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The 4.0 GPA Scale

The definitive guide to understanding how letter grades, percentages, and honors classes convert into your Grade Point Average.

In the United States, most high schools and colleges use the 4.0 grading scale to measure academic performance. This scale assigns a numerical value between 0.0 and 4.0 to each letter grade you earn.

Standard 4.0 Unweighted Scale

This is the standard scale used by most colleges to calculate your unweighted GPA. An unweighted GPA maxes out at 4.0 and does not give extra points for difficult classes.

Letter GradePercentageGPA (Unweighted)Honors / AP / IB (Weighted)
A+93% - 100%4.04.5 (Honors) / 5.0 (AP)
A93% - 100%4.04.5 (Honors) / 5.0 (AP)
A-90% - 92%3.74.2 (Honors) / 4.7 (AP)
B+87% - 89%3.33.8 (Honors) / 4.3 (AP)
B83% - 86%3.03.5 (Honors) / 4.0 (AP)
B-80% - 82%2.73.2 (Honors) / 3.7 (AP)
C+77% - 79%2.32.8 (Honors) / 3.3 (AP)
C73% - 76%2.02.5 (Honors) / 3.0 (AP)
C-70% - 72%1.72.2 (Honors) / 2.7 (AP)
D+67% - 69%1.31.8 (Honors) / 2.3 (AP)
D63% - 66%1.01.5 (Honors) / 2.0 (AP)
D-60% - 62%0.71.2 (Honors) / 1.7 (AP)
F0% - 59%0.00.0

Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA

Unweighted GPA treats all classes equally. An A in regular Biology and an A in AP Biology both equal 4.0 points.

Weighted GPA gives extra points for taking difficult classes. Typically, Honors classes get a +0.5 boost (an A becomes 4.5), and AP/IB classes get a +1.0 boost (an A becomes 5.0).

How Colleges Use the Scale

Most colleges will ask for your weighted GPA on applications, but many highly selective universities (like the Ivy League or Stanford) will actually recalculate your GPA on the unweighted 4.0 scale to standardize applications across different high schools.

To stand out, you need both: a high unweighted GPA and a rigorous schedule of AP/Honors classes.

Frequently Asked Questions

The 4.0 GPA scale is the standard grading scale used by most colleges and high schools in the United States. It translates letter grades into numerical values, where an A is a 4.0, a B is a 3.0, a C is a 2.0, a D is a 1.0, and an F is a 0.0.
Yes, a 4.0 unweighted GPA is essentially perfect. It means you have earned an A or A+ in every single class you've taken. It is highly competitive and excellent for Ivy League college admissions or top-tier scholarships.
Yes, if your school uses a weighted GPA system. In a weighted system, advanced classes like Honors or AP/IB courses give you extra points. For example, an A in an AP class is usually worth 5.0 instead of 4.0, allowing your total cumulative GPA to exceed 4.0.
Unweighted GPA calculates your grades on a strict 0 to 4.0 scale regardless of class difficulty. Weighted GPA takes the difficulty of the class into account, usually adding 0.5 points for Honors classes and 1.0 point for AP or IB classes to reward students for taking harder courses.
While it varies slightly by school, generally 93-100% is an A (4.0), 90-92% is an A- (3.7), 87-89% is a B+ (3.3), and 83-86% is a B (3.0). You can check our exact conversion chart above or use our dedicated Percentage to GPA calculator.