Applying to a university, a Master’s course or a graduate scheme outside the UK means someone will ask you for a GPA. British qualifications do not come with one. This calculator turns what you have, whether that is a degree classification, module marks, A-Levels or GCSEs, into the US 4.0 scale.
Enter each module’s percentage mark and its credit value. Most modules are 15 or 20 credits; a dissertation is often 40 or 60. Credits are what make this a weighted average, so a big project counts for more than a small elective.
If you have your final award but no module breakdown, use this. Masters results sit on the same percentage boundaries under different names, so both are listed.
For US college applications made before you graduate. Leave a subject as “Not taken” if you sit fewer than five.
GCSEs on the 9 to 1 scale. Enter up to ten; anything left as “Not taken” is ignored.
What the number means to an admissions officer
Most US graduate schools want at least a 3.0. A 3.5 is considered strong. Anything from 3.7 up is competitive for selective courses.
That said, no serious institution takes your own arithmetic as proof. They send your transcript to a credential evaluator who reads the original British grades. Use this to fill in an application box and to know where you stand. Nothing more than that.
UK degree classification to GPA
| Classification | Typical mark | GPA | US letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Class Honours | 70% and above | 4.0 | A |
| Upper Second (2:1) | 60 to 69% | 3.3 | B+ |
| Lower Second (2:2) | 50 to 59% | 2.7 | B- |
| Third-Class Honours | 40 to 49% | 2.0 | C |
You will often see a 2:1 mapped to 3.3 rather than a flat 3.0. The reason is that a British 2:1 is harder to get than an American B average, and evaluators such as WES usually account for that.
Masters: Distinction, Merit and Pass
Postgraduate awards sit on the same percentage boundaries as undergraduate ones, just with different names. US readers rarely recognise the labels, so it is worth converting them.
| Masters award | Typical mark | GPA |
|---|---|---|
| Distinction | 70% and above | 4.0 |
| Merit | 60 to 69% | 3.3 |
| Pass | 50 to 59% | 2.7 |
Watch the pass mark. A Masters is failed below 50%, not below 40%. So a Masters Pass and an undergraduate Third are different achievements even though both convert to 2.7.
A-Levels to GPA
| A-Level grade | GPA |
|---|---|
| A* | 4.0 |
| A | 4.0 |
| B | 3.7 |
| C | 3.0 |
| D | 2.3 |
| E | 1.7 |
There is no official A-Level to GPA table and universities use different ones. A* and A both come out at 4.0 because the US scale stops at A. An A* gets noticed separately, in much the same way an Advanced Placement course does.
GCSEs to GPA
| GCSE grade | GPA | Old letter |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 4.0 | Above A* |
| 8 | 4.0 | A* |
| 7 | 4.0 | A |
| 6 | 3.7 | High B |
| 5 | 3.3 | Low B or high C |
| 4 | 3.0 | C, standard pass |
| 3 | 2.0 | D |
Why 70% is brilliant here and average in America
British marking keeps the top of the scale almost out of reach. Essays rarely go above 80%, and 70% is a First. In the US, 70% is a C.
Write “70%” on an American form without converting it and you have just described your best work as average. Always convert. Where the form lets you add a note, say which scale you were marked on.
Weighted or unweighted
A weighted GPA multiplies each grade by the credit value of the module, so a 60-credit dissertation counts three times as much as a 20-credit elective. British degrees are classified this way, and it is what the Degree modules tab above works out.
An unweighted GPA treats every result the same. That is the right approach for A-Levels and GCSEs, which have no credit values.
For a degree, send the weighted figure.
What WES and ECCTIS actually do
Most US institutions will not take your word for a conversion. They ask for a credential evaluation from a body such as WES (World Education Services) in North America or ECCTIS in the UK. You send certified transcripts and they issue a formal statement of US equivalence, usually for a fee and within a few weeks.
Their figure can differ from any calculator, including this one, because they apply their own institution-specific tables. Treat the number here as a planning estimate and leave time for a real evaluation if the application asks for one.
If your university uses its own scale
Some UK universities grade on internal point scales that do not map cleanly onto percentages.
| University | Internal scale | What to enter above |
|---|---|---|
| Glasgow | 22-point Common Grading Scale, A1 to H | Use our Glasgow grade calculator for the weighted average, then the classification tab here |
| Aberdeen | 23-point Common Grading Scale, A1 to G3 | Aberdeen runs its own Credit Point Calculator in the Student Hub; use that, then the classification tab here |
| Oxford Brookes and others | Grade points out of 16 | Use the classification tab |
| Most English and Welsh universities | Percentage marks | Enter the percentages in the modules tab |
Studied in Scotland? Our Scottish GPA calculator handles SQA Highers, SCQF credits and the 22-point scale directly.
Common questions
What is a 2:1 in GPA terms? Usually 3.3, though some evaluators say 3.2 or 3.5. It reads as a B+ average and clears the bar for most US Master’s courses.
What is a 4.0 GPA in UK terms? A First-Class Honours degree, or 70% and above. It does not mean 100%. British humanities and social sciences essentially never award that.
What is a 3.7 GPA in the UK? Somewhere between a high 2:1 and a First. If a course asks for 3.7 and your average is borderline, do the weighted calculation properly, because a strong dissertation can push you over.
Does a failed module count? Yes, if it shows on your final transcript as a fail. It enters the average as 0.0 and does real damage. If the university replaced the mark after a resit, use the replacement.
Do first and second year count? For your British classification, often barely, since many universities weight the final years far more heavily. For a cumulative GPA on an international application, every year usually counts. That is why the two numbers can disagree.
Why do other sites give a different number? Because there is no official conversion. The tables here follow the mappings most credential evaluators use, and they are all shown above so you can check them against whatever your target university publishes.
More free tools for UK students: all calculators.