Undergraduate students who have achieved academic excellence at the University wear a gold cord at graduation, indicating graduation cum laude, with praise, magna cum laude, with great praise, or summa cum laude, with highest praise. Degrees conferred with distinction reflect an outstanding overall grade point average with a minimum of sixty semester credit hours earned at Alfred University; a minimum of fifty computed in the grade point average.
The distinctions and corresponding requirements are:
- cum laude - grade point average of at least 3.30
- magna cum laude - grade point average of at least 3.70, and no grade below C
- summa cum laude - grade point average of at least 3.90, and no grade below B
