What is the high school grading scale in the US?

Most US high schools use a letter grade system converted to a 4.0 scale: A = 4.0 (90-100%), B = 3.0 (80-89%), C = 2.0 (70-79%), D = 1.0 (60-69%), F = 0.0 (below 60%). Many schools also use plus/minus grades (A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, etc.). Some schools use a 100-point percentage scale instead of letter grades, and a growing number use standards-based grading (1-4 scale based on mastery of specific skills).

What is a weighted GPA in high school?

A weighted GPA gives extra points for advanced courses. In a typical weighted system: AP/IB courses add 1.0 (A=5.0, B=4.0, etc.), honours courses add 0.5 (A=4.5, B=3.5, etc.). Regular courses use the standard 4.0 scale. Weighted GPAs can exceed 4.0 — a student taking all AP classes who gets all As could have a 5.0. Colleges usually recalculate GPAs using their own formula during admissions, so the unweighted GPA often matters more.

What GPA do you need to graduate high school?

Most US high schools require a minimum GPA of 2.0 (C average) to graduate. Some states and districts set higher requirements. For college-bound students, a 3.0+ is generally considered the minimum for most four-year universities, with competitive colleges expecting 3.5+ unweighted. Individual school districts set their own graduation requirements, so check your school's handbook.

What's the difference between high school and college grading scales?

Both use the 4.0 scale, but college grading is typically stricter: there's no extra credit, no grade inflation for effort, and fewer assignments make up the final grade. High schools often have weighted GPAs for AP/honours classes; most colleges don't. College courses also have higher stakes — a single midterm or final can be 40-50% of your grade, whereas high school spreads grades across more assignments.

What is standards-based grading?

Standards-based grading (SBG) is a system where students are graded on their mastery of specific skills rather than receiving a single letter grade for a subject. Instead of A-F, students typically get a score of 1-4: 4 = exceeds standard, 3 = meets standard, 2 = approaching standard, 1 = below standard. This system is increasingly common in middle and elementary schools and is spreading to high schools. It gives parents and students more specific feedback but can be confusing when converting to a traditional GPA for college applications.

What percentage is an A in high school?

In most US high schools, an A is 90-100%. An A- is typically 90-92%, A is 93-96%, and A+ (if used) is 97-100%. Some schools use a stricter scale where 93-100% is an A and 90-92% is a B+. Others use a 10-point scale: A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, F=0-59. Check your school's grading policy — there's no national standard.

Do colleges look at high school GPA or individual grades?

Both. Colleges look at your overall GPA (weighted and unweighted) as a quick measure of academic performance, but they also look at individual course grades, especially in core subjects (math, English, science, social studies, foreign language). They also consider the rigor of your course load — a 3.8 with mostly regular classes may be seen as less impressive than a 3.5 with multiple AP and honours courses. Admissions officers review your transcript, not just the GPA number.

What is a good high school GPA?

A 3.5 unweighted GPA (A-/B+ average) is generally considered good. For competitive colleges (top 50 universities), aim for 3.7+ unweighted. For state flagship universities, 3.3-3.7 is competitive. For less selective colleges, 3.0+ is typically sufficient. Remember that course rigor matters — a 3.5 with AP courses is often viewed more favourably than a 4.0 with all regular courses.

High School Grading Scale: GPA, Letter Grades, and What Colleges Look At

Most US high schools use the 4.0 GPA scale, but there's no single national standard. Here's how letter grades convert to GPA, how weighted and unweighted GPAs work, and what colleges actually look at on your transcript.

Last updated: September 4, 2026 · Written by the Student Toolbox team

The standard high school grading scale

While there's no national standard, the most common grading scale in US high schools looks like this:

Letter Grade	GPA (4.0 scale)	Percentage range	What it means
A	4.0	90–100%	Excellent — exceeds expectations
B	3.0	80–89%	Good — above average
C	2.0	70–79%	Satisfactory — meets minimums
D	1.0	60–69%	Passing — below average
F	0.0	Below 60%	Failing — no credit earned

Many schools add plus/minus modifiers:

Letter Grade	GPA	Letter Grade	GPA
A+	4.0 (or 4.3)	B+	3.3
A	4.0	B	3.0
A-	3.7	B-	2.7
		C+	2.3
		C	2.0
		C-	1.7
		D+	1.3
		D	1.0
		D-	0.7

Weighted vs unweighted GPA

Most high schools report two GPAs on your transcript, and they mean different things:

	Unweighted GPA	Weighted GPA
Scale	0.0–4.0	0.0–5.0 (or higher)
AP/IB courses	A = 4.0	A = 5.0
Honours courses	A = 4.0	A = 4.5
Regular courses	A = 4.0	A = 4.0
Used by colleges for	Comparing applicants fairly	Assessing course rigor

Key point: Most colleges recalculate your GPA using their own formula, so they can compare students from different schools on a level playing field. A 4.2 weighted GPA from a school with grade inflation looks different from a 4.2 at a school with strict grading. That's why the unweighted GPA often matters more in admissions decisions.

For a deeper dive, see our guide on weighted vs unweighted GPA.

What GPA do colleges actually look at?

Colleges don't just look at a single number. They review your transcript holistically:

Core course GPA: Many colleges recalculate your GPA using only core academic subjects (English, math, science, social studies, foreign language), ignoring electives like PE, art, and band.
Grade trends: An upward trend (2.8 → 3.2 → 3.5 → 3.8) is viewed positively. A downward trend in senior year is a red flag.
Course rigor: Did you take the hardest courses available at your school? A 3.5 with multiple AP/honours courses is often more impressive than a 4.0 with all regular classes.
School profile: Admissions officers receive a school profile from your high school that explains the grading system, GPA distribution, and course offerings. They know if your school inflates grades.

How to calculate your high school GPA

To calculate your unweighted GPA:

Convert each letter grade to grade points (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0)
Add all grade points together
Divide by the total number of classes

Example: If you took 6 classes and got A, A, B, B, C, A:

(4 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 2 + 4) ÷ 6 = 20 ÷ 6 = 3.33 GPA

For weighted GPA, add the extra points for AP/honours courses before averaging. Use our GPA Converter to convert between scales, or our Cumulative GPA Calculator to calculate your overall average.

Standards-based grading: the new alternative

A growing number of high schools are moving to standards-based grading (SBG), which replaces letter grades with a 1-4 scale based on mastery of specific skills:

Score	Meaning	Traditional equivalent
4	Exceeds the standard	A
3	Meets the standard	B
2	Approaching the standard	C/D
1	Below the standard	F

SBG gives more detailed feedback — instead of just "B in Math," you'd see separate scores for algebra, geometry, and problem-solving. But converting SBG scores to a traditional GPA for college applications can be tricky. Most schools that use SBG also provide a traditional GPA conversion on the transcript.

What's a good high school GPA? It depends on your goals.

Your goal	Target GPA (unweighted)	Notes
Ivy League / Top 20	3.9+	Plus strong test scores, extracurriculars, essays
Top 50 universities	3.7+	Course rigor matters as much as the number
State flagship universities	3.3–3.7	Varies widely by state and program
Less selective colleges	3.0+	Test scores and extracurriculars can compensate
Community college	2.0+	Usually open admission; GPA matters for specific programs
Graduate high school	2.0+	Minimum to earn a diploma in most districts

For more context on how US grades compare to other systems, see our US Grading System guide. For the UK equivalent, see UK Grading System.