Academic Honors
Barlow Trophy
Alma's most prestigious award for graduating seniors, the Barlow Trophy is awarded on the basis of scholarship and leadership. Candidates must rank in the top 10 percent of the graduating class, and the recipient is elected by a vote of the College faculty and Student Congress.
Dean's List
Students who achieve a 3.5 term CPA while carrying a minimum load of 13 credits (eight of which must be graded A-E) qualify for the Dean's List. The Dean's List is compiled at the end of both the Fall and Winter terms.
Departmental Honors
To graduate with Departmental Honors, students must demonstrate superior performance on the departmental comprehensive evaluation (where offered), present a thesis of honors caliber and achieve a CPA of at least 3.5 in the major field. Each department has autonomy over the comprehensive evaluation and the thesis.
President's Outstanding Senior Award
The President of Alma College may select seniors who have completed seven full (Fall or Winter) terms and demonstrated scholastic superiority to receive the President's Outstanding Senior Award.
President's Cup
Juniors, sophomores and first-year students who attain the highest academic ranks in their classes based on CPA receive the President's Cup award.
Honor Societies
Academic achievement is recognized through membership in honorary organizations affiliated with a student's area of academic specialty. Many of Alma's honor societies are local chapters of national and international organizations, providing social and professional contacts which supplement classroom experiences.
Membership standards for these honor societies are at the Provost's Office:
| Phi Beta Kappa | National Honorary Society |
| Omicron Delta Kappa | National Honorary Society |
| Gamma Delta Alpha | Senior Women's Honorary Society |
Membership standards for this honor society are at the Student Life Office:
| Order of Omega | National Greek Honorary Society |
Graduation Honors
Graduation Honors are awarded to graduating seniors who have completed at least 60 credits at Alma College:
- Summa cum laude to students who have achieved a 3.8 CPA (and 3.6 in credits outside the division of the major)
- Magna cum laude to students who have achieved a 3.6 CPA (and 3.4 in credits outside the division of the major)
- Cum laude to students who have achieved a 3.4 CPA (and 3.2 outside the division of the major)
Membership standards for the following organizations are available from each academic department:
| Alpha Mu Gamma | Modern Languages |
| Alpha Psi Omega | Theatre |
| Beta Beta Beta | Biology |
| Chi Epsilon Mu | Chemistry |
| EHS Honor Society | Exercise and Health Science |
| Epsilon Sigma Epsilon | Education |
| Kappa Pi Zeta | Art and Design |
| Lambda Pi Eta | Communication |
| Omicron Delta Epsilon | Economics |
| Phi Alpha Theta | History |
| Pi Delta Chi | Dance |
| Pi Mu Epsilon | Mathematics |
| Pi Sigma Alpha | Political Science |
| Psi Chi | Psychology |
| Rho Chi Epsilon | Business |
| Sigma Delta Pi | Spanish |
| Sigma Pi Sigma | Physics |
| Sigma Tau Delta | English |