California Western School Of Law building background

Grade Information

This page provides information on Grades, Class Ranking and Academic Honors. 

Grades and unofficial transcripts are accessible to students online through the Student Portal.  Please refer to the Academic Calendar online to view the designated grade release dates following the end of the term.  

Note, if the Business Office or Financial Aid Office has placed a hold on your account, you will not be able to access your grades. After you log in, a message will appear advising you of the hold and which office to contact. Students must contact those offices directly for clearance.

Further information about the grading curve, grading scale, and grading policies is available in the Student Handbook under section 6.0.

Rankings and Honors


Class Rankings

All students are ranked annually by class as defined by the Student Handbook (section 6.07) based on their cumulative grade point average following the conclusion of the academic year, the end of the spring semester. 

First-Year Students

Although First-year students are not ranked after the completion of their first term, to help evaluate your relative performance please reference the following memo - First Term Performance Memo

Upper-Division Students

Upper-class students are ranked by class year based on Academic Policy 6.07 in the Student Handbook. Rankings are based on cumulative grade point average for coursework that is completed within the academic year. Students that did not complete any course work within the academic year will carry their class rank from the prior ranking year. 

Graduating Students

Graduation Rank is based on cumulative grade point average based at the time of graduation. Students that graduate in the summer or fall terms will be ranked with the following spring semester graduates.  Full-Time and Part-Time graduates are ranked together.   


Academic and Graduation Honors

Graduation Honors 

  • Summa Cum Laude: awarded to the student whose cumulative grade point average is the highest in the graduating class.
    • Summer and Fall graduates are grouped with the following spring graduates at which time this honor will be determined.
  • Magna Cum Laude: awarded to graduates with a cumulative grade point average of 3.56 or higher.
  • Cum Laude: awarded to graduates with a cumulative grade point average from 3.33 to 3.55.

Dean's List

Dean's Honor List is only awarded for the fall and spring semester and not available for the summer term.

  • Upper Division Full Time Students - Awarded to upper-class students with 12 or more units in a term who received a grade (or Honors designation in an Independent Study) for 10 or more of such units, and whose term grade point average is at least 3.33.
  • Upper Division Part Time Students - Awarded to upper-class students with 8 or more units in a term who received a grade (or Honors designation in an Independent Study) for 6 or more of such units, and whose term grade point average is at least 3.33.
  • First-Year Full Time Students - Any full-time first year student whose class standing G.P.A. at the end of second term is at least 3.33 shall be recognized for that achievement by inclusion on a Dean's Honor List for full-time students.
  • First-Year Part Time Students - Any part-time first year student whose class standing G.P.A. at the end of the third term is at least 3.33 shall be recognized for that achievement by inclusion on a Dean's Honor List for part-time students.

Academic Excellence Award

The faculty member will designate the highest performing students to receive the Academic Excellence Award based on the highest total raw score, including professionalism and/or participation points. In the event that the faculty member deems two students deserving of recognition, both students shall be designated as receiving the Academic Excellence Award. The Registrar's Office will note this designation of the student's transcript upon the release of final grades.