A letter grade scale converts your percentage score into a letter (A, B, C, D, F) and a GPA value. In the most common US scale, 93–100% is an A (4.0), 90–92% is an A- (3.7), 80–89% is a B, 70–79% is a C, 60–69% is a D, and anything below 60% is an F.
There is no single official scale, though. Every school and teacher sets their own cut-offs, so a 91% can be an A- at one college and a straight A at another. The chart below uses the standard 12-grade scale, and the sections after it show where schools differ and how to check yours.
Table of Contents
Standard letter grade scale (percentage and GPA)
| Letter grade | Percentage | GPA (4.0 scale) | What it means |
| A | 93–100% | 4.0 | Excellent |
| A- | 90–92% | 3.7 | Excellent |
| B+ | 87–89% | 3.3 | Good |
| B | 83–86% | 3.0 | Good |
| B- | 80–82% | 2.7 | Good |
| C+ | 77–79% | 2.3 | Satisfactory |
| C | 73–76% | 2.0 | Satisfactory |
| C- | 70–72% | 1.7 | Satisfactory |
| D+ | 67–69% | 1.3 | Passing, below average |
| D | 63–66% | 1.0 | Passing, below average |
| D- | 60–62% | 0.7 | Barely passing |
| F | Below 60% | 0.0 | Fail |
These cut-offs are the convention most US high schools and colleges follow, not a law. Treat the table as a starting point and check your syllabus before you rely on it.
A+ is handled differently by different schools. Many give it the same 4.0 as an A, so it adds nothing to your GPA, while some weighted systems give it 4.3. If your school lists an A+, its grading policy will say which.
GPA to letter grade: quick lookup
If you start from a GPA instead of a percentage, use this chart. The whole-letter GPAs come straight from the standard scale above. The GPAs in between are approximate, because they sit between two letters.
| GPA | Closest letter grade | Approx. percentage |
| 4.0 | A | 93–100% |
| 3.8 | A- to A | about 92% |
| 3.7 | A- | 90–92% |
| 3.5 | B+ to A- | about 89% |
| 3.3 | B+ | 87–89% |
| 3.2 | B to B+ | about 87% |
| 3.0 | B | 83–86% |
| 2.8 | B- to B | about 82–83% |
| 2.5 | C+ to B- | about 79–80% |
| 2.0 | C | 73–76% |
| 1.0 | D | 63–66% |
One caution: a GPA is an average across all your courses, so a 3.5 does not mean you scored 89% in any single class. It only tells you where your average lands. To get your own number, enter your grades in the college GPA calculator.
Why your school’s scale may look different
The same percentage can land on a different letter depending on where you study. Take a 91% as an example:
| School’s scale | What a 91% becomes | GPA points |
| Standard scale in the chart above | A- (90–92%) | 3.7 |
| Fitchburg State University, undergraduate | A-/B+ band (89–91%) | 3.5 |
| Simple 10-point scale (A = 90–100%) | A | 4.0 |
The Fitchburg row comes from the Fitchburg State registrar’s grading scale, which sets an A at 95–100% and uses in-between grades such as A-/B+. It is a good reminder that a scale you copied from a website may not be the one your registrar applies.
Three things usually change from school to school:
- The cut-off for an A. It can be 90, 93 or even 95%.
- Plus and minus grades. Some schools use only A, B, C, D and F, so there is no 3.7 or 3.3 at all.
- The grade points for A+, D- and F. Some schools have no D- and some give F a flat 0.0.
Letter-to-GPA points are fairly steady, though. A published example is the University of Alberta grade comparison guide, where A+ and A are 4.0, A- is 3.7, B+ is 3.3 and F is 0.0.
How to turn a percentage into a letter grade
Find your percentage first, then look it up in your school’s scale. If you only have raw marks, divide your score by the total and multiply by 100.
Example 1: a single test. You score 41 out of 50.
Percentage = 41 ÷ 50 × 100 = 82%On the standard scale, 82% is a B- (80–82%), worth 2.7 grade points.
Example 2: a whole course. Your syllabus weights the work like this:
| Component | Weight | Your score | Contribution |
| Homework | 20% | 95% | 19.0 |
| Quizzes | 20% | 86% | 17.2 |
| Midterm | 25% | 78% | 19.5 |
| Final exam | 35% | 84% | 29.4 |
Course percentage = 19.0 + 17.2 + 19.5 + 29.4 = 85.1%That is a B (83–86%), or 3.0 grade points. Notice that the 95% in homework did not rescue the grade, because the final exam carries the most weight. The full method is in our guide on how to calculate grades, and the weighted grade calculator does the multiplication for you.
Rounding is where students lose a grade. Some instructors round 89.5% up to 90% and some do not, so ask before the final. If you are close to a cut-off, the final grade calculator shows what score you still need on the exam.
How letter grades turn into GPA
Each letter has a grade point value (the GPA column in the chart). Multiply it by the course credits, add everything up, and divide by total credits.
GPA = total (grade points × credits) ÷ total creditsHere is one semester with four courses:
| Course | Credits | Letter grade | Grade points | Credits × points |
| Biology | 4 | B | 3.0 | 12.0 |
| English | 3 | A- | 3.7 | 11.1 |
| Statistics | 3 | B+ | 3.3 | 9.9 |
| History | 3 | C | 2.0 | 6.0 |
| Total | 13 | 39.0 |
GPA = 39.0 ÷ 13 = 3.0The 4-credit Biology course moved the result more than the 3-credit History course, which is why the same letter can matter more in some classes than others. The step-by-step version is in our guide on how to calculate GPA. To skip the arithmetic, use the college GPA calculator for one term or the cumulative GPA calculator for several terms together.
Honors and AP classes can use a weighted scale, where an A is worth 5.0 instead of 4.0. That needs a different calculation, which the high school GPA calculator handles.
Letter grades outside the US: India and the UK
Letter grades mean different things in different countries, and that matters if you are applying abroad.
India (10-point CGPA). Under the UGC’s choice-based credit system, the letter sits on a 10-point scale: O (Outstanding) = 10, A+ = 9, A = 8, B+ = 7, B = 6, C = 5, P (Pass) = 4 and F = 0. The letter here is a grade point, not a percentage range. Your university decides the marks needed for each letter, so an “A” in one place can sit at a different percentage in another. See what is CGPA for how these points become a CGPA, and the CGPA to percentage tool for the conversion your university uses.
UK. Most UK universities grade by percentage and then label the result, not by A–F letters. A typical degree classification looks like this:
| Percentage | Typical classification |
| 70% and above | First-class honours |
| 60–69% | Upper second (2:1) |
| 50–59% | Lower second (2:2) |
| 40–49% | Third class |
Boundaries vary slightly by institution. A 70% in the UK is an excellent result, while 70% on a US scale is only a C-. This is why a UK or Indian transcript should never be read against a US chart directly.
If you need a US-style GPA for an application, the study abroad GPA converter maps these systems for you, and most universities also accept a formal evaluation from a service such as WES.
What counts as a good or passing grade
- A and B are generally treated as good. An average of B (3.0) is the usual minimum for staying in good standing in graduate programs.
- C is passing and gives credit, but many degree programs ask for a C or better in major courses, so a C in a core subject can still mean a retake.
- D usually earns credit toward graduation but often does not count as prerequisite credit, and it pulls your GPA down fast.
- F means no credit. It still counts in your GPA until it is replaced, if your school allows grade replacement.
A D in an elective and a D in a required course are not the same problem, so read your department’s rules rather than the general chart.
Common mistakes with letter grades
- Using someone else’s cut-offs. A chart from another school or a random website can be one or two letters off from the scale your registrar applies.
- Treating plus and minus as cosmetic. On a plus/minus scale, B+ (3.3) and B- (2.7) differ by 0.6 points, which is a lot over a full semester.
- Averaging the letters. An A and a C do not average to a B when the courses carry different credits. Use credit-weighted points, as in the example above.
- Forgetting rounding rules. A 89.6% can be an A- or a B+ depending on whether your instructor rounds.
- Mixing weighted and unweighted GPA. An A in an AP class may be 5.0 on your school’s scale and 4.0 on the one a college recalculates.
If your GPA is lower than you want, the plan in our guide on how to raise your GPA shows which courses give the biggest return.
Frequently asked questions about the letter grade scale
What is a letter grade scale?
A letter grade scale is a chart that matches percentage scores to letter grades (A to F) and usually to GPA points. Each school or instructor publishes its own cut-offs, so the same score can map to different letters.
What percentage is an A?
In the standard US scale, 93–100% is an A and 90–92% is an A-. Some schools set an A at 90% and some at 95%, so check your syllabus.
What GPA is a B?
A B is 3.0 on the 4.0 scale. A B+ is 3.3 and a B- is 2.7.
Is a D a passing grade?
Usually yes for credit, but not always for your degree. Many programs need a C or better in major or prerequisite courses, so a D can still mean a retake.
Is an A+ worth more than an A?
On most unweighted scales both are 4.0. A few schools give an A+ 4.3, so it depends on your school’s policy.
What percentage is an F?
In the standard scale, anything below 60% is an F. Some graduate programs set the failing line higher, for example at 70%.
What is the difference between a letter grade and GPA?
A letter grade is the result in one course. GPA is the credit-weighted average of grade points across all your courses. Use the GPA to CGPA calculator if you need your GPA on the 10-point scale.
Final thoughts
The chart in this guide is the standard 4.0 scale, and it is the right place to start. Before you plan around a grade, though, confirm your own school’s cut-offs, whether it uses plus and minus grades, and how it rounds.
Once you know your scale, the rest is simple arithmetic: percentage to letter, letter to grade points, grade points to GPA. The college GPA calculator turns that into one step.
Sources
Related Calculators
- College GPA Calculator: turn this semester’s letter grades into a GPA.
- Cumulative GPA Calculator: combine several semesters into one GPA.
- Weighted Grade Calculator: find your course percentage from weighted assignments.
- Final Grade Calculator: see the exam score you need for the letter you want.