US Standard 4.0 GPA Scale
On the 4.0 scale an A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, and F = 0 — a plus adds 0.3 and a minus subtracts 0.3, so A- = 3.7 and B+ = 3.3. The chart below maps every letter grade and percentage range to its grade point, and explains what each GPA means for study-abroad applications.
GPA conversion chart: letter grade, percentage, 4.0 scale
| Letter grade | Percentage (approx.) | 4.0 GPA |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97 – 100 | 4.0 |
| A | 93 – 96 | 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 |
| C- | 70 – 72 | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67 – 69 | 1.3 |
| D | 63 – 66 | 1.0 |
| D- | 60 – 62 | 0.7 |
| F | Below 60 | 0.0 |
How to read this chart
Start with any course's letter grade and read across to its grade point. A and A+ both sit at 4.0, and every step down takes off 0.3 — so A- is 3.7, B+ is 3.3, B is 3.0, and so on. If your transcript only shows percentages, use the range column to find the matching letter first.
US undergraduate applications generally run on the 4.0 GPA. The percentage ranges here are a common reference — plenty of schools draw the lines differently (some count all of 90–100 as an A), so if your school publishes its own conversion, that one wins.
One thing worth knowing: courses aren't weighted equally. A 3-credit A (4.0) and a 4-credit B+ (3.3) work out to (4.0×3 + 3.3×4) ÷ 7 ≈ 3.6 — the more credits a course carries, the harder it pulls your overall GPA in its direction.
Add up your GPA in the calculator →US grades are letters; the 4.0 scale maps each letter to a grade point — a plus adds 0.3 and a minus subtracts 0.3 (e.g. A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3). A full 4.0 starts at about 93%. Percentage ranges are a common reference and vary by school (some count 90–100 as A, many use no minus grades at all, and the pass line is 60 at some schools and 65 at others). The final word rests with your target school. One more note: this table describes the native US letter-to-point mapping (it starts from a letter grade); our calculator's “United States” option instead uses the simplified WES route, counting a Chinese percentage of 85+ straight as A = 4.0 (it starts from a Chinese percentage). So the same 90 is often an A- (3.7) by letter here, yet 4.0 in the calculator — both valid for their own context. WES's real evaluation still applies each school's own grading scale course by course; there is no single one-size-fits-all table.
Zoom in on a single letter grade
Want the detail on one grade — what it's worth and what it does to your GPA?
How to calculate your GPA in four steps
No calculator needed to follow it — the whole logic is just this.
1. Turn each grade into a point
Look up every course's letter (or percentage) in the chart above and note its grade point — A- becomes 3.7, B+ becomes 3.3, and so on.
2. Multiply by credits
Multiply each grade point by that course's credit hours. A 4-credit A is 4.0 × 4 = 16 quality points; a 3-credit B is 3.0 × 3 = 9.
3. Add everything up
Add all the quality points together, and separately add up all of your credits.
4. Divide
Total quality points ÷ total credits = your GPA. That single number is your credit-weighted average across every course.
How a transcript turns into a GPA
Say you took four courses this term. Multiply each grade point by its credits, add them up, then divide by total credits — here's the whole thing worked out.
| Grade | Credits | Points × credits |
|---|---|---|
| A (4.0) | 3 | 12.0 |
| A- (3.7) | 4 | 14.8 |
| B+ (3.3) | 3 | 9.9 |
| B (3.0) | 2 | 6.0 |
| Total | 12 | 42.7 |
Weighted vs unweighted GPA
Unweighted
Difficulty doesn't matter here — every A is 4.0, and 4.0 is the ceiling. The chart above is the unweighted scale, and it's the baseline most applications compare everyone against.
Weighted
Honors, AP, and IB classes earn bonus points, so the same A is worth more in a harder course — these scales often top out at 4.5 or 5.0. An application can show both numbers, so never compare a weighted GPA against an unweighted one; check which your target school asks for.
How weighting changes the same grade
| Letter | Unweighted | Honors (+0.5) | AP · IB (+1.0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| B | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| C | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
The +0.5 / +1.0 above are just common example weighting conventions and vary widely by school — some add points only for honors, others treat AP/IB separately; go by your school's published weighting method.
Is a 4.0 GPA good? What each range means for applications
3.5 – 4.0
A competitive range — top-ranked schools are genuinely in reach. Just remember the strongest programs still weigh course rigor, test scores, essays, and your background alongside the number.
3.0 – 3.5
A safe range for most schools. It won't make or break your case on its own — spread your list across a few tiers, and let essays and real experience do the extra lifting. Plenty of good options stay open.
Below 3.0
Some schools' cutoffs may be tight here, but it's far from over. A strong test score, research or work experience, and a clear story help a lot; a community-college transfer or programs that weigh GPA less can also be smart routes.
Four things people get wrong about the 4.0 scale
"GPA is just the average of my grades"
Not quite — it's weighted by credits, not a plain average. A 5-credit course moves your GPA far more than a 1-credit one, so the same set of grades can land at different GPAs.
"An A+ pushes me above 4.0"
On the standard unweighted scale it doesn't — A+ is capped at 4.0, same as an A. Only weighted or a few 4.3-style systems ever go higher.
"90% always equals an A"
Depends on the school. Many treat 90–92 as an A- (3.7), not a full A. The percentage ranges here are a common reference, not a universal rule.
"My 3.9 beats their 3.7"
Only if they're on the same scale. A weighted 3.9 and an unweighted 3.7 aren't comparable, and admissions read GPA alongside course rigor — not as a raw leaderboard.
Want to know which schools your GPA can actually reach?
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Open the GPA calculator4.0 GPA scale FAQ
What GPA do letter grades like A and A- map to?
US grades are letters, and on the 4.0 scale A / A+ = 4.0, with each step down subtracting 0.3: A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B- = 2.7… down to F = 0. That's why the standard conversion chart is organized by letter.
Is a 4.0 GPA good — and what counts as a good GPA?
Anything above 3.5 is generally competitive, and 3.0–3.5 is a comfortable, safe range; a 3.7+ rarely reads as a weak spot. That said, "high enough" depends on the school and program — admissions also weigh course rigor, tests, and your background, so GPA is only one piece.
Is an A+ worth 4.0 or 4.3?
On the unweighted 4.0 scale an A+ is usually still 4.0 (4.0 is the cap) — that's the most common convention. Some schools or weighted systems count A+ as 4.3; go by your school's or target school's rule.
Is 4.0 the highest GPA you can get?
On the standard unweighted scale, yes — 4.0 is the cap, and even an A+ stays at 4.0. You only go higher on a weighted scale, where honors / AP / IB push toward 4.5 or 5.0, or in a few systems that count A+ as 4.3.
What's the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?
Unweighted ignores course difficulty — every A is 4.0. Weighted gives honors / AP / IB extra points and can top out at 4.5 or 5.0. Both may appear in applications, so don't compare them head-to-head.
Can I still study abroad with a lower GPA?
Yes. GPA is only one piece — tests, essays, research/internships and recommendations all help. Spread your school list across tiers, tell your story well, and there are still plenty of good fits.