United States GPA Calculator
This international GPA calculator is intended to help you calculate the United States Grade Point Average (GPA) based on grades or points from almost any country in the world. The U.S. GPA is calculated on a 4.0 scale.
How is the GPA calculated?
1) First, the grades are converted to the U.S. equivalent for countries other than the U.S.
| Chinese Grade | U.S. Grade |
|---|---|
| 90 | A |
| 85 | A- |
| 80 | B |
2) The GPA converter converts each U.S. grade equivalent to points using the following scale:
| U.S. Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 |
| A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 |
| U.S. Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.7 |
| U.S. Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.7 |
| U.S. Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1.0 |
| D- | 0.7 |
| U.S. Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| F | 0.0 |
| – | |
| – |
3) The points for each class are multiplied by the number of credits or hours for that class, added together, and divided by the total number of credits or hours.
| Credits | U.S. Grade | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | A | 4.0 |
| 3 | A- | 3.7 |
| 2 | B | 3.0 |
| Total Points | |
|---|---|
| 3 x 4.0 = | 12.0 |
| 3 x 3.7 = | 11.1 |
| 2 x 3.0 = | 6.0 |
| 12.0 + 11.1 + 6.0 = | 29.1 |
| divide by | |
| 3 + 3 + 2 = | 8 |
| Cumulative GPA = | 3.64 |
Other Conversion Scales
The scale above is the most common GPA conversion scale used by high schools and universities in the United States. Some universities use .67 and .33 steps for more precision, but this
difference does not significantly affect the resulting GPA. A few schools use .5 steps. For example, both A- and B+ are converted to 3.5. This type of conversion is less accurate because
A- and B+ are rarely considered the same grade. A+ is sometimes converted to 4.3 (or 4.33) points, but many universities do not have an A+.
It is also common for high schools to give an extra point for AP (Advanced Placement) classes, so the GPA can
be as high as 5.0. However, this GPA is known as a weighted GPA. An unweighted GPA is still calculated out of 4 points and is indicated on the transcript next to the weighted GPA.
Is D a passing grade in the U.S.?
D is a passing grade in most public schools (primary and secondary schools) in the U.S., but usually not in college. College courses with a grade of D cannot be transferred, but can be re-taken. Most high schools require a minimum 1.0 GPA to graduate. Most undergraduate programs require
a minimum 2.0 GPA. Most graduate programs require 3.0 or above.
