College Honors & Awards | Dean's List | Robert Maynard Hutchins Scholars | Divisional Named Honors | Latin Honors | Phi Beta Kappa | Student Marshals | Departmental Major Honors | Global Honors | Harper Award for Exceptional Performance in a Course | Other College Awards
College Honors & Awards
The College hosts a variety of honors and awards aimed to recognize the exceptional and unique achievements of our students. College honors are designed to recognize students' exceptional academic performance not just at the time of graduation, but throughout their study in the College—within their core coursework, major coursework, and beyond. The College also hosts a variety of honors societies and awards which honor students' holistic achievements beyond grade point average.
Please visit the College Honors & Awards website for lists of award recipients and honorees.
Each year, approximately 20 percent of degree-seeking students whose grade point averages are the highest for that academic year and who have completed a minimum of nine courses with at least seven quality grades at the University of Chicago are placed on the Dean's List for that year.
Students are only considered for Dean’s List once all their grades for the academic year have been recorded, and a determination is made each year based on grades available in the registrar's office after the July 1st grading deadline. For coursework that does not contribute to the GPA, please refer to the Grading Scale.
Awards are announced annually around August 1st. Students who earn a place on the Dean’s List will have the award noted on their transcript and will be listed on the College Honors and Awards website.
At the conclusion of the second year, students in the top 10 percent of their class will be designated Robert Maynard Hutchins Scholars, based on the cumulative grade point average for their first and second years at the University of Chicago. This award is designed to honor students who have performed exceptionally in their general education courses and introductory courses for their major.
Robert Maynard Hutchins Scholars are announced annually around August 1st. Students who are named Robert Maynard Hutchins Scholars will have the award noted on their transcript and will be listed on the College Honors and Awards website.
Divisional Named Honors
In the third and fourth years, students whose cumulative grade point average places them in the top 5 percent (based on a 5-year major cohort average) will be awarded Divisional Named Honors. Each Division has determined the name of their award, which are as follows:
Enrico Fermi Scholars in the Physical Sciences Collegiate Division
Gary Becker Scholars in the Social Sciences Collegiate Division
Georgiana Simpson Scholars in the Humanities Collegiate Division
Janet Rowley Scholars in the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division
Divisional Named Honors are announced annually for 3rd year students around August 1st, and quarterly for graduating seniors. Students who are awarded Divisional Named Honors will have the award noted on their transcript and will be listed on the College Honors and Awards website.
At the conclusion of their study in the College, students whose cumulative grade point average places them among the top 8-25% (based on a 5-year major cohort average) will be awarded Latin Honors upon graduation. Please note that Latin Honors exclude the last quarter of grades. The calculation of the 5-year major cohort average occurs annually in the Spring and is carried forward and applied to students graduating in Summer, Fall, and Winter quarters of the following academic year.
Cum Laude Latin Honors will be awarded to students whose cumulative GPA places them in the top 25 percent based on a 5-year major cohort average.
Magna Cum Laude Latin Honors will be awarded to students whose cumulative GPA places them in the top 15 percent based on a 5-year major cohort average.
Summa Laude Latin Honors will be awarded to students whose cumulative GPA places them in the top 8 percent based on a 5-year major cohort average.
For honors beyond Cum Laude, the College will consider the breadth and depth of the student’s engagement with the curriculum. Exceptions to GPA minimums may be granted by the College in response to departmental petition.
Latin Honors are announced quarterly for graduating seniors. Students awarded Latin Honors will have the award noted on their transcript, diploma, and graduation program. It will also be listed on the College Honors and Awards website.
Phi Beta Kappa
The nation's oldest and most widely known academic honors society, Phi Beta Kappa embraces the principles of freedom of inquiry and liberty of thought and expression. Symbolized by a distinctive gold key, election to Phi Beta Kappa represents a commitment to the liberal arts and sciences, laying the foundations of personal freedom, scientific inquiry, liberty of conscience, and creative endeavor. Members demonstrate intellectual integrity, tolerance for other viewpoints, and a broad range of academic interests. Each year, about one in every hundred college junior or seniors nationwide are invited to join Phi Beta Kappa.
Phi Beta Kappa selectees will be notified in early Spring quarter and asked to register on the PBK website. Admittance to PBK is noted on the transcript and will be listed on the College Honors and Awards website.
Student Marshals
Being named a Student Marshal is considered one of the highest honors awarded to undergraduates at the University of Chicago. Each year, third-year students who demonstrate exceptional academic performance, leadership, and civic engagement have the potential to be nominated by a member of the faculty or staff. Students who are nominated are then notified and invited to apply to serve as a Student Marshal.
Student Marshals are appointed by the President of the University in consultation with a review committee including the Dean of Students of the College and the University Marshal. On occasion, Student Marshals may be invited to assist the Marshal of the University with the dignified conduct of official ceremonies and events.
Students who are named Student Marshals will have this designation noted on their transcript and graduation program. It will also be listed on the College Honors and Awards website.
Departmental Major Honors
Departmental major honors are managed by the Collegiate Master's Office for each academic division and are awarded in accordance with each department’s individual major requirements for honors. These requirements typically include a minimum major GPA and minimum cumulative GPA, as well as the completion of a thesis or research project.
For further information, students should refer to their department's program description for their honors eligibility requirements.
Departmental Major Honors are announced quarterly for graduating seniors. Students who earn Departmental Major Honors will have the award noted on their transcript, diploma, and graduation program.
Global Honors
Global Honors are distinct from College Honors & Awards and are administered by the University of Chicago Language Center.
Students who are deeply engaged in cultural activities or academic study requiring the use of a foreign language may wish to pursue Global Honors.
Requirements include a variety of potential activities, for example: taking foreign language courses, gaining certification of foreign language proficiency, studying or interning abroad, engaging with different cultures abroad and in the U.S., and completing a major or minor in a foreign language.
Global Honors provides students a way to assemble these diverse experiences, recognizing exceptional global engagement.
Graduating seniors who are awarded Global Honors will have this designation noted on their transcript and graduation program.
Recognizing achievement in an undergraduate course beyond general education, departments are invited annually to nominate students for the Harper Award for Course Excellence. The Harper Award is designed to decorate the deeply engaged, stellar student, independent of the grade the student receives in the course, or their grade point average.
Departments may nominate one student for a Harper Award from each course of more than 10 students and up to two students for courses that have an enrollment of more than 50 students. Departments can also combine courses with enrollments smaller than 10 students and allow faculty to jointly recommend a Harper Award from those courses.
Reading courses, independent research courses, and thesis writing courses are not eligible for a nomination.
Awards are announced annually at the conclusion of Spring quarter. Students who receive an award will have this designation noted on their transcript and on the College Honors and Awards website.
Other College Awards
Departments, Centers, and other University stakeholders have a variety of awards that students earn based on a variety of factors including program performance, thesis quality, research, leadership, and service. Honors and awards specific to a particular program of study may be found on their department page under Programs of Study.
Most awards are announced annually at the conclusion of Spring quarter. Students who receive an award will typically have this designation noted on their transcript and on the College Honors and Awards website.