Compare a GPA with common letter-grade point values, convert letter grades to grade points, or use a customizable example percentage scale. School grading systems vary, so results are shown as references rather than universal grades.
Choose a mode, enter a value, and press Calculate for a reference result.
You can compare a GPA with the grade-point values used for letter grades, but a cumulative GPA does not literally become one official letter grade. That distinction matters. Suppose a common 4.0-style scale assigns A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, and B = 3.0. A cumulative GPA of 3.50 falls between B+ at 3.3 and A- at 3.7. It would be misleading to say "3.5 officially equals A-" or "3.5 officially equals B+." It is a weighted average between those grade-point values, not a letter grade an instructor ever assigned.
3.5 is exactly halfway between B+ (3.3) and A- (3.7) on a common reference scale. CalculateThisWay shows both nearby values rather than inventing an official letter grade the student's institution never assigned.
| Reference Value | Grade Points | Distance From 3.5 |
|---|---|---|
| B+ | 3.3 | 0.2 below |
| Entered GPA | 3.5 | Exact midpoint |
| A- | 3.7 | 0.2 above |
GPA stands for grade point average. In a typical credit-weighted GPA system, each course letter grade receives a point value. That point value is multiplied by the number of course credits. The grade points are added. Then they are divided by the total GPA-bearing credits. This is why the CalculateThisWay GPA Calculator requires course grades and credit hours. The GPA-to-Letter-Grade page solves a different problem: it helps users understand where an already-known GPA sits relative to common letter-grade point values.
Example reference scale. Individual institutions may assign different exact point values.
| Letter | Grade Points |
|---|---|
| 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 |
On many U.S. institutional scales, A is assigned 4.0 grade points. But institutional policies differ. Some schools give A+ = 4.0. Others, such as Stanford, use A+ = 4.3. Some schools use different plus and minus values entirely, and some institutions do not calculate GPA the same way at all. This is why the page says "common 4.0 reference scale" rather than "the official GPA scale."
On a common 4.0 scale, 4.0 corresponds to the grade-point value for A. An institution may also assign 4.0 to A+. That does not mean a cumulative 4.0 transcript consists exclusively of one exact letter grade in every system. The official record is the transcript. The converter above is showing the grade-point reference.
On many common 4.0 scales, 3.7 is the point value assigned to A-. Stanford's published GPA guidance and Johns Hopkins School of Nursing's grading policy both use A- = 3.7. So 3.7 can be described as an exact A- grade-point reference on those example scales. However, another institution may use a slightly different point value, such as Ohio's administrative grading code, which lists A- at 3.67. Always check the applicable scale.
A 3.5 is commonly between B+ = 3.3 and A- = 3.7. It is exactly halfway between those two values when those are the selected points. That means a good converter should say "Nearby references: B+ and A-" rather than pretending 3.5 is an officially assigned letter grade. A GPA is an average. For example, a student could arrive at 3.5 through many different combinations of A grades, B grades, plus/minus grades, and credit weights.
On a common reference scale, B+ = 3.3. If the GPA entered is exactly 3.3, the calculator above can display an exact grade-point reference of B+. It should still note that institutional scales vary.
On many common scales, B = 3.0. Again, the correct language is "3.0 matches the B grade-point value on this selected reference scale," not "your official cumulative letter grade is B."
On a common 4.0 reference, C = 2.0. But the academic meaning of a 2.0 depends on context. Graduation requirements, program admission, academic standing, and scholarship rules can all use different thresholds. This page does not label a GPA good, bad, passing, or failing without a specific institutional policy.
Universities publish different grading systems. Ohio's administrative grading code lists one set of letter-to-point values, using thirds such as A- = 3.67 and B+ = 3.33. Stanford assigns A+ a 4.3 value. Princeton's registrar notes that it does not officially compute or certify GPA, but provides a calculation method when a GPA is requested for an application. These are legitimate institutions using different practices, and that is enough to show why one internet chart cannot be treated as a universal academic rule.
Institutions differ in how they treat A+. The rest of the values may look similar, but even then, institutions can have their own exact point values. Select the scale that actually matches your school.
| Letter | Common 4.0 Example | 4.3 Example |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | Not distinguished from A, or omitted | 4.3 |
| A | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 | 3.7 |
Converting in this direction is more straightforward when the scale is known. If the selected example scale says B+ = 3.3, then B+ maps to 3.3 grade points for that scale. That point value can then be used as part of a larger GPA calculation. For multiple classes, use the full GPA Calculator, because credit hours need to be included.
This is a separate conversion. An instructor may define 93% to 100% = A, 90% to below 93% = A-, 87% to below 90% = B+, and so on. Another class may define 90% to 100% = A. Neither is universally correct. The syllabus controls. CalculateThisWay provides an Example Percentage Scale above, but it is fully editable.
It depends on the grading scale. On an example scale where A begins at 93 and A- begins at 90, 92% is A-. In a class where A begins at 90, 92% may be A. This is why online grade converters should never hide the scale being used.
A single course percentage becomes a course letter grade under that course's own scale, which becomes grade points, which are then weighted by credits across courses to form a GPA. GPA is not simply one percentage converted once.
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Course Percentage | Raw score in one course under that course's own scale |
| 2. Course Letter Grade | Determined by that course's published percentage cutoffs |
| 3. Grade Points | Letter grade converted to a point value on the institution's scale |
| 4. Weighted Average | Grade points weighted by credit hours across all courses |
| 5. GPA | The resulting cumulative or term average |
There is no universal formula that turns a U.S. GPA into one exact percentage. For example, 3.5 ÷ 4 × 100 = 87.5%. That number merely tells you that 3.5 is 87.5% of the numeric maximum 4.0. It does not prove the student's academic percentage average was 87.5%. Course grades and GPA rules are not always linear in that way. The Compare GPA Scales mode above can show "numeric position on the selected scale," but this is never labeled an official percentage grade.
Not reliably with one universal ratio. Weighted high-school GPAs can be created in very different ways. One school may add +1.0 for AP courses. Another may use a different maximum. Another may recalculate only certain courses. A college admissions office may recalculate the transcript using its own method. This page does not simply apply GPA ÷ 5 × 4 and call the result an official unweighted GPA. If an organization requests a 4.0 GPA, follow that organization's instructions.
An unweighted system generally does not add extra points for advanced course difficulty. A weighted system may. That means a weighted GPA above 4.0 does not necessarily indicate an error. The full CalculateThisWay GPA Calculator includes a customizable high-school weighted GPA mode. Use that calculator when the actual coursework needs to be recalculated.
A course grade applies to one course. A GPA summarizes multiple GPA-bearing courses. For one course, percentage may determine letter grade, and the letter grade may determine grade points. Across courses, grade points are weighted by credits, and the combined result becomes GPA. This chain explains why it is inaccurate to treat an overall GPA as though it were one course percentage.
Check your official transcript, student handbook, registrar website, academic catalog, course syllabus, and institutional grading policy. Use the school's published point values whenever available. Do not select a generic internet scale simply because it looks familiar.
Stanford's published GPA guidance assigns A+ = 4.3 while A = 4.0. That provides a real example of a 4.3 system. Other institutions may handle A+ differently. This demonstrates why the scale selector above matters.
Princeton's registrar notes that the institution does not officially compute or certify GPA, even though it provides a method students can use when an application asks for one. That is another reminder that academic policies vary, and the receiving institution's instructions matter.
No. Differences can involve maximum scale, plus and minus grades, A+ treatment, course weighting, credit systems, pass/fail policies, course repeats, weighted honors and AP courses, and international grading systems. A converter is useful only when its assumptions are visible, which is why every result above names the scale it used.
Use GPA to Letter Grade Converter when you already know a GPA and want to compare it with letter-grade point values. Use GPA Calculator when you need to calculate semester, cumulative, weighted high-school, or target GPA from actual courses and credits. Use Grade Calculator when the question is about one class, such as "What do I need on my final?" Use Percentage Calculator when you simply need percentage math.
I need to calculate an actual semester, cumulative, weighted, or target GPA from courses and credits.
I want to know what grade I need on an upcoming test or final.
I need general percentage math, not grade-specific conversions.
I want a mean, weighted, or other average of a set of numbers.
The examples below use the exact same calculation engine as the calculator above, computed live in JavaScript, on the common 4.0 reference scale unless otherwise noted.
GPA entered: 3.7
GPA entered: 3.5
GPA entered: 3.6
92% on the Example Percentage Scale
GPA entered: 3.42 on the Common 4.0 Scale.
Which two reference values is 3.42 nearest to, and which one is closer?
3.42 is between B+ (3.3) and A- (3.7). It is 0.12 above B+ and 0.28 below A-, so the closest reference is B+, even though 3.42 is not an exact match to any value.
On a common 4.0 reference scale, 4.0 is the grade-point value assigned to A. Some institutions also assign 4.0 to A+. This is a reference comparison, not an official letter grade on your transcript.
On a common 4.0 scale, 3.9 falls between A- (3.7) and A (4.0), closer to A. It is not an exact match to either value, so it is shown as a nearby comparison rather than one official letter grade.
On a common 4.0 scale, 3.8 falls between A- (3.7) and A (4.0), closer to A. The exact gap depends on the scale your institution actually uses.
On many common 4.0-style reference scales, 3.7 is the exact grade-point value assigned to A-. Stanford's published scale and Johns Hopkins School of Nursing's grading policy both use 3.7 for A-, though other institutions can assign a different value.
On a common 4.0 scale, 3.6 falls between B+ (3.3) and A- (3.7), closer to A-. It is a nearby reference, not an officially assigned letter.
On a common 4.0 scale, 3.5 sits exactly halfway between B+ (3.3) and A- (3.7). That is a tie between two reference values rather than one official letter grade.
On a common 4.0 scale, 3.4 falls between B+ (3.3) and A- (3.7), closer to B+.
On a common 4.0 reference scale, 3.3 is the exact grade-point value assigned to B+.
On a common 4.0 scale, 3.2 falls between B (3.0) and B+ (3.3), closer to B+.
On a common 4.0 reference scale, 3.0 is the exact grade-point value assigned to B.
On a common 4.0 scale, 2.8 falls between B- (2.7) and B (3.0), closer to B-.
On a common 4.0 scale, 2.5 sits exactly halfway between C+ (2.3) and B- (2.7), which is a tie between those two reference values.
On a common 4.0 reference scale, 2.0 is the exact grade-point value assigned to C. The academic meaning of a 2.0, such as for graduation or scholarship rules, still depends on the specific institutional policy.
Not on a common 4.0 reference scale. A 3.5 sits exactly between B+ (3.3) and A- (3.7), a tie between two values, so it is not accurately described as an A.
On a common 4.0 reference scale, 3.0 matches the grade-point value typically assigned to B, but your institution's own grading policy always controls the official interpretation.
On a common 4.0 scale, A is usually assigned 4.0. Some institutions also assign A+ a value of 4.0, while others, such as Stanford, assign A+ a higher value of 4.3.
Many reference scales assign A- a value of 3.7. Some official sources use a slightly different figure, such as Ohio's administrative grading code, which lists A- at 3.67.
Many reference scales assign B+ a value of 3.3, though some official sources use 3.33 instead.
Most common reference scales assign B a value of 3.0.
A 4.0 grading scale is a common reference system where A tops out at 4.0 grade points and F sits at 0.0, with plus and minus grades at values in between. It is widely used, but not every institution applies the exact same point values.
A 4.3 grading scale is similar to a common 4.0 scale but assigns A+ a value above A, such as 4.3. Stanford's published GPA guidance is one real example of a 4.3-style scale.
Institutions set their own policy for A+. Some treat it the same as A at 4.0, while others, like Stanford, assign it a higher value such as 4.3. There is no single rule that applies everywhere.
Not reliably with one universal formula. Dividing a GPA by its scale maximum shows numeric position on that scale, but it does not prove an actual academic percentage average.
No. That calculation only shows where a GPA sits relative to a 4.0 maximum. It is a numeric scale position, not an official percentage grade.
Not reliably with one universal ratio, because weighted GPA systems are built differently from school to school. If an organization requests a 4.0 GPA, follow that organization's specific instructions.
No. An unweighted GPA generally does not add extra points for advanced coursework, while a weighted GPA may, which is why a weighted GPA above 4.0 is not necessarily an error.
Use the Letter Grade to GPA Points mode above, choose the applicable reference scale, and select the letter grade to see its grade-point value on that scale.
No. Percentage-to-letter cutoffs vary by school, program, teacher, and course, so 92% can be an A- on one scale and an A on another.
No. Some grading scales start A at 90%, while others start A at 93% or another cutoff entirely. The syllabus or course policy controls.
No. Ohio's administrative grading code, Stanford's published GPA guidance, Princeton's registrar notes, and Johns Hopkins School of Nursing's grading policy each show different approaches to grade points and percentage cutoffs.
Check your official transcript, student handbook, registrar website, academic catalog, course syllabus, or institutional grading policy rather than relying on a generic internet chart.
This page compares an already-known GPA, letter grade, or percentage against example reference scales. The CalculateThisWay GPA Calculator computes an actual GPA from your course grades and credit hours.
Generally yes for your official academic record, but always follow the specific instructions of the receiving school or organization. Princeton's registrar, for example, notes that it does not officially compute or certify GPA, but provides a method when one is requested.