The 4.0 GPA Scale — and a Percent Converter
The standard scale most US schools share, the A+ = 4.33 variant some colleges use, and a quick converter from percent to letter grade to grade points.
The standard 4.0 scale
| Letter grade | Percent (typical) | Grade points (4.0 scale) | Grade points (A+ = 4.33 scale) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97–100 | 4.00 | 4.33 |
| A | 93–96 | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| A- | 90–92 | 3.70 | 3.67 |
| B+ | 87–89 | 3.30 | 3.33 |
| B | 83–86 | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| B- | 80–82 | 2.70 | 2.67 |
| C+ | 77–79 | 2.30 | 2.33 |
| C | 73–76 | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| C- | 70–72 | 1.70 | 1.67 |
| D+ | 67–69 | 1.30 | 1.33 |
| D | 63–66 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| D- | 60–62 | 0.70 | 0.67 |
| F | below 60 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Percent cutoffs are the most common US convention, not a national standard — individual schools set their own (some use 90 for an A). Grade-point values are the widely used College Board / AACRAO-style conventions.
Reading the scale like an admissions office
A GPA is only meaningful with its scale and its context. Admissions readers recalculate transcripts onto a common 4.0 scale, look at the trend (rising GPAs read well), and weigh the courses behind the number. A 3.6 built on the hardest courses available usually beats a 3.9 built on the easiest — which is the entire idea behind weighted GPA, and also why weighting never fully captures it.
Related tools
Questions
Is a 3.5 GPA good?
Yes — it is an A-/B+ average, makes most Dean's Lists (commonly 3.5+), and clears the minimum for most honors societies, internships and grad programs. Context matters: in a hard major it reads stronger than the number alone.
What percent is a 4.0 GPA?
There is no official conversion — a 4.0 means A grades, and an A usually starts somewhere between 90 and 95 depending on the school. The table above uses 93, the most common US cutoff; your school's handbook is the authority for its own scale.
Why do some schools show GPA above 4.0?
Either weighting (honors/AP bonuses) or an A+ = 4.33 scale. Both are legitimate locally — which is why colleges recalculate transcripts onto a common scale when comparing applicants.