What is a good GPA in the United States?

In the US 4.0 scale, a GPA of 3.0 (B average) is generally considered good. A GPA of 3.5 or above is excellent and often earns cum laude honors at graduation; magna cum laude typically needs 3.7+ and summa cum laude 3.9+, though cut-offs vary by school.

How does the UK degree classification compare to US GPA?

A UK First Class Honours (≥70%) is roughly equivalent to a US GPA of 3.7–4.0. An Upper Second (2:1, 60–69%) corresponds to about 3.0–3.69 GPA. A Lower Second (2:2, 50–59%) is roughly 2.5–2.99 GPA. A Third Class (40–49%) is approximately 2.0–2.49 GPA; below 2.0 is treated as a fail.

Why is the German grading scale inverted?

In Germany, 1 is the best grade and 4 is the minimum passing grade (5 and 6 are failures). This is the opposite of the US/UK system. The scale (1–5 or 1–6) is used in schools, while universities use 1.0 to 4.0 for academic grades. A German grade of 1.0 is the highest distinction (sehr gut = very good).

🇺🇸 US 4.0 Scale🇬🇧 UK Honours🇩🇪 German 1–4🇦🇺 Australian HD/D/C

GPA Calculator

Calculate your GPA on the American 4.0 scale and see how it translates to UK degree classification, German university grades, and Australian HD/Distinction grades.

Quick Answer

US GPA 3.7+ = UK First Class Honours (70%+) = German 1.0–1.4 = Australian High Distinction. US GPA 3.0 (B average) = UK 2:1 Upper Second = German 2.5 = Australian Distinction. Note: German grades are inverted — 1.0 is best, 5.0 is fail.

Grade Systems Around the World: A Complete Comparison

🇺🇸 United States — 4.0 GPA Scale

The US uses a 4.0-point scale where A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0. Plus/minus grades like A- (3.7) and B+ (3.3) are common. Honors distinctions:

Cum Laude: typically 3.5–3.69
Magna Cum Laude: 3.7–3.89
Summa Cum Laude: 3.9–4.0

🇬🇧 United Kingdom — Honours Classification

UK universities classify final degrees by percentage:

First Class Honours (1st): 70% and above
Upper Second Class (2:1): 60–69%
Lower Second Class (2:2): 50–59%
Third Class Honours (3rd): 40–49%
Fail: Below 40%

🇩🇪 Germany — Inverted 1–5 Scale

Germany uses an inverted numerical scale where lower numbers are better. Universities typically use 1.0 to 4.0 for individual courses and degree classifications. The German equivalents below use the modified Bavarian formula, German grade = 1 + 3 × (4.0 − GPA) ÷ (4.0 − 2.0), with 2.0 (C) as the lowest US pass:

US GPA	US Letter	🇬🇧 UK Class	🇩🇪 German	🇦🇺 Australia
4.0 – 3.7	A/A-	First (1st)	1.0 – 1.4	High Distinction
3.6 – 3.0	B+/B	Upper 2nd (2:1)	1.6 – 2.5	Distinction
2.9 – 2.5	B-	Lower 2nd (2:2)	2.6 – 3.2	Credit
2.4 – 2.0	C+/C	Third (3rd)	3.4 – 4.0	Pass
1.9 – 0.0	C-/D/F	Fail	5.0 (Fail)	Fail

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Cite this page APA · MLA · BibTeX

APA

WorldCalculators.org. (2026, September 25). GPA Calculator: 4.0 Scale + UK, German & Australian Grades. https://worldcalculators.org/calculators/gpa/

MLA

“GPA Calculator: 4.0 Scale + UK, German & Australian Grades.” WorldCalculators.org, 25 Sept. 2026, worldcalculators.org/calculators/gpa/.

BibTeX

@misc{worldcalculators2026calculatorsgpa,
  title        = {GPA Calculator: 4.0 Scale + UK, German & Australian Grades},
  author       = {{WorldCalculators.org}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://worldcalculators.org/calculators/gpa/}}
}

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