The thesis receives a grade from two readers who are assigned by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The advisor and others who have given substantive feedback to the student's written work on the thesis topic will not grade the thesis. The grades range from Highest Honors to No Honors. The grading scale for a thesis differs from that of a seminar paper in that the higher end of the grading scale is much broader (i.e., A is the highest grade given on a seminar paper, while A+++ represents the highest grade given a thesis).

A thesis found to contain an original contribution to knowledge of some significance may be awarded Summa or Summa minus (Highest Honors). This does not necessarily mean that it must explore a “new” or little-studied problem. An original contribution to knowledge can also result from a novel and perceptive reassessment of a familiar question. College-wide, fewer than 5% of all seniors receive Summa/Highest Honors.

A Magna (High Honors) thesis need not be an original contribution to knowledge, but it should show sound judgment, a substantial amount of work, clarity of thought and presentation, and some creativity. The research design should be sound and the data judiciously interpreted, although slight flaws in design or analysis may be allowed. Such flaws should not be substantial however; if they are, the thesis will receive Cum Laude/Honors designation. College-wide, about 29% of all seniors receive Magna/High Honors.

The Cum Laude (Honors) thesis differs from the High Honors thesis in the difficulty of the problem addressed, the amount of work shown by the student, the clarity of the presentation and the soundness of the conclusions reached. Cum Laude/Honors is a grade signifying a high quality but not particularly unusual piece of research.