Cum laude is a Latin term that is commonly used in the academic world to designate students who have achieved outstanding academic success during their academic career. However, there are numerous synonyms that can be used in place of cum laude, like with highest honors, magna cum laude, or with great distinction. While cum laude is often used for undergraduate programs, different graduate schools may use a different level of praises for the level of distinction achieved like summa cum laude. The choice of synonym is usually dependent on the academic institution, but they all intend to honor and recognize the academic excellence of the students.