By the OnlineU team | Updated 9/12/2023 If you strive for academic excellence in college, you might be rewarded with a place on the dean's list. Many U.S. colleges publicly acknowledge their outstanding students in this way to encourage a culture of dedicated study and good GPAs. But what exactly is the dean's list, and how can you earn a spot and benefit from it? We answer those questions and more below. By the OnlineU team | Updated 9/12/2023 If you strive for academic excellence in college, you might be rewarded with a place on the dean's list. Many U.S. colleges publicly acknowledge their outstanding students in this way to encourage a culture of dedicated study and good GPAs. But what exactly is the dean's list, and how can you earn a spot and benefit from it? We answer those questions and more below.
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What Is the Dean's List?
The dean's list is a register of students who met high academic standards during a college's most recent semester or quarter. Colleges distribute their lists publicly, including on their websites. The standards can vary, but institutions typically calculate eligibility in one of two ways:
- Meeting a GPA threshold for the previous full-time term (usually 3.5 for undergraduates and 3.85-4.0 for graduate students)
- Earning a GPA that's among the highest for the cohort (often the top 5% of undergraduates and top 1-5% of graduate students)
Notably, the list changes every term and doesn't consider your cumulative GPA. Your college may award a separate distinction for your cumulative GPA at graduation — the so-called Latin honors of cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude.
Interested in learning about the academic requirements at some of the best colleges? Explore the schools on our lists of the Best Online Colleges and Degrees.
How Do You Get on the Dean’s List?
To land on the dean's list, you need to meet or exceed your school's specific criteria, which usually means enrolling full time and earning a certain GPA for the previous term. Depending on the college, your major department or academic advisor may be responsible for forwarding your eligibility information to a dean's office.
Earning a spot on the Dean's List requires dedication and good study habits. Check out Study Tips for College Students to learn the study tips and tools you need to succeed.
Benefits of Being on the Dean's List
The biggest benefit is a sense of personal accomplishment. You can't earn the honor without studying hard and performing well, so you should be proud of your achievement if you make the list.
Most colleges note dean's list honors on official transcripts, so prospective employers or graduate school admissions officers can see the honor at a glance.
Beyond pride, the actual benefits of landing on the dean's list are variable. One possible benefit is that most colleges note dean's list honors on official transcripts, so prospective employers or graduate school admissions officers can see the honor at a glance. But they can also see your GPA and your grades for each term in the same glance, so the dean's list designation doesn't tell them anything that's not already clear.
If you earn consistent spots on the dean's list, you're more likely to maintain the GPA you need to graduate with honors, which you can declare on your resume. Keeping a high GPA can also help you get or maintain merit-based scholarships, and it increases your chances of getting into a graduate school program.
FAQs About the Dean’s List
Is the Dean’s List a Big Deal?
The dean's list is a big deal because it means you got very good grades in a particular term. This would be good for you even if your college didn't publicly acknowledge your performance, because it might impress future hiring managers and improve your chances of getting into graduate school.
What GPA Do You Need To Be on the Dean’s List?
The most common GPA thresholds are 3.5 for undergraduates and 3.85-4.0 for graduate students. But the criteria can vary between schools, and some actually put the top 1-5% of students in their class on the dean's list, regardless of GPA.
Do You Have to Apply To Be Considered for the Dean’s List?
In most cases, your department or academic advisor will automatically include your name for consideration. Many schools have a process for being added retroactively if there was an error or you had an excused absence and finished a course after the deadline. In these cases, you may need to advocate for yourself — you might not be automatically considered.
Bottom Line
The dean's list is a public roll of the college students who performed best in the most recent term. The list criteria vary from school to school, but you'll always need to earn a high GPA for the term to be considered. It's an honor to be included on the dean's list, and it may be beneficial for your future academic and career pursuits.
