A 70 earns you top honors in the UK, a C-range grade in most American classrooms, and a failing mark in a Philippine high school. That gap is why reading a US transcript, or explaining your own grades to a US school, feels harder than it should.
This guide covers how American letter grades, percentages and GPA fit together, then places Canadian, British, German, Indian and Philippine grades beside them. Every conversion range is an estimate tied to a registrar, a government body or a university’s published method, because no single official conversion exists. The receiving school’s decision is always final.
Last verified: October 2026.
US Grades at a Glance
- US grades run from A to F. An A usually means 90 to 100 percent and an F means below 60.
- Each letter carries grade points on a 4.0 scale: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0.
- Your GPA is the credit-weighted average of those grade points.
- A plus or minus shifts a grade by about 0.3 points.
- Foreign grades have no official US equivalent. The receiving school or a credential evaluator decides.
Percentage, letter, and grade point chart
| Letter grade | Typical percentage | Grade points |
| A | 93 to 100 | 4.0 |
| A- | 90 to 92 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87 to 89 | 3.3 |
| B | 83 to 86 | 3.0 |
| B- | 80 to 82 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77 to 79 | 2.3 |
| C | 73 to 76 | 2.0 |
| C- | 70 to 72 | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67 to 69 | 1.3 |
| D | 63 to 66 | 1.0 |
| D- | 60 to 62 | 0.7 |
| F | Below 60 | 0.0 |
The grade point column follows the values registrars publish. Indiana University lists A+ or A as 4.0, A- as 3.7, B+ as 3.3, and so on down to F as 0.0. The percentage column is a common convention, and each school or instructor sets the exact cutoffs.
What each letter signals
A signals excellent work, B good, C average, D a weak pass, and F a failure with no credit. Most schools skip E, though a few use it as the failing grade.
How plus and minus grades change the math
A minus lowers a grade by about 0.3, and a plus raises it by about 0.3. An A- counts as 3.7, so a transcript full of A-minuses produces a 3.7, not a 4.0.
An A+ usually stays at 4.0. Some schools skip plus and minus grades entirely, and at others faculty can choose whether to use them.
Why a 75 or a 90 can mean different letters at different schools
On the chart above, a 75 is a C, an average passing grade worth 2.0 points. A 90 is an A-.
At a school using simple ten-point bands (90 to 100 for any A), that same 90 is a full A. Some instructors also grade on a curve, which ties your letter to class rank instead of a fixed percentage. Your syllabus and the transcript legend always override a generic chart.
Many elementary and middle schools do not use letters at all. They issue standards-based report cards, often on a 1 to 4 scale, and letter grades take over in high school.
How Letter Grades Become a GPA
Letters, credits, and grade points are the three parts of every US transcript. Here is how they combine, with a calculation you can copy.
Credits and how they weight your GPA
A credit (or credit hour) measures how much a course counts, usually based on weekly class time. A 4-credit lab science moves your GPA more than a 1-credit seminar.
Indiana University’s grading policy describes the standard method: multiply each course’s grade points by its credit hours, then divide the total by the credit hours attempted. Here is one semester worked through:
| Course | Credits | Grade | Grade points × credits |
| Biology | 4 | A (4.0) | 16.0 |
| English | 3 | B+ (3.3) | 9.9 |
| Math | 3 | B (3.0) | 9.0 |
| History | 3 | A- (3.7) | 11.1 |
| Fitness | 1 | A (4.0) | 4.0 |
| Total | 14 | 50.0 |
50.0 ÷ 14 = 3.57 GPA. Your cumulative GPA repeats the same math across every term.
Weighted vs unweighted GPA in high school
An unweighted GPA caps at 4.0 and treats every class alike. A weighted GPA adds extra points for honors, AP, or IB classes, so an A in a harder course can count as 4.5 or 5.0.
Weighting rules differ by school district. When you compare yourself to a published average, check which version you are looking at.
What affects your GPA most
Three things move your GPA most:
- Credit load. A low grade in a high-credit course does the most damage.
- Failing grades. An F adds zero points, but its credits still count in the divisor.
- Excluded grades. Pass/fail courses usually sit outside the calculation. UNC Greensboro, for example, states that courses graded pass/not pass cannot be used in determining its GPA.
Timing matters too. With 60 credits at a 3.5, one 3-credit F drops you to about 3.33. The same F in your first semester would hurt far more, because fewer credits cushion it.
The average US high school GPA
The best national benchmark comes from the federal High School Transcript Study. It found that the average GPA of high school graduates rose to 3.11 in 2019, from 3.00 in 2009 and 2.68 in 1990.
These are the most recent published results. A newer collection was scheduled alongside the 2024 national assessment, so check the NCES transcript study page for an update. The figure covers high school only, and no equivalent federal average exists for college GPAs.
The trend matters as much as the number. A B average today sits lower in the pack than it did a generation ago.
Other Transcript Marks and GPA Thresholds
Not everything on a US transcript is a letter from A to F, and a few GPA numbers carry specific consequences.
Marks that usually do not count in your GPA
| Mark | Meaning | Usual GPA effect |
| W | Withdrew from the course after the drop deadline | None |
| I | Incomplete; work is still owed | None until it converts to a letter |
| P / NP | Pass or no pass | None |
| AU | Audited without credit | None |
Policies differ by school. At some, an unresolved Incomplete turns into an F, so read the transcript legend.
GPA numbers that matter
- 2.0 is the usual minimum for good academic standing and for graduating from college.
- 3.0 is a common minimum for admission to US graduate programs.
- Latin honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude) reward top GPAs. Each college sets its own cutoffs, and some award them by class rank.
A D is normally a passing grade that earns credit. Many colleges still require a C or better in major and prerequisite courses.
Three Questions That Decode Any Grading System
Every conversion below rests on three questions. Learn them once, and you can read a transcript from a country not covered here.
- Which direction does the scale run? In the US, higher is better. In Germany and at many Philippine universities, 1.0 is the top grade.
- What is the top grade, and how often is it given? A 90 is routine in a US classroom and rare in a British one.
- What is the lowest passing grade? It is 60 percent in most US courses, 50 at many Canadian universities, 40 in a UK honours degree and 75 in Philippine high schools.
| System | Direction | Top grade | Lowest pass |
| United States | Higher is better | A (4.0) | D (about 60%) |
| Canada (University of Toronto) | Higher is better | A+ (90 to 100) | 50 |
| UK honours degree | Higher is better | First (70+) | 40 |
| Germany | Lower is better | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| India (UGC 10-point) | Higher is better | O (10) | P (4) |
| Philippines (high school) | Higher is better | 100 | 75 |
A grade is a position between the lowest pass and the top of the scale. Two systems can print the same number and mean opposite things, which is why straight percentage math fails.
Canada’s GPA System and Grading Scale
Canada uses letters and a GPA like the US, but the percentage behind each letter is lower, so convert the letter and not the number.
Why the scale changes by university
Canada has no national grading standard, and universities in the same province can differ. The University of Toronto uses a 4.0 scale, UBC records percentages, and McMaster uses a 12-point scale. Some universities use 4.3 or 4.33 scales on which an A+ counts above 4.0. UBC’s Faculty of Graduate Studies publishes a comparison of Canadian university grading systems.
The University of Toronto’s grading scale is a useful reference point. There, 85 to 100 earns a 4.0, 80 to 84 is an A- worth 3.7, and anything from 50 up still passes.
British Columbia as an example
UBC reports percentages with letter equivalents. According to the UBC Academic Calendar, 90 to 100 is an A+, 80 to 84 is an A-, and 50 to 54 is a D, with a fail below 50 in most faculties. Some faculties set a higher pass mark, so check the current calendar.
Turning Canadian grades into a US GPA
| University of Toronto result | How it reads in US terms |
| 85 to 100 (A, A+) | A, 4.0 |
| 80 to 84 (A-) | A-, 3.7 |
| 77 to 79 (B+) | B+, 3.3 |
| 73 to 76 (B) | B, 3.0 |
| 70 to 72 (B-) | B-, 2.7 |
| 60 to 69 (C range) | C range, 1.7 to 2.3 |
| 50 to 59 (D range) | Low pass, 0.7 to 1.3 |
Other universities draw the bands a few points differently, so use the legend on your own transcript.
Convert the letter, not the percentage. An 80 is an A- in Toronto but a B- on the typical US chart, so percentage math would undersell you by a full grade.
UK Degree Classifications vs US GPA
British universities do not issue a GPA, and no official conversion exists. The figures below are rough guides only.
What a First, 2:1 and 2:2 look like in GPA terms
| UK degree classification (typical marks) | Approximate US GPA |
| First-class honours (70+) | 4.0 |
| Upper second, 2:1 (60 to 69) | 3.3 to 3.7 |
| Lower second, 2:2 (50 to 59) | 2.7 to 3.0 |
| Third (40 to 49) | 2.0 to 2.3 |
These figures come from the US-UK Fulbright Commission’s reference table, which the Commission says is unofficial. US schools read the same degrees a little differently. The University of Washington Graduate School, for example, treats a 2:1 as a flat 3.5 and a 2:2 as 3.0.
The University of Edinburgh’s careers service states that there is no accepted way to convert its marks to a GPA and advises against converting on an application form. Report your classification and let the admissions office interpret it.
Why a 70 in the UK is not a C
Apply the three questions. The UK scale runs upward like the US one, but the pass mark is 40 and marks above 80 are uncommon.
A 70 therefore sits near the top of the usable range. Read against the US chart, it looks like a C-, which is the mistake a calculator makes if it works from raw percentages.
Converting a US GPA to UK terms
Going the other way, UK universities publish the GPA they accept in place of a 2:1 or 2:2 for each course. These entry requirements are admissions thresholds, not equivalence tables, so they often sit lower than the ranges above and vary with how selective the course is.
Check the international entry page of the specific university. A general US GPA to UK conversion can only give you a starting estimate.
German Grade Conversion: 1.0 to 5.0 and the US GPA
Many German universities convert foreign grades with a published formula you can run yourself.
How the German grading scale runs
The German grading system is inverted. A 1.0 is the best grade, 4.0 is the lowest pass, and 5.0 is a fail.
The modified Bavarian formula, step by step
Hochschule Osnabrück’s conversion guide sets out the method: subtract your average from the maximum possible grade, divide by the maximum minus the lowest passing grade, multiply by 3 and add 1.
German grade = 1 + 3 × (Nmax − Nd) ÷ (Nmax − Nmin)
- Find Nmax, the best possible grade in your system.
- Find Nmin, the lowest passing grade.
- Take Nd, your own average.
- Run the formula and keep one decimal. Universities differ on how: the University of Passau drops the extra digits without rounding, while others round.
Worked example: a 3.5 GPA on the German scale
Nmax is 4.0, and Nd is 3.5. The open question is Nmin, and universities answer it differently.
- Lowest pass set at 2.0: 1 + 3 × (0.5 ÷ 2) = 1.75, reported as 1.7 or 1.8
- Lowest pass set at 1.0: 1 + 3 × (0.5 ÷ 3) = 1.5
Both are legitimate. TH Nürnberg’s conversion table lists two separate USA rows, one running from 4 down to 2 and one from 4 down to 1. In reverse, a German 2.0 equals a 3.33 or a 3.0 US GPA depending on the row.
That is why two German grade converters can disagree. Ask the university which pass mark and rounding rule it applies before you rely on a number.
CGPA to German grade
The same formula handles a 10-point CGPA. An 8.0 with a pass mark of 4.0 gives 1 + 3 × (2 ÷ 6) = 2.0. With a pass mark of 5.0, it becomes 2.2.
One caution from a Berlin master’s program: the maximum and minimum values must apply to the overall average, since figures printed for single classes cannot be used for GPA conversion.
India, the Philippines and 10-Point Systems
Both countries use scales that look simple and convert badly with simple math.
Indian CGPA to US GPA
India’s University Grants Commission recommends a 10-point scale running from O (Outstanding) at 10 and A+ at 9 down to P (Pass) at 4 and F at 0. The percentage behind each letter differs by university.
The common shortcut is CGPA ÷ 10 × 4, which turns an 8.0 into a 3.2. US evaluators do not work that way. They map your university’s grade bands to US letters, and those bands can be generous at the top. The University of Washington Graduate School’s table, for example, reads Indian percentage marks of 60 to 100 as an A.
So the shortcut often understates your result. Use it only when a form explicitly asks for it.
A number means nothing without its scale. A 7.0 cannot exist on a 4.0 scale, but on the UGC 10-point scale a 7 is a B+, described as Good.
The Philippine grading system and the 75 pass mark
According to Nuffic, the Dutch organization for international education, Philippine secondary schools grade from 0 to 100 with 75 as the pass mark, and higher education has no national grading system.
Many universities use an inverted scale where 1.0 is the top grade, 3.0 is the lowest pass, and 5.0 is a fail. So a Philippine 75 is the lowest pass in high school, while a US 75 is a comfortable C.
Converting an International Transcript: What to Expect
The receiving institution decides your US GPA. Knowing that, and when to pay for an evaluation, saves you money and stops you from underselling yourself.
Who decides your US GPA?
Many US admissions offices read foreign transcripts themselves, and others ask for a report from a credential evaluation service.
World Education Services offers a free iGPA Calculator that shows how your grades compare on the 4.0 scale, using the most common grading scales for the country where you studied. It gives you an estimate, not an official result.
Checklist before you self-convert
- Check whether the application asks for a converted GPA at all.
- Find the grading legend on your transcript, including the top grade and the pass mark.
- Confirm that the scale and pass mark apply to your overall average.
- Convert letters or grade bands, not raw percentages.
- Record which method you used, in case the school asks.
- Report your original grades alongside any estimate.
When to pay for an official evaluation
Pay only when a school, licensing body, or employer requires it. Requirements and fees change, so confirm them on the institution’s own page.
Start early if you do need one. WES notes that your institution is responsible for sending most document types directly, and that step often takes the longest.
US Grading System Questions, Answered
What is the US grading system?
US schools grade with letters from A to F. Each letter matches a percentage range and a grade point value on a 4.0 scale, and the credit-weighted average of those values is your GPA.
What percentage is an A in the US?
Usually 90 to 100 percent. Schools that use plus and minus grades often reserve a full A for 93 and above, with 90 to 92 counted as an A-. Your school’s own scale decides.
Is a D a passing grade in the US?
Usually yes. A D earns credit in most courses. Many colleges require a C or better in major and prerequisite courses, and a 2.0 average to graduate.
What is the average GPA in US high schools?
The latest published federal transcript study put the average at 3.11 for 2019 graduates, up from 3.00 in 2009. Check NCES for newer releases.
What will an F do to a 3.5 GPA?
It depends on how many credits you have. With 60 credits completed, one 3-credit F lowers a 3.5 to about 3.33. With fewer credits, the drop is larger.
What is a 2:1 or a First in US GPA?
A UK 2:1 is roughly 3.3 to 3.7 and a First roughly 4.0 on the Fulbright Commission’s unofficial table. No official conversion exists, so report your classification and let the school interpret it.
What is a 3.5 GPA in the German system?
About 1.5 to 1.75 under the modified Bavarian formula. The result is 1.75 if the university treats 2.0 as the lowest US pass and 1.5 if it uses 1.0.
Does Canada use the same GPA scale as the US?
Not always. Canadian universities use 4.0, 4.3, 4.33, 12-point or percentage scales depending on the school, and an 80 is often an A- there.
How do I convert an Indian CGPA to a US GPA?
There is no single formula. Evaluators map your university’s grade bands to US letters and then average them. Dividing by 10 and multiplying by 4 is a rough shortcut that often understates the result.
Do I need an official credential evaluation?
Only if the school or employer asks for one. Many US universities evaluate foreign transcripts themselves, while others require a report from a service such as WES.
The Short Version
The US grading system comes down to three linked pieces: a letter, the grade points behind it, and the credits that weight it. Once you can run that calculation, you can read most US transcripts.
Your own grades need more care. Ask which way the scale runs, where the top sits and where passing begins, then convert your position on the scale instead of the raw number. Use the ranges here to plan, report your original grades as they are, and let the receiving school make the final call.
A grade only means something next to the scale it came from. Keep both together and your record will be read the way you earned it.