The GPA Scale, Explained

What is the GPA scale?

GPA stands for Grade Point Average. It is a single number — typically between 0.0 and 4.0 in the US — that summarises your academic performance by converting letter grades into numbers, multiplying by credit hours, and dividing by total credits attempted.

How letter grades map to grade points

The standard US conversion table is:

Letter Grade	Percentage Range	Grade Points
A / A+	93–100%	4.0
A−	90–92%	3.7
B+	87–89%	3.3
B	83–86%	3.0
B−	80–82%	2.7
C+	77–79%	2.3
C	73–76%	2.0
D	60–69%	1.0
F	0–59%	0.0

The GPA formula

For each course, multiply its grade points by the number of credit hours. Sum all of those products, then divide by the total credit hours attempted:

GPA = Σ (Grade Points × Credit Hours) ÷ Σ Credit Hours

Example: an A (4.0) in a 3-credit course and a B (3.0) in a 4-credit course gives (4.0×3 + 3.0×4) ÷ (3+4) = (12+12) ÷ 7 = 3.43.

Weighted vs. unweighted GPA

Unweighted GPA: every course uses the same 4.0 scale regardless of difficulty. Weighted GPA: honors, AP, or IB courses earn extra grade points, so a 4.0 ceiling no longer applies. High-school contexts often use weighted GPA; university transcripts almost always use unweighted.

What is a "good" GPA?

Context matters. A 3.5 is excellent at most US universities. Competitive graduate programs often expect 3.7 or above. Employers typically screen for 3.0 as a baseline. Internationally, a 3.0 US GPA translates roughly to a UK 2:1 or a German 2.3 — use the GPA Converter for your country.

Frequently asked questions