US grading scale
How American schools turn percentages into letter grades. The three common scales side by side, with GPA points and what counts as passing.
On most US scales the lowest passing grade is a D− (60%). Many colleges need a C (70%) for pass/fail courses, courses in your major and graduate classes. On the 7-point scale, 70% is the lowest pass.
The three common scales
The most detailed scale, used by many high schools and most colleges.
Plain letters, 10 points each. Some schools add + and − within each band.
Narrower bands with a higher bar: 70% is the lowest passing grade.
Every calculator on this site can use any of these scales, or your school's own cutoffs: open "Grading scale" under the calculator.
How the American grading system works
US schools grade on letters from A to F, usually skipping E. Each letter covers a range of percentages, and each letter is worth grade points on the 4.0 GPA scale. Schools choose their own cutoffs, so the same 92% can be an A− at one school and an A at another.
Standard scale with plus and minus
A is 93–100%, A− is 90–92%, B+ is 87–89% and so on down to D− at 60–62%. Below 60% is an F. Plus and minus grades change your GPA by 0.3 points each.
10-point scale
Each letter covers 10 points: A is 90–100%, B is 80–89%, C is 70–79%, D is 60–69% and F is below 60%. Some schools that use it still add plus and minus grades inside each band.
7-point scale
Each letter covers about 7 points: A is 93–100%, B is 85–92%, C is 77–84% and D is 70–76%. Anything below 70% is an F, so the bar for passing is higher than on the other two scales.
College grading
Most colleges use the scale with plus and minus grades. Some don't give A+ grades, some count an A+ as 4.33, and many offer pass/fail courses where only passing counts, not the letter.
Questions
What is the grading scale in the US?
Letter grades from A to F, each covering a range of percentages. The most common cutoffs are A 90%, B 80%, C 70% and D 60%, with plus and minus grades in between at many schools. Below 60% is failing.
What letter grade is a 70?
It depends on the scale: a C− on the standard scale, a C on the 10-point scale and a D on the 7-point scale. It passes on all three.
What is a 7-point grading scale?
A scale where each letter covers about 7 percentage points: A 93–100, B 85–92, C 77–84, D 70–76 and F below 70.
What is a 10-point grading scale?
The familiar A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69 and F below 60, with 10 points per letter.
Is a D a passing grade?
Usually, yes: a D (60–69% on most scales) passes the class. But many colleges and programs require at least a C for courses in your major, prerequisites and pass/fail classes.
Do schools round grades?
Some round, for example 89.5% up to 90%, and some don't. Check your syllabus or ask your teacher. The calculators on this site show the exact percentage so you can see how close you are.