GPA Calculator for US Universities

The United States uses a 4.0 grade-point average as the dominant academic standard. Universities issue letter grades (A, B, C, D, F) which are mapped to grade points and weighted by credit hours to produce a semester GPA, then combined into a cumulative GPA across the program.

The exact letter-to-point mapping varies between universities — most use the standard 4.0 scale where A = 4.0, but Stanford and Columbia use a 4.3 scale where A+ = 4.3, and MIT uniquely uses a 5.0 scale where A = 5.0. Brown University famously does not compute a GPA at all. The calculators on this site reflect each university's official mapping.

Grading Systems Used in United States

Grading systems used at US universities

Standard 4.0 scale — A = 4.0, A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0 ... F = 0.0. Used by most public and private universities including UCLA, Cornell, Boston University, NYU, USC.
4.0 with A+ capped at 4.0 — Harvard, UPenn, Caltech, Princeton. The A+ grade exists but does not give a bonus above 4.0 for cumulative GPA.
4.3 scale (with A+ bonus) — Stanford, Columbia, where A+ = 4.3 contributes a true honours boost.
5.0 scale (MIT only) — A = 5.0, B = 4.0, C = 3.0. To roughly compare with the standard 4.0 scale, subtract 1.0.
No GPA (Brown University) — Brown does not compute a grade-point average; instead it awards a single graduation honour (magna cum laude) to roughly the top 20% based on the proportion of A grades.

United States University GPA Calculators

43 calculators available for United States universities. Each uses the official grading scale published by the institution.

Honours, Admissions & What the GPA Means

Latin honours, dean’s list, and admissions cutoffs

Most US universities award Latin honours at graduation: cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude. Whether honours are awarded by fixed GPA threshold or by class percentile depends on the school — UPenn uses fixed cutoffs (3.40 / 3.60 / 3.80), Harvard uses percentile (top 30% / 15% / 5%) with cutoffs that recalibrate annually, and a few institutions (MIT, Stanford, Brown) don’t use Latin honours at all.

Common GPA milestones US students target:

Graduate school: 3.0 minimum at most accredited programs; 3.5+ for top programs (Ivy League, Stanford, MIT).
Dean’s list: typically 3.5 GPA in a single semester.
Phi Beta Kappa: invitation-based, generally requires top 10% of class.
Job recruiting: many top employers require 3.0+ to apply; quant finance and consulting often filter at 3.5+.

Frequently Asked Questions — United States

How is GPA calculated in the United States?

GPA = Σ(Grade Point × Credit Hours) ÷ Σ(Credit Hours). Letter grades (A through F) map to grade points on a 4.0 scale, multiplied by each course's credit hours, summed, then divided by total credits attempted.

What is a good GPA at a US university?

3.0 is the threshold many programs require. 3.5 is solid B+/A− territory and qualifies for most dean's lists. 3.7+ is strong honours-eligible. 3.9+ is summa cum laude territory at most schools.

Is a 4.0 GPA the maximum?

For most US universities, yes. Stanford and Columbia allow a 4.3 with A+ grades. MIT uses a 5.0 scale. Some high schools issue weighted GPAs above 4.0 for AP/honours courses, but undergraduate transcripts cap at 4.0 (or 4.3, or 5.0 depending on institution).

How do I convert my US GPA to a percentage?

There's no official US GPA-to-percentage conversion because letter grades correspond to wide percentage ranges. A common approximation: A (4.0) ≈ 90–100%, B (3.0) ≈ 80–89%, C (2.0) ≈ 70–79%. For grad school applications abroad, ask the receiving institution for their preferred conversion.

Don’t see your university?

Use the universal GPA calculator and customize the grading scale to match your institution’s.

Use Universal GPA Calculator How to Calculate GPA Target GPA Calculator