The standard US grading scale
The most widely used grading scale in US higher education assigns letter grades in the following percentage ranges. This is the scale used by a large number of four-year colleges and universities and represents a reasonable default assumption when a syllabus doesn't specify cutoffs explicitly.
| Letter Grade | Percentage Range | Grade Points | GPA Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 93–100% | 4.0 | Excellent |
| A− | 90–92% | 3.7 | Very Good |
| B+ | 87–89% | 3.3 | Above Average |
| B | 83–86% | 3.0 | Good |
| B− | 80–82% | 2.7 | Satisfactory-Good |
| C+ | 77–79% | 2.3 | Above Average (C) |
| C | 73–76% | 2.0 | Average/Satisfactory |
| C− | 70–72% | 1.7 | Low Average |
| D+ | 67–69% | 1.3 | Below Average |
| D | 63–66% | 1.0 | Minimum Passing |
| D− | 60–62% | 0.7 | Barely Passing |
| F | Below 60% | 0.0 | Failing |
Two things to note about this table. First, there is no A+ shown — the majority of US institutions either don't award A+ or award it as the same 4.0 grade points as a plain A. A small number of schools award A+ as 4.3 grade points, which can push a cumulative GPA above 4.0. Second, D− is not used at all institutions — some schools end the D range at 60%, with anything below that as an F.
The GPA scale cheat sheet covers all grade point values and their GPA implications in detail. The plus/minus grading guide explains how these distinctions affect cumulative GPA at schools with and without plus/minus systems.
Common scale variants: where cutoffs differ
The standard scale is not the only one in use. These are the most common variants you'll encounter:
The 90/80/70/60 scale (10-point intervals, with plus/minus)
This variant shifts every threshold down by 3 percentage points from the standard: A starts at 90%, B+ at 87% becomes the dividing line only when plus/minus is used. Some schools using 90% as the A threshold still use plus/minus within each letter band, creating: A = 93-100, A- = 90-92, B+ = 87-89, B = 83-86, etc. — which is identical to the standard scale except A starts at 90 instead of 93 in the A/A- split.
Wait — that's also the standard scale. The meaningful variant using the 90 threshold is the one that doesn't use plus/minus: A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = below 60. No A-, no B+, no subdivisions. That's the 10-point interval scale covered below.
The 95/85/75/65 scale (higher thresholds)
Some rigorous programs, particularly in medicine and law, set higher thresholds: A = 95+, A- = 90-94, B+ = 85-89, B = 80-84, etc. These courses are designed with the expectation that mastery is difficult to achieve, and the higher thresholds reflect that elevated standard. A 90% on a medical school exam is a high mark but earns an A- rather than an A on this scale.
The professor-defined custom scale
Many professors define their own cutoffs in the syllabus. Common non-standard choices: B+ at 85-89 (shifting B+ down 2 points), C+ at 75-79 (shifting up 2 points), or custom breakpoints based on the specific test structure. Always read your syllabus's grading scale section — the custom scale overrides any assumption about standard cutoffs.
| Grade | Standard (93/90/87) | High-Threshold (95/90/88) | Lower-Threshold (90/87/83) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 93–100% | 95–100% | 90–100% |
| A− | 90–92% | 90–94% | 87–89% |
| B+ | 87–89% | 88–89% | 83–86% |
| B | 83–86% | 84–87% | 80–82% |
A student scoring 91% could receive an A (on the lower-threshold scale), an A- (on the standard scale), or an A- (on the high-threshold scale) — the same raw score, three different grades depending on which cutoff applies. This is why assuming a standard scale without checking the syllabus leads to surprises.
The 10-point scale: simple, generous, and common in high schools
The 10-point scale uses clean decade boundaries with no plus/minus distinctions:
| Letter Grade | Percentage Range | Grade Points (Standard) |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90–100% | 4.0 |
| B | 80–89% | 3.0 |
| C | 70–79% | 2.0 |
| D | 60–69% | 1.0 |
| F | Below 60% | 0.0 |
The 10-point scale is more generous than the standard 93-threshold scale for students near boundaries. A 90% earns an A on the 10-point scale and an A- (3.7) on the standard scale — a 0.3 grade-point difference per credit hour. A 85% earns a B on the 10-point scale and a B (3.0) on both scales, since 83-86% = B on the standard scale too. The difference is largest at the A/A- boundary.
Many US high schools use the 10-point scale, which is why students entering college from high school sometimes assume that 90% = A everywhere. College courses more often use the 93-threshold standard scale, creating an unexpected adjustment for incoming freshmen.
Scales without plus/minus grading
Some institutions don't use plus/minus grading at all. Every grade is one of five: A (4.0), B (3.0), C (2.0), D (1.0), F (0.0). Without plus/minus, the grade bands are broader:
| Letter Grade | Typical Percentage Range | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90–100% (or 93–100%) | 4.0 |
| B | 80–89% (or 80–92%) | 3.0 |
| C | 70–79% (or 70–79%) | 2.0 |
| D | 60–69% (or 60–69%) | 1.0 |
| F | Below 60% | 0.0 |
At schools without plus/minus, a student earning 89% and a student earning 80% receive the same B (3.0). This can feel less precise but creates a more uniform GPA experience across the student population. It removes the anxiety of being at 89% vs. 90% — both earn the same 3.0. The plus/minus grading guide analyzes who benefits and who loses when a school switches between systems.
Why cutoffs vary: the logic behind different scales
Grade cutoffs reflect assessment design philosophy more than arbitrary convention. A professor who expects exam scores to cluster in the 85-95% range (because the exam is designed for a high success rate) may set A at 93% — that creates meaningful differentiation at the top. A professor whose exam is intentionally difficult, with expected averages around 60-70%, may set A at 85% to produce a reasonable grade distribution given the challenge level.
Institutional cutoffs also reflect historical practice and comparability across departments. When a university sets A = 93% as an institutional default, they're trying to ensure that an A in chemistry means roughly the same thing as an A in English literature, even though the exams and assessment styles are completely different. This standardization is imperfect but maintains at least a shared vocabulary for grade meanings.
Some programs deliberately use higher thresholds for rigor signaling: a nursing program requiring 80% to pass a course (using 80% as the D threshold rather than 60%) is communicating that the program considers anything below 80% as inadequate mastery of clinical knowledge. These program-specific adjustments usually appear in the academic catalog or program handbook rather than the individual course syllabus.
Graduate school grading: same cutoffs, higher expectations
Graduate programs at most institutions use the same percentage-to-letter-grade cutoffs as undergraduate courses — the institutional scale doesn't change based on degree level. What changes is the expectation for what constitutes acceptable performance.
In most graduate programs, a B (3.0) is considered the minimum acceptable grade. A C in a graduate course is often treated as academic difficulty — some programs require students to retake courses where they earn below B-, and a certain number of C grades can trigger academic probation at the graduate level. This is not reflected in the cutoff percentages but in the program's academic standards.
The practical implication: when computing a graduate student's "good standing" GPA, the relevant threshold is often 3.0 (B average) rather than the 2.0 (C average) used in undergraduate standing. The grade scale looks the same, but the stakes per grade are higher — a B- (2.7) that's harmless at the undergraduate level can be a significant concern in a graduate program where B (3.0) is expected.
The full percentage-to-GPA map
Putting percentage ranges and GPA points together, here is the complete mapping using the standard scale:
| Percentage | Letter | GPA Points |
|---|---|---|
| 97–100% | A | 4.0 |
| 93–96% | A | 4.0 |
| 90–92% | A− | 3.7 |
| 87–89% | B+ | 3.3 |
| 83–86% | B | 3.0 |
| 80–82% | B− | 2.7 |
| 77–79% | C+ | 2.3 |
| 73–76% | C | 2.0 |
| 70–72% | C− | 1.7 |
| 67–69% | D+ | 1.3 |
| 63–66% | D | 1.0 |
| 60–62% | D− | 0.7 |
| Below 60% | F | 0.0 |
How to find your exact cutoffs
The definitive source for your course's cutoffs is the course syllabus. Professors are required to state their grading scale in the syllabus at most accredited institutions. Look for a section labeled "Grading Scale," "Grade Distribution," or simply the percentage ranges listed next to each letter grade.
If the syllabus doesn't specify a grading scale, the institutional default applies. Find it in your school's academic catalog (usually in the "Academic Policies" or "Grading" section) or on your registrar's website. The institutional policy is the scale your professor uses when they don't define their own.
For courses using a learning management system (Canvas, Blackboard, etc.), the gradebook settings often display the grading scale the professor has configured. Accessing the full gradebook view (not just "My Grades") sometimes reveals the configured percentage-to-letter mapping.
When in doubt, email your professor and ask: "What percentage cutoffs do you use for each letter grade?" This is a completely routine question that professors expect from engaged students.
How the B+ to B GPA gap compounds across a full degree
A B+ (3.3 GPA points) versus a B (3.0 GPA points) looks like a 0.3-point difference in isolation. Over a full undergraduate degree, that difference — if it persists across multiple courses — creates a measurable cumulative GPA gap. Understanding the compounding math helps you see why hovering near a grade boundary in multiple courses has consequences beyond any single course.
The quality-point calculation
Your cumulative GPA is calculated as total quality points divided by total credit hours. For each course, quality points = credit hours × grade points. In a 3-credit course, a B+ contributes 3 × 3.3 = 9.9 quality points; a B contributes 3 × 3.0 = 9.0 quality points — a difference of 0.9 quality points per course. Over a 120-credit-hour degree where you take, say, 20 three-credit courses and receive a B+ instead of a B in five of them, the cumulative quality-point difference is 5 × 0.9 = 4.5 quality points across 120 credit hours — which shifts your cumulative GPA by 4.5 / 120 ≈ 0.038 points. Modest, but real. If those five courses all shifted from B to B+ in your senior year when you have 90+ hours accumulated, the shift per course on cumulative GPA would be even smaller (4.5 / 120 as above), but if they shift you from a 3.45 to a 3.49 cumulative GPA, that can matter for Latin honors thresholds or graduate school minimums.
Where B+ versus B matters most to admissions
Graduate and professional program admissions offices typically use GPA as an initial screening threshold, not as a fine-grained differentiator. A cumulative GPA of 3.3 versus 3.0 might clear different thresholds — many competitive programs screen at 3.0, 3.2, 3.3, or 3.5 depending on program type. The B+/B distinction matters most when it's the difference between meeting and not meeting a stated minimum, or when it sits precisely at a scholarship threshold (many merit scholarships require 3.0 or 3.25 or 3.5 cumulative GPA, and a B versus B+ in the right course at the right moment can make the difference).
Program-specific interpretation of the B+ grade
The letter grade "B+" carries different functional weight depending on your field of study and the program type. The percentage behind it (87-89%) is consistent; the implications of receiving it are not.
Nursing and allied health programs
Many nursing programs require a minimum grade of B or B+ in core science prerequisites — anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology. At programs requiring a B (80-83%), a B+ clears the bar comfortably. At programs requiring a B+ (87-89%), a B does not clear it, and a student who received a B must retake the course. If you are planning to apply to nursing programs, confirm the stated minimum for each prerequisite at each program you're targeting — "B" does not mean the same thing across programs when plus/minus grading is involved. Some programs specify a letter grade minimum on a scale that doesn't use plus/minus, meaning any B (80-89%) qualifies; others specify 87% or 3.3 explicitly.
Engineering and technical programs
Engineering programs often set minimum grade requirements for upper-division prerequisite chains — a C or better in Statics before Dynamics, a B or better in Circuits before Advanced Circuits. The B threshold in a plus/minus scale is typically 80-83%, which a B+ (87-89%) clears with margin. The practical concern in engineering is often not the B+ versus B distinction per se, but whether you're in a program with norm-referenced prerequisites (where the curve makes the B+ achievable without mastery) or criterion-referenced ones (where 87% genuinely reflects skill level). For graduate engineering admissions, a B+ in technical courses reads as solid but not exceptional — As in technical courses plus Bs in non-technical courses often profiles better than uniform B+s across the board.
Pre-law applicants
Law school admissions weight undergraduate GPA heavily alongside LSAT score, and law school GPA models are sensitive to the B+/A- boundary (3.3 vs. 3.7) more than the B/B+ boundary. That said, for students hovering near a 3.3 cumulative GPA, the B+ versus B distinction in credit-heavy courses is meaningful. Many law school GPA calculators will show you exactly how a grade change in a specific course affects your LSAC GPA — law school admissions use the LSAC-calculated GPA, which applies its own consistent scale, so plus/minus adjustments by your institution feed into LSAC's calculation the same way across schools.
Why the 87% threshold became standard for B+
The dominance of the 87-89% threshold for B+ in American higher education is partly historical convention and partly the logic of dividing a 10-point letter-grade band into three sub-grades.
The arithmetic of the plus/minus system
If a B spans 80-89%, and you add plus/minus subdivisions, the natural equal-thirds division gives: B- (80-83%), B (84-86%), B+ (87-89%). The 87% B+ lower bound follows directly from this equal-division logic. Not every institution follows strict thirds — some set B+ starting at 88%, others at 86% — but the equal-thirds convention produces 87% and has been widely adopted. The same arithmetic applies at every letter grade level, which is why A- often starts at 90%, B+ ends at 89%, and the gap between them is exactly 1 percentage point (some institutions address this by having B+ extend through 89% and A- start at 90%, while others leave a gap at exactly 89-89.9% that falls into one grade or the other depending on rounding rules).
Institutional variation at the boundary
The most common point of institutional disagreement is whether 89% is a B+ or an A-. At institutions where B+ runs 87-89% and A- runs 90-92%, an 89% is a B+ (3.3 GPA points). At institutions where B+ runs 87-89.9% and A- runs 90-93%, an 89% is still a B+. At institutions where A- starts at 89%, an 89% earns an A- (3.7 GPA points) — a full 0.4-point GPA difference for the same raw percentage. This is the most consequential single percentage-point cutoff in the standard scale, and it's worth confirming explicitly for any course where you're hovering near 89%.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage is a B+?
On the most common US scale, B+ is 87–89%. At a 90-threshold scale without plus/minus, 87% is a straight B. At a scale with higher cutoffs, 87% might be a B. The standard assumption for US four-year college courses: 87% = B+, 88% = B+, 89% = B+. Always verify in your syllabus. The GPA cheat sheet has the full grade point reference.
What percentage is an A?
On the most common US scale, an A is 93% or above (93–100%). On a 90-threshold scale, an A is 90% or above. On a high-standard scale, an A might require 95%. The A/A- boundary is the most variable in US higher education. When a syllabus is silent, the institutional default applies — check your academic catalog.
What percentage is a C?
On the standard scale, C is 73–76% (plain C), with C+ at 77–79% and C- at 70–72%. All C variants combined cover 70–79%. On a simple 10-point scale, C is 70–79% with no subdivision. Some programs require a C (73%) to pass a course for major credit, even though a lower grade technically earns credit.
What is the minimum passing percentage?
Typically 60% — the threshold above which students receive a D (barely passing). Some courses, particularly major prerequisites, require 70% (C) or 73% (C on the standard scale) as the minimum to receive credit toward the major. Financial aid eligibility under SAP requires a cumulative 2.0 GPA (C average) across all courses, not just individual course passage.
Why do some professors use 90% as the A cutoff and others 93%?
Cutoffs reflect assessment design philosophy. A professor whose exam has a higher intended average may use 93% for A, maintaining meaningful differentiation at the top. A professor designing a harder exam may use 90% or 85%. Cutoffs should align with the exam's difficulty level and expected performance distribution. When a course uses standardized institutional cutoffs regardless of exam difficulty, students who perform near the boundary may face outcomes that don't reflect genuine mastery differences.
What percentage is a D?
On the standard plus/minus scale: D+ is 67–69%, D is 63–66%, D- is 60–62%. On the 10-point scale, D is 60–69%. A D earns passing credit (1.0 grade points) but counts poorly in GPA and may not satisfy major requirements that specify a C or higher. A D- (0.7 grade points at schools that use it) is the weakest passing grade.
Do online courses use different grading scales than in-person courses?
No — accredited online programs use the same institutional grading scale as their in-person counterparts. The grading scale is set at the institution or department level, not by delivery format. The one exception would be a separate online-only institution (not affiliated with your main campus) with its own academic policies. Your registrar's grade point scale applies to all courses listed on your official transcript regardless of how they were delivered.
What percentage is needed for a 3.0 GPA?
A cumulative 3.0 GPA corresponds to a straight-B average. Each B earns 3.0 grade points per credit hour. Individual course percentages need to fall in the B range (83–86% on the standard scale) consistently across all courses for the GPA to average to 3.0. In practice, a mix of higher and lower grades can also produce a 3.0 cumulative GPA as long as the weighted average comes out to 3.0 grade points per credit hour.
What percentage cutoffs do most graduate schools use?
Graduate programs typically use the same institutional percentage-to-letter-grade cutoffs as undergraduate programs. The scale itself doesn't change. What changes is the expectation: a B (83–86%) is usually the minimum acceptable grade in graduate work, and multiple C grades can trigger academic probation. The percentage thresholds look identical; the consequences of each grade level differ significantly compared to undergraduate conventions.
What is the 10-point grading scale?
The 10-point scale: A = 90–100%, B = 80–89%, C = 70–79%, D = 60–69%, F = below 60%. No plus/minus subdivisions. Clean decade boundaries. More generous than the 93-threshold standard scale at the A/A- boundary — a 90% earns an A here versus an A- (3.7) on the standard scale. Common in many US high schools and some colleges.
Related Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics — national data on academic performance, course completion, and grading practices. nces.ed.gov
- College Board. AP Central: Scoring and Grading — how AP exams are scored, grade distributions, and course weighting standards. apcentral.collegeboard.org
- ACT, Inc. College Readiness Benchmarks — data linking course grades to college readiness and first-year college GPA outcomes. act.org/research