A- Letter Grade to GPA
An A- (or “A minus”) is 3.7 on the 4.0 scale, usually 90–92%. It reads as an excellent grade almost everywhere — the one thing it isn’t is a 4.0, and this page is about that 0.3.
An A- is a 3.7 GPA on the 4.0 scale. An A sits at 4.0, and a minus subtracts 0.3 — which is exactly how A- lands at 3.7, mirroring the way a B+ adds 0.3 above a B to reach 3.3.
Most schools line an A- up with roughly 90–92%, though the exact cutoff varies — some count all of 90–100 as a straight A. Your transcript's grade point is what actually feeds your GPA, so use the letter, not the percentage, when you add it up.
| Letter | Percentage | 4.0 GPA |
|---|---|---|
| A | 93 – 96 | 4.0 |
| A-your grade | 90 – 92 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87 – 89 | 3.3 |
A- next to the grades around it
One notch below an A and one above a B+ — a single A- barely moves a strong GPA, but a string of them is the difference between a 3.7 and a 4.0.
What's the full 4.0 GPA scale?Why an A- keeps you just off a 4.0
Is an A- good?
Yes — an A- is a strong grade. On its own it reads as excellent work, and a transcript full of A-'s lands you around a 3.7, which is competitive for top-ranked schools and most scholarships.
Effect on your GPA
Because GPA is credit-weighted, one A- in a small class barely registers. But since it's 0.3 below a perfect 4.0, several A-'s in high-credit courses are what quietly hold a GPA at 3.7 – 3.8 instead of 4.0. A 3.7-ish average also lands in magna cum laude territory at many schools — cum laude usually sits nearer 3.5.
Turning A-'s into A's
The gap is small but real: if you're chasing a 4.0, the A- courses are exactly where the points are. Prioritize the high-credit ones, and check whether your school lets a retake replace the grade.
A 3.7 average is the honors line
A transcript around 3.7 is where Latin honors and full-ride scholarships start. At many US universities magna cum laude sits near 3.7–3.8 and cum laude near 3.5, so a run of A-'s often lands you exactly in honors territory. It's also above the 3.5 bar most competitive graduate programs treat as a comfortable floor.
Thresholds vary by school — some use class rank instead of a fixed GPA. Check your registrar's Latin-honors policy.
Whether 90 is an A or an A- isn't settled
This is the one thing about an A- worth double-checking. Schools that use plus/minus grades typically make 90–92 an A- (3.7); schools that don't count all of 90–100 as a straight A (4.0). Same 90 on the transcript, a 0.3 swing in grade points — so the 'value' of your A- depends entirely on your school's grading policy, not on a universal rule.
What an A- looks like elsewhere
On a Chinese 100-point transcript, an A-'s 90–92% sits in the top band and converts to a 4.0 under the simple four-tier method — the minus disappears. In a weighted US high-school system, an A- in an Honors or AP class is worth more than 3.7 (often 4.2–4.7), because the bonus is added on top. Always convert to the scale your target school actually reads.
A- GPA — frequently asked questions
Is an A- a good grade?
Yes. An A- is 3.7 on the 4.0 scale — a strong, near-top grade. A transcript of A-'s averages about a 3.7 GPA, which is competitive almost everywhere.
Is an A- still a 4.0?
No. An A- is 3.7, not 4.0. On the standard unweighted scale only A and A+ are 4.0; every minus drops the grade 0.3. So a straight-A- transcript caps out at 3.7, not a perfect 4.0.
Is 90 an A or an A-?
It depends on the school. Many put 90–92 at A- (3.7) and reserve a full A for 93+. But plenty of schools — and most that don't use minus grades — count all of 90–100 as a straight A (4.0). Always check your school's own scale.
What percentage is an A-?
Most schools put an A- at roughly 90–92%. Schools without minus grades count 90–100 as a flat A instead. Go by your school's official scale.
Does one A- ruin a 4.0 GPA?
One A- only nudges a 4.0 down slightly, and less if it's a low-credit course. It's a string of A-'s in high-credit courses — not a single one — that holds a GPA at 3.7–3.8 instead of 4.0.
Does an A- hurt your GPA?
Only against a perfect 4.0 — an A- is 3.7, so it pulls a 4.0 down a little. Against a 3.0–3.5 GPA it actually helps. It only 'hurts' if your goal is a flawless 4.0.
Related tools & conversions
Add up your real grades in the calculator, see the full letter-to-GPA chart, or check how other scales convert.
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