Grade & GPA · Guide
GPA to Letter Grade Chart: What Is a 3.0, 3.3 or 2.5 GPA?
A GPA is an average, so it usually lands between two letters. Here is where every common GPA falls.
Want the answer for your own numbers? Use the free GPA Table Converter — it does every step below for you.
The 4.0 GPA scale
Most US high schools and colleges use this scale. Some schools skip A+ or count it as 4.3; a few have no minus grades. Check your handbook.
| Letter | Percentage | Grade points |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
GPA to letter grade lookup
| GPA | Letter grade average | Approx. percentage | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | A | 93–100% | Top of the scale (unweighted) |
| 3.8 | A− / A | about 91–92% | Excellent |
| 3.7 | A− | 90–92% | Excellent; honours range |
| 3.5 | B+ / A− | about 88–90% | Very good |
| 3.3 | B+ | 87–89% | Good |
| 3.2 | B / B+ | about 86–87% | Above average |
| 3.0 | B | 83–86% | Solid; common minimum for scholarships |
| 2.8 | B− / B | about 81–82% | Slightly below B |
| 2.7 | B− | 80–82% | Average |
| 2.5 | C+ / B− | about 78–80% | Below average for college applicants |
| 2.3 | C+ | 77–79% | Fair |
| 2.0 | C | 73–76% | Minimum good standing at many colleges |
What is a 3.0 GPA?
A 3.0 GPA is a B average — roughly 83% to 86%. It is the most common cut-off for scholarships, many graduate programs and some internships. You can get a 3.0 with all Bs, or with a mix such as two As, one B and two Cs (4 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 15 points over 5 classes).
What letter grade is a 3.3 GPA?
A 3.3 is a B+ average, about 87% to 89%. It shows consistent, above-average work and clears the bar for most universities and employers.
What about 3.2, 2.8 and 2.5?
- 3.2 GPA sits between B and B+ — a "high B", roughly 86–87%.
- 2.8 GPA is between B− and B, roughly 81–82%.
- 2.5 GPA is halfway between C+ and B−, roughly 78–80%.
3.7 GPA to percentage
A 3.7 equals an A−, which covers 90% to 92%. If a form needs one number, 91% is a fair midpoint. Note that a quick "GPA × 25" shortcut would give 92.5%, which is a little high — schools use bands, not a straight multiplication.
Turning a weighted GPA back into a 4.0 GPA
To compare a weighted GPA with this chart, remove the bonus from each class first:
AP class A (5.0), honours class B (3.5), regular A (4.0), regular B (3.0)
Weighted: (5.0 + 3.5 + 4.0 + 3.0) ÷ 4 = 3.875.
Remove the bonuses: AP A becomes 4.0, honours B becomes 3.0.
Unweighted: (4.0 + 3.0 + 4.0 + 3.0) ÷ 4 = 3.5, a B+/A− average
You cannot convert a weighted GPA with one quick formula, because the bonus depends on how many harder classes you took. Go class by class.
How many As to raise your GPA?
To find the credits of straight As needed to reach a target:
Credits needed = (target − current) × current credits ÷ (4.0 − target)
From 3.2 to 3.5, with 30 credits so far
(3.5 − 3.2) × 30 ÷ (4.0 − 3.5) = 0.3 × 30 ÷ 0.5 = 9 ÷ 0.5.
18 credits of straight As
That is roughly a full semester of perfect grades. The further along you are, the more credits a change takes — and a target of 4.0 can never be reached once you have any grade below an A.
Latin honours
Many US colleges award graduation honours by GPA. Cut-offs vary by school, but a common pattern is:
| Honour | Common minimum GPA |
|---|---|
| Cum laude | about 3.5 |
| Magna cum laude | about 3.7 |
| Summa cum laude | about 3.9 |
Some schools award honours to a fixed top percentage of the class instead. Check your college’s catalog.
Weighted GPAs above 4.0
If your school gives extra points for honours or AP classes, your weighted GPA can go above 4.0 — up to 5.0 on many scales. A weighted 4.3 does not have a single letter grade, because the bonus is not a grade. Use the unweighted number for letter comparisons. The weighted GPA calculator shows both.
To convert any grade across letter, percentage, GPA and CGPA in one go, use the GPA table converter.
Frequently asked questions
A 3.0 GPA is a B average on the 4.0 scale, roughly 83% to 86%. It is a common minimum for scholarships and many graduate programs.
A 2.5 GPA sits halfway between a C+ (2.3) and a B− (2.7), roughly 78% to 80%.
A 3.7 GPA is an A−, which usually covers 90% to 92%. If you need one number, about 91% is a fair figure.
Neither exactly. A 3.5 sits halfway between B+ (3.3) and A− (3.7), roughly 88% to 90%. It is a strong average with a mix of As and Bs.
On the standard scale, 90% is an A−, worth 3.7 grade points. On a simple 10-point scale with no minus grades, 90% is an A, worth 4.0.