Grade point average cutoffs to graduate with Latin honors for the class of 2025 remained unchanged from their record high last year.
This year, a GPA of 3.98 or higher earned the distinction of summa cum laude, while at least 3.95 and 3.90 merited magna cum laude and cum laude distinctions, respectively, according to Paul McKinley DRA ’96, Yale College’s associate dean for communications. The class of 2023 was the first class for which the cutoff for summa cum laude was as high as 3.98.
“In my experience, grades are inflated pretty much across the board and A’s hardly mean anything anymore,” Andy Nilipour ’25 wrote to the News.
Nilipour is one of 12 seniors interviewed by the News who found the high Latin honors cutoffs unsurprising given the persistent grade inflation at Yale. Some said the Latin honors system disadvantages students in STEM disciplines that tend to award lower grades.
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Grade inflation at Yale College:
Top 5% GPA: 3.98 or higher
Top 15% GPA: 3.95 or higher
Top 30% GPA: 3.9 or higher
