Honors Opportunities

UC Santa Cruz awards several honors for outstanding academic achievement.

College Scholars Program

The UC Santa Cruz College Scholars Program (CSP) in 2023-24offers a congenial and stimulating academic home for a select group of well-prepared, first-year students at UC Santa Cruz. This enriched program of study includes special courses, seminars, colloquia, and other events during the first and second years of a student's experience on campus. 

Dean's Honors

Students will be eligible for quarterly Dean’s Honors if they have earned a minimum of 15 units that quarter, of which at least 10 are graded, with a term grade point average (GPA) equal or higher than that required for University Honors at graduation in their group* for the current academic year. The notation “Dean’s Honors” will appear on the transcript.

*Note: GPA thresholds for Baskin School of Engineering majors are calculated separately from those of majors in all other divisions.

Honors in the Major

At graduation, the department sponsoring a student’s major program may confer Honors or Highest Honors in the major. This notation appears on the transcript as well as on the diploma. In general, no more than 15 percent of the graduation class in a major will be awarded Honors at graduation.

University Honors

To be considered for University Honors at graduation, students must have completed 70 or more units at the University of California and have attained in their group* a UC GPA that places them in the rankings as follows: Summa Cum Laude, top 2 percent; Magna Cum Laude, next 3 percent; Cum Laude, next 10 percent. Each year and for each group, the registrar will calculate the GPA thresholds required for these levels of University Honors, based on the GPAs of recent graduates. The notation University Honors will appear on the diploma and transcript.

• Note: GPA thresholds for Baskin School of Engineering majors are calculated separately from those of majors in all other divisions.