THE University of the Philippines is rethinking its Latin honors system after a staggering 61% of UP Diliman’s 2024–2025 graduates earned academic medals— including more than 200 who finished summa cum laude.
The surge marks a dramatic shift from previous years. In 2015, only 29 students graduated summa cum laude, but the number soared to 305 in 2023— the highest on record— before slightly dropping to 286 in 2024 and 241 in 2025.
Over the last three academic years, UP Diliman has consistently produced more than 200 summa cum laude graduates annually, raising concerns about the integrity and exclusivity of academic distinctions.
Some attribute the spike to grade hyperinflation following the lifting of the university’s “no-fail” policy in early 2022.
According to data from the UP Office of the University Registrar, nearly half of the final grades submitted across three semesters after the policy was dropped were either 1.00 or 1.25— the two highest marks possible.
However, not everyone agrees that grade inflation is the sole reason. Some netizens argue that the shift in student performance may also reflect genuine academic growth, citing the K–12 curriculum as a key factor.
They suggest that students today are better equipped to handle academic rigor due to enhanced senior high school preparation— a structural advantage not available to previous batches.
“The surge in summa cum laude graduates in UP starting 2022 might actually be because of the Senior High School program. That year’s batch was the first to go through SHS under the K–12 system, which was designed to help students transition more smoothly into college,” said one netizen.
“They already had exposure to research, academic writing, and subjects related to their future majors even before stepping into university,” he added.
Screenshot from Facebook.
Under the current system, UP students are awarded cum laude with a general weighted average (GWA) of 1.75 or better, magna cum laude with 1.45 or better, and summa cum laude with 1.20 or better, provided they meet additional requirements such as a minimum number of units taken in residence.
