A grade percentage chart matches each percentage to a letter grade and GPA. On the common US 10-point scale, 90–100% is an A (4.0), 80–89% a B (3.0), 70–79% a C (2.0), 60–69% a D (1.0), and below 60% an F (0.0). Plus/minus scales split each letter into three narrower bands.
The full grade percentage chart (100% to 60%)
This chart lists every whole percentage from 100 down to 60 and shows its letter on the three scales US schools use most, plus its 4.0 GPA value on the plus/minus scale. Most charts only give you the bands, so a 79% or an 83% leaves you counting. Here every row is spelled out, so you find your number and read across.
Two things to check before you use any row. First, the 7-point scale column reaches F much sooner, at anything below 70%. Second, the GPA column assumes the plus/minus scale. On a whole-letter scale every A-range grade is 4.0 and every B is 3.0. To see what a single percentage means with no math at all, is 89% a B? settles the borderline cases one by one.
| Percentage | 10-point scale | 7-point scale | Plus/minus scale | 4.0 GPA (plus/minus) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | A | A | A+ | 4.0 |
| 99% | A | A | A+ | 4.0 |
| 98% | A | A | A+ | 4.0 |
| 97% | A | A | A+ | 4.0 |
| 96% | A | A | A | 4.0 |
| 95% | A | A | A | 4.0 |
| 94% | A | A | A | 4.0 |
| 93% | A | A | A | 4.0 |
| 92% | A | B | A− | 3.7 |
| 91% | A | B | A− | 3.7 |
| 90% | A | B | A− | 3.7 |
| 89% | B | B | B+ | 3.3 |
| 88% | B | B | B+ | 3.3 |
| 87% | B | B | B+ | 3.3 |
| 86% | B | B | B | 3.0 |
| 85% | B | B | B | 3.0 |
| 84% | B | C | B | 3.0 |
| 83% | B | C | B | 3.0 |
| 82% | B | C | B− | 2.7 |
| 81% | B | C | B− | 2.7 |
| 80% | B | C | B− | 2.7 |
| 79% | C | C | C+ | 2.3 |
| 78% | C | C | C+ | 2.3 |
| 77% | C | C | C+ | 2.3 |
| 76% | C | D | C | 2.0 |
| 75% | C | D | C | 2.0 |
| 74% | C | D | C | 2.0 |
| 73% | C | D | C | 2.0 |
| 72% | C | D | C− | 1.7 |
| 71% | C | D | C− | 1.7 |
| 70% | C | D | C− | 1.7 |
| 69% | D | F | D+ | 1.3 |
| 68% | D | F | D+ | 1.3 |
| 67% | D | F | D+ | 1.3 |
| 66% | D | F | D | 1.0 |
| 65% | D | F | D | 1.0 |
| 64% | D | F | D | 1.0 |
| 63% | D | F | D | 1.0 |
| 62% | D | F | D− | 0.7 |
| 61% | D | F | D− | 0.7 |
| 60% | D | F | D− | 0.7 |
| Below 60% | F | F | F | 0.0 |
How do you read a grade percentage chart?
Find your percentage in the left column, then read across to the column for your school's scale. That cell is your letter grade. If your percentage has a decimal, apply your school's rounding rule first: 86.5% becomes 87% (a B+) where teachers round half up, but stays 86% (a B) where they truncate.
Take a student with 83%. On the 10-point scale that's a B. On the 7-point scale it's a C, because the 7-point B starts at 85%. On the plus/minus scale it's a straight B, worth 3.0 grade points. That one row shows why "what grade is 83%" has three correct answers, and why the scale matters more than the number. The grade rounding rules guide lists how different schools treat the half-point.
The three common percentage scales side by side
Each scale draws its letter boundaries at different percentages. The 10-point scale gives each letter a 10-point band and is the default in most US high schools. The 7-point scale narrows each band to about seven points and raises the passing line to 70%. The plus/minus scale keeps the 10-point outer boundaries but divides each letter into a minus, a plain, and a plus band.
| Letter | 10-point scale | 7-point scale | Plus/minus bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 90–100% | 93–100% | A− 90–92, A 93–96, A+ 97–100 |
| B | 80–89% | 85–92% | B− 80–82, B 83–86, B+ 87–89 |
| C | 70–79% | 77–84% | C− 70–72, C 73–76, C+ 77–79 |
| D | 60–69% | 70–76% | D− 60–62, D 63–66, D+ 67–69 |
| F | Below 60% | Below 70% | Below 60% |
Decimal GPA charts: when every percentage has its own grade point
Some colleges skip letter bands for GPA and give every percentage its own decimal grade point. On the conversion chart published by Seattle Central College, 95–100% is a 4.0, and each point below 95 drops the GPA by 0.1, down to 65% = 1.0. Anything from 64% down is 0.0. Under that chart, 90% earns a 3.5 rather than the 3.7 an A− gets on a plus/minus scale.
This is the chart to use if a transcript shows GPAs like 3.4 or 2.8 for single courses. Those numbers come from a percentage-based scale, not from letter bands.
| Percentage | Decimal GPA | Letter shown |
|---|---|---|
| 95–100% | 4.0 | A |
| 93% | 3.8 | A− |
| 90% | 3.5 | A− |
| 88% | 3.3 | B+ |
| 85% | 3.0 | B |
| 80% | 2.5 | B− |
| 75% | 2.0 | C |
| 70% | 1.5 | C− |
| 65% | 1.0 | D |
| 64% and below | 0.0 | F |
How do you turn a score into a percentage first?
A chart only helps once you have a percentage. To get one, divide the points you earned by the points possible and multiply by 100. For example, 42 out of 50 is 42 ÷ 50 × 100 = 84%, and 13 out of 16 is 81.25%. Then look that percentage up in the chart.
For a whole test where every question counts the same, you can skip the division. Open the page for your test length, such as the grading scale for 20 questions or 50 questions, to see every possible score already converted. For any single odd fraction, what grade is X out of Y? walks through the method, and the grade calculator does it instantly.
Why might your school's chart be different?
No national rule sets these percentages. Each school, district, or instructor draws its own lines, so any chart is a common default rather than a law. Common differences include an A that starts at 93% instead of 90%, a passing line at 65% or 70% instead of 60%, no D− band at all, and an A+ worth 4.0 at most schools but 4.33 at a few.
At some universities there's no campus-wide chart at all. UC San Diego, for example, tells instructors to decide how assignment and exam percentages turn into grades and to announce it at the start of the term. That's why the syllabus is the last word: if your chart and your syllabus disagree, the syllabus wins. The US grading scale page shows the standard bands, and the grading scale explained guide covers what each letter means.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the percentage for each letter grade?+
On the standard 10-point scale, an A is 90–100%, a B is 80–89%, a C is 70–79%, a D is 60–69%, and an F is below 60%. On a plus/minus scale each letter splits further, for example A− 90–92%, A 93–96%, and A+ 97–100%.
What grade is 85 percent?+
85% is a B on the 10-point scale, a B on the plus/minus scale (83–86%), and a B on the 7-point scale, where the B band starts exactly at 85%. It's worth 3.0 grade points on a 4.0 scale.
What grade is 79 percent?+
79% is a C on the 10-point scale and a C+ on the plus/minus scale, worth 2.3 grade points. It's one point below a B−. On a 7-point scale 79% is also a C.
Is 70 percent a passing grade?+
Yes, on most scales. 70% is a C− on a plus/minus scale and a C on the 10-point scale. On a 7-point scale it's a D, the lowest passing grade.
What percentage is a 3.0 GPA?+
A 3.0 is a B, which is 83–86% on the plus/minus scale or 80–89% on a whole-letter scale. On a decimal GPA chart like Seattle Central College's, 3.0 corresponds to exactly 85%.
What percentage is a 4.0?+
A 4.0 is an A. That's 93–100% on a plus/minus scale, where A and A+ are both 4.0, or 90–100% on a whole-letter scale. A few schools give an A+ a 4.33.
What is the lowest percentage that is still an A?+
On the 10-point and plus/minus scales it's 90%, which is an A−. On a 7-point scale the A starts at 93%. Check whether your school rounds 89.5% up, because that can move the line by half a point.
Why do some GPA charts show 3.4 or 2.6?+
Those come from decimal GPA charts, which give each percentage its own grade point instead of one value per letter. On Seattle Central College's chart, for example, 89% is a 3.4 and 81% is a 2.6.
Is a grade percentage chart the same for high school and college?+
Not always. High schools usually follow a district-wide scale, while colleges often let each instructor set percentage cutoffs in the syllabus. The letter-to-GPA values (A = 4.0, B = 3.0) are far more consistent than the percentage cutoffs.
How do I find my letter grade if my score isn't out of 100?+
Convert it to a percentage first: divide points earned by points possible and multiply by 100. For example, 34 out of 40 is 85%, which you can then find in the chart.
Does a plus or minus change my GPA?+
Yes, where your school uses plus/minus GPA values. A B+ is worth 3.3 and a B− 2.7, a 0.6-point gap. Schools on whole-letter GPA give every B a 3.0.
Muhammd Salman
I build and maintain Grade Calculator independently. Every worked example on this site is checked against the underlying formula, with notes on where school or instructor policy can change the result. More about this site →