Definition · Plain-language
Honor roll
The honor roll is a recognition list naming students who achieve grades above a set standard during a term.
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How the honor roll works
Each marking period or term, a school compiles its honor roll from students whose grades meet or exceed a set standard. Criteria vary widely: some schools require a minimum grade point average, others stipulate that no grade falls below a certain letter, and many run tiered lists such as “honor roll” and a higher “high honor roll” or “principal’s honor roll”. Because it is assessed each term, a student’s place on the honor roll can change from one marking period to the next.
Why it matters
Making the honor roll is a public acknowledgement of strong, consistent academic performance. While it usually carries no direct monetary reward, it can build a student’s record for college applications, contribute to eligibility for honour societies, and motivate continued effort. Many schools recognise honor-roll students through certificates, assemblies or notations on a report card or transcript. As a term-based honour, it complements, rather than replaces, the cumulative recognitions such as graduation honours.
Honor roll versus dean’s list
The honor roll and the dean’s list serve similar purposes but at different stages. The honor roll is the term-based recognition most associated with primary and secondary schools, while the dean’s list is its counterpart in colleges and universities, named for the academic dean who publishes it. Both reward a single term’s high achievement against a GPA or grade threshold, and both differ from the cumulative Latin honours (cum laude and so on) awarded at graduation. Spelling note: British English uses “honour roll”.
Key facts
At a glance
- Definition: A term list of students with grades above a set standard.
- Most common in: Primary and secondary schools.
- Criteria: A minimum GPA or no grade below a set mark (varies).
- Tiers: Often “honor roll” and a higher “high honor roll”.
- College equivalent: The dean’s list.
- Spelling: “Honour roll” in British English.
Common misconceptions
What people often get wrong
Often heard: The honor roll and the dean’s list are unrelated honours.
Actually: They are counterparts: the honor roll is the term recognition typical of schools, and the dean’s list is its college and university equivalent, both rewarding a term’s high grades.
Often heard: There is one fixed honor-roll standard used by all schools.
Actually: Criteria vary widely. Some schools use a minimum GPA, others require no grade below a set letter, and many run tiered lists, so the standard differs by institution.
Often heard: Once on the honor roll, a student stays on it all year.
Actually: The honor roll is assessed each marking period or term. A student qualifies only for the periods in which their grades meet the standard.
