Grading Scale Guide
Grading Scales
Understand the different grading scales used in schools and colleges — from standard letter grades to GPA conversions.
Standard Letter Grade Scale
The most common scale used in US schools. Percentages map to letter grades as follows — check with your school, since exact ranges can vary.
| Grade | Percentage | Standing |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97–100% | Exceptional |
| A | 93–96% | Excellent |
| A− | 90–92% | Excellent |
| B+ | 87–89% | Good |
| B | 83–86% | Good |
| B− | 80–82% | Good |
| C+ | 77–79% | Satisfactory |
| C | 73–76% | Satisfactory |
| C− | 70–72% | Satisfactory |
| D+ | 67–69% | Passing |
| D | 65–66% | Passing |
| D− | 60–64% | Passing |
| F | Below 60% | Failing |
GPA Scale (4.0)
Colleges convert letter grades to grade points on the 4.0 scale. Your GPA is the average of these values across all courses.
| Grade | Grade Points |
|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 |
| A | 4.0 |
| A− | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B− | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C− | 1.7 |
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1.0 |
| D− | 0.7 |
| F | 0.0 |
Weighted vs Unweighted GPA
There are two ways schools calculate GPA — the difference comes down to how hard classes are treated.
Every class counts equally, on a 0–4.0 scale. An A is a 4.0 whether it was earned in regular English or AP Physics.
Harder classes earn bonus points — AP and Honors courses can push grades above 4.0, up to 5.0 or higher. Rewards students who take challenging coursework.
When reporting your GPA, always check which version your school uses and what the college you’re applying to asks for.
Related Tools
Grading scales vary by school and country. These tables show the most common US mappings.