Academic Honors
In determining an undergraduate student's eligibility for academic recognition and honors, only institution credit and grades earned in Rice University courses are considered.
Rice University recognizes outstanding undergraduate students with the following academic honors:
- President's Honor Roll
- University Honors - Latin Honors
- University Honors - Distinction in Research and Creative Work
- Ranking and Top 10 Percent
President's Honor Roll
The President's Honor Roll, published during Week 6 of the Fall and Spring semesters, is recognition of an undergraduate’s outstanding academic achievement that particular semester. Based on semester GPA, approximately the top 30 percent of all undergraduates receive this academic recognition. The GPA required to be on the President's Honor Roll varies each semester. The President’s Honor Roll designation is placed on the student’s academic transcript for the appropriate semester.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the President's Honor Roll, students must meet the following requirements:
- Undergraduate students must meet the minimum GPA that is calculated from approximately the top 30 percent of all eligible undergraduate GPAs.
- Undergraduate students must have grades, exclusive of Pass/Fail and Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, in a total of 12 or more semester (GPA) hours and must not have any grade of F or U.
- Students with temporary grades, such as "Other" (OT) and "Incomplete" (INC), are not eligible until those grades have been converted. Please consult the Academic Calendar for term-specific temporary grade deadlines.
- Undergraduates enrolled in four-year bachelor's degree programs are always eligible for the President's Honor Roll.
- Students enrolled in five-year bachelor's/master's programs are eligible for the President's Honor Roll only during their first eight semesters.
Please Note: Undergraduate students who are awarded the President's Honor Roll designation and no longer meet the eligibility requirements for any reason are removed from the President's Honor Roll, and the designation is removed from the student’s academic transcript for the corresponding semester as needed.
The minimum GPA requirements to qualify for the President’s Honor Roll are as follows:
Term | Minimum GPA | Term | Minimum GPA |
---|---|---|---|
Fall 2023 | 3.941 | Spring 2024 | 4.000 |
Fall 2022 | 3.934 | Spring 2023 | 3.966 |
Fall 2021 | 3.938 | Spring 2022 | 3.938 |
Fall 2020 | 3.938 | Spring 2021 | 3.938 |
Fall 2019 | 3.900 | Spring 2020 | 4.000 |
Fall 2018 | 3.874 | Spring 2019 | 3.921 |
Fall 2017 | 3.925 | Spring 2018 | 3.946 |
Fall 2016 | 3.918 | Spring 2017 | 3.934 |
Fall 2015 | 3.882 | Spring 2016 | 3.918 |
Fall 2014 | 3.866 | Spring 2015 | 3.885 |
Fall 2013 | 3.870 | Spring 2014 | 3.878 |
Fall 2012 | 3.858 | Spring 2013 | 3.901 |
Fall 2011 | 3.856 | Spring 2012 | 3.876 |
Fall 2010 | 3.842 | Spring 2011 | 3.880 |
Fall 2009 | 3.853 | Spring 2010 | 3.890 |
Fall 2008 | 3.843 | Spring 2009 | 3.893 |
Fall 2007 | 3.841 | Spring 2008 | 3.867 |
Fall 2006 | 3.835 | Spring 2007 | 3.859 |
Fall 2005 | 3.810 | Spring 2006 | 3.835 |
Fall 2004 | 3.745 | Spring 2005 | 3.835 |
Fall 2003 | 3.743 | Spring 2004 | 3.843 |
Timeline
The following timeline applies to the President's Honor Roll:
- After the deadline has passed for instructors to resolve "Incomplete" (INC) grades from the previous term, the minimum qualifying GPA for the President's Honor Roll is calculated. Please consult the Academic Calendar for term-specific deadlines.
- The Office of the Registrar will conduct a periodic review of grade changes to ensure that undergraduate students are appropriately awarded the President's Honor Roll designation. During these reviews, the President's Honor Roll designation will be added or removed from a student's record as necessary.
Designation on Student Transcripts
After the deadline has passed for instructors to resolve "Incomplete" (INC) grades from the previous term, the majority of undergraduate students who meet the President's Honor Roll eligibility requirements can expect to see the award designation on their transcript. Please consult the Academic Calendar for term-specific deadlines.
University Honors
Latin Honors
Unlike the President's Honor Roll, which recognizes academic excellence achieved over a single semester, eligibility for the three categories of Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) are based on the cumulative grade point average for all undergraduate work at Rice.
Each academic year, at the end of the Spring semester and after receipt of all grades, graduating undergraduate recipients eligible for Latin Honors are determined by the following procedure:
- summa cum laude — the grade point average within the highest five percent of the year's graduating majors within each academic school is eligible to graduate with the honor.
- magna cum laude — the grade point average included within the next highest 10 percent within each academic school is used to determine those eligible to graduate with the honor.
- cum laude — the grade point average included within the next 15 percent within each academic school is used to determine those students eligible to graduate with the honor.
Thus, approximately 30 percent of each academic year's graduating undergraduate class receive Latin Honors, with the exact number in each academic school dependent upon the number of graduates in that school.
The following table lists the minimum GPA ranges for Latin Honors in Academic Year 2023-24:
Academic Year 2023-24 |
EN* | NS* | HU* | SS* | MU* | AR* | JS* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
summa cum laude | 3.9705 | 3.9904 | 3.9900 | 3.9924 | 3.9907 | 3.9709 | 3.9280 |
magna cum laude | 3.8989 | 3.9631 | 3.9551 | 3.9592 | 3.9223 | 3.9432 | 3.8700 |
cum laude | 3.8071 | 3.9172 | 3.8837 | 3.8952 | 3.8097 | 3.9100 | 3.7308 |
* Abbreviations above are for the academic schools: EN (Engineering), NS (Natural Sciences), HU (Humanities), SS (Social Sciences), MU (Music), AR (Architecture), and JS (Jones School of Business).
Click here to view the minimum GPA required to qualify for Latin Honors in previous academic years.
Distinction in Research and Creative Work
Distinction in Research and Creative Work is a university award for select undergraduates, granted at Commencement, which appears on the transcript and diploma. Students must apply to be considered for the award, and the application must be supported by a letter from a faculty member (or center director). The most common path of application would be to the student's major department. A student whose research or other creative project is in a field outside of their major should submit an application to the academic department or program most closely associated with the subject matter of their project.
Eligibility for the award extends widely to include a variety of research, design, and other creative projects, as well as persistent dedication to research. Projects completed in part or entirely at other institutions or with community partners will be eligible for consideration.
Applicants must be in good academic standing at Rice at the time of their graduation. The award will be granted only to projects that produce a concrete outcome--e.g. an essay, invention, design, musical composition--and demonstrate commitment and/or achievement above and beyond the norm. Students who complete senior theses, senior design projects, or other required senior capstone projects are eligible and may submit their thesis or capstone project for consideration; however, these students do not qualify automatically for consideration for this university distinction.
Responsibility for judging applications and determining those that merit the distinction award rests with the undergraduate degree programs or departments. Annually, departments and degree granting programs publish clear expectations and criteria for the research and design projects that will be considered for the award, as well as guidelines for what constitutes research or creative work above and beyond the norm within their respective fields. Departments may designate additional requirements as well, such as completion of a research seminar or oral defense.
For more information on the Distinction in Research and Creative Work award, please visit the relevant Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (OURI) webpage, available here.
Ranking and Top 10 Percent
As a practice, Rice University does not "rank" the undergraduate degree recipients in a graduating class. Many of Rice's graduating undergraduate students go on to graduate school. For those students completing medical and/or law school applications, and needing the "top 10%" GPA for their graduating class as part of their application process, please make note of the following:
Academic Year | Top 10 Percent |
---|---|
2023 - 2024 | 3.963 |
2022 - 2023 | 3.959 |
2021 - 2022 | 3.953 |
2020 - 2021 | 3.962 |
2019 - 2020 | 3.987 |
2018 - 2019 | 3.980 |
2017 - 2018 | 4.002 |
2016 - 2017 | 3.967 |
2015 - 2016 | 3.969 |
2014 - 2015 | 3.974 |
2013 - 2014 | 3.992 |
2012 - 2013 | 3.966 |
2011 - 2012 | 3.980 |
2010 - 2011 | 3.972 |
2009 - 2010 | 3.971 |
2008 - 2009 | 3.937 |
2007 - 2008 | 3.962 |
2006 - 2007 | 3.945 |
2005 - 2006 | 3.944 |
Questions
For more information about academic honors, refer to the Undergraduate Student Honors and Distinctions section in the General Announcements.
If you have any questions about the academic honors, please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@rice.edu.