In the U.S.A. an honors student is a student in elementary, middle, or high school recognized for achieving high grades.

Honors students are recognized on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as "honor rolls". Honor rolls are generally published once every marking period, or every quarter or semester.

Criteria for meeting the standards of the honor roll vary from school to school, and from different levels of education. Elementary and middle school levels generally require a 'B' average in all classes (which converts to a 3.0 on a standard 4.0 GPA scale). In high school, expectations are typically a little higher, generally requesting a 'B+' average in all classes (a 3.333 out of 4.0). However, these grades are certainly not absolute - schools can set their own standards for honor roll requirements (this usually happens when schools have weighted grading systems).

Some schools enact an "honorable mention" list in addition to the honor roll. Honorable mentions typically list students who fell just short of the honor roll expectations.

Honors students are often rewarded for their achievements. A typical student who has made numerous appearances on the honor roll is awarded with some form of academic letter.

Parents often advertise the fact that their child is an Honor(s) student on their car with a bumper sticker reading something like "My child is an honor student at XYZ", provoking a counter-wave of bumper sticker humor mocking such stickers - e.g. "My parrot can talk. Can your honor student fly?".

A similar concept to honor rolls exists in colleges and universities in the United States, known as the Dean's List.

Students | Education in the United States