US Grading System In 2025: A Comprehensive Guide

One of the first things students must figure out when considering education in the United States is decoding the US grading system. It is one of the most important aspects of academic assessment and has a nuanced approach to evaluating students. With this blog, you can discover the intricacies of the American grading system, discussing various types of grades, the significance of the Grade Point Average (GPA), and how the grading system contrasts with the UK Grading system. Let's begin by understanding what the US grading system consists of!

An Overview of the US Grading System

Although one might already be acquainted with how are grades calculated, the education industry follows it. Typically, students' academics are evaluated by marks, which are displayed as grades or percentages, but the grading style is not as similar as it seems. 

The grading system is a composition of GPA (Grade Point Average) to evaluate academic performance. The American GPA system is obeyed for all levels of education in the country, and one of the widely used types of GPA scale in USA is the 4-point grading system.

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What are the Types of US Grading Systems?

Getting acquainted with the US GPA system will be the first step to learning how to ace your exams. Every letter grade corresponds to a number or percentage, which is then used in the US GPA grading system. Your numerical grade is used to obtain your letter grade. Each college will have its exact denotation of which grade corresponds to what letter, but here is a general breakdown of the different letter grades and their corresponding grade range. There are five main grades in the grading scale America: A, B, C, D, and F. 

An A is the best, and F means you didn't pass.

Some schools also use pluses and minuses, like A+, A-, B+, and so on, to show if you're closer to the next highest or lowest grade. This detailed grading scale helps students better understand their performance nuances and motivates them to aim for higher achievements. If you're aiming for top grades and need inspiration for your academic projects, check out this guide on EPQ ideas for grade A.

Here is a quick and easy breakdown of the different types of US grading systems:

Special Grading Scale in the US

The US education grading system incorporates a few different letter grades into the American grading scale. These do not exactly denote your grades but instead are used to highlight the status of your course. However, the grading system still shows up on your transcript in the American grade system. So, to ensure that these random letters on your mark sheet don't confuse you, here is what they mean in the American grading scale:

How are Letters and Numerical Systems Related?

Wondering how to calculate your GPA? Well, here’s the answer. Every letter grade corresponds to a number or percentage, which is then used to calculate your GPA. Your numerical grade is used to obtain your letter grade. Each college will have its exact denotation of which grade corresponds to what letter, but here is a general breakdown of the different letter grades and their corresponding grade range. Here is a quick and easy breakdown of the US grading systems:

What is the Grade Point Average (GPA)?

How to figure out GPA? GPA or Grade Point Average, is the primary marking system of the US grading system. Your GPA, as the name suggests, is the overall average of all your grades for a specific period. Here’s how the GPA grading system works:

A = 4.0

‍B = 3.0

‍C = 2.0

‍D = 1.0

‍F = 0.0

Types of GPA

The GPA US scale in the US grading system is divided into three categories: 

1. Class GPA focuses on specific courses like math in a semester.

2. Semester GPA looks at overall performance in a semester or quarter.

3. Cumulative GPA includes all academic activities, including extracurriculars like part-time internships that can significantly improve your GPA.

How to Calculate GPA?

In the US GPA calculation, the aggregate quality points gained in each unit are added to calculate GPA. The final result is divided by the total number of course credits or units (or credit hours) you attempted to arrive at your average GPA. 

To calculate the GPA, remember that it is not just the average of all your grades but determines your final GPA at graduation. The amount of semester hours determines how much weight it has. 

Honors and Its Types

Students who meet the requirements for any level of study may receive a gratuitous honor based on their GPA. Based on other prerequisites, honors can differ from university to university. Relevantly, the student with a better GPA will automatically be given all three honors. They are:

Degree Classifications in the US 

In the US Grading System Percentage, degree classifications are used to evaluate students' academic performance at the university level. These classifications help determine a student's overall achievement based on their cumulative percentage or GPA. Here’s a breakdown of the degree classifications commonly used in the US:

Difference Between UK and US Grading Systems

The UK grading system uses a class grade order, unlike most grading systems, including the United States grading scale, which uses the alphabet to show the student's accomplishments. The UK utilizes letter grades similar to the US GPA system, although not in the same way. 

In the UK, an "A" is defined as anything above 70% rather than each letter denoting 10%. Every additional letter results in a 10% reduction. 

That was our full breakdown of the American grading system. While the grading system isn't too hard to understand, adjusting to a new structure can be tough, so we've tried to make your transition as smooth as possible. Also, if you are planning to move to the USA, you must be worried about finding ideal housing. Don't worry; amber provides you with some amazing options for student housing in the US to make your path less stressful.