction, each award—cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude—indicates that a certain grade point average (GPA) was earned during an academic career:

• Cum laude (with praise): top 16-35% of your graduating class or a GPA of 3.5-3.6

• Magna cum laude (with great distinction): top 6-15% of your graduating class or a GPA of 3.7-3.8

• Summa cum laude (with highest honor): top 1-5% of your graduating class or a GPA of 3.9-4.0

Other awards often given by colleges and universities may include the dean’s list, academic distinction, and valedictorian/salutatorian, which can be mentioned in a separate Academic Achievements section on your resume.

What Latin honors on a resume tell a recruiter about you

You might be wondering if it’s worth it to include Latin honors such as summa cum laude on your resume, but if you earned these distinctions, you should seriously consider it. These awards might show a hiring manager things employers are always seeking: a strong work ethic, discipline, and a willingness to go “above and beyond.” 

It also shows a mastery of your degree’s subject matter. If you’re looking for a job in marketing, for example, a hiring manager for a marketing company may compare two candidates with a marketing degree and give the edge to the one who graduated summa cum laude. The Latin honors demonstrate a thorough understanding of marketing and a dedication to the field.

How to use Latin terms and titles on your resume

In general, Latin titles should be in lowercase and italicized on your resume; this indicates that they’re foreign language terms and sets them apart from the rest of the text. However, if your school doesn’t use the Latin terms and instead gives honors in English, don’t italicize, but do capitalize them. Instead of terms such as summa cum laude, they might be listed as “with honors,” “with high honors,” or “with highest honors.” Basically, use whatever terms your school uses. And no matter what format you use, keep it consistent throughout your resume.

Other than degree names such as M.D. for Medicinae Doctor (Doctor of Medicine) or Ph.D. (Philosophiae Doctor), Latin terms and phrases should usually be avoided. If Latin terms are required, such as listing published research, they should be abbreviated as follows:

• cit., art. should be abbreviated as cit.: articulo citato, which means “in the cited article.”

• curriculum vitae which means “course of life” and can be shortened to “CV.”

• et al, which means “and others.”

4 Tips for where to mention summa cum laude on your resume

Before you can include Latin honors such as summa cum laude on your resume, decide where you want to put them. They can either be placed with your degree and university name in the education section, or you can create a separate awards section; if you do this, have three to five awards or honors listed.

Other tips to remember are:

• Place your Latin honor only in your education or awards and honors section, not with your job history or in your skills section.

• Format it properly, with italics and lowercase letters.

• Include the Latin honor on the same line as your degree below it on a separate line.

• List your GPA and graduation year if you graduated less than 10 years ago or the job posting requires it.

3 Examples of how to mention summa cum laude on your resume

If you’re listing summa cum laude (or other Latin honors) on your resume, below are examples of  how it should look.

If you’re including it on the same line as your degree in the education section:

If you’re putting it on a separate line in the education section:

If you’re putting it in a separate awards/honors section:

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Key takeaways

1. Summa cum laude (aka a “Latin honor”) is one of the awards you can earn on your degree when you graduate from college, and it’s based on a certain grade point average (GPA) earned during an academic career.

2. These honors should be included on your resume because they show a hiring manager that you have a strong work ethic, discipline, and a willingness to go “above and beyond.”

3. In general, Latin titles should be in lowercase and italicized on your resume, which indicates that they’re foreign language terms and sets them apart from the rest of the text.