German Grade to US GPA Converter
Convert a German grade to a US 4.0 GPA. The German scale runs backwards — 1.0 is the best mark and 4.0 is the lowest pass.
German grade to US GPA
Gut (Good)
German grades run 1.0 (best) to 5.0 (fail), with 4.0 the lowest pass. US GPA shown as 5.0 minus your grade, the DAAD-aligned convention.
Conversions are approximate. For official applications, use a NACES evaluator such as WES.
German grade, description and US GPA
Using the DAAD-aligned relation US GPA = 5.0 − German grade, which is what most US graduate schools apply to a German transcript.
| German grade | Description | US GPA |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Sehr gut (Very good) | 4.0 |
| 1.3 | Sehr gut | 3.7 |
| 1.7 | Gut (Good) | 3.3 |
| 2.0 | Gut | 3.0 |
| 2.3 | Gut | 2.7 |
| 2.7 | Befriedigend (Satisfactory) | 2.3 |
| 3.0 | Befriedigend | 2.0 |
| 3.7 | Ausreichend (Sufficient) | 1.3 |
| 4.0 | Ausreichend — lowest pass | 1.0 |
| 5.0 | Nicht ausreichend (Fail) | 0.0 |
Conversion formulas
- German grade → US GPA: US GPA ≈ 5.0 − German grade. A 1.7 becomes 3.3.
- Modified Bavarian Formula (into German): German grade = 1 + 3 × (Nmax − Nd) ÷ (Nmax − Nmin), where Nmax = best achievable grade, Nmin = minimum passing grade, Nd = your grade. This converts a foreign grade <em>into</em> the German scale — the direction uni-assist needs.
Which direction are you converting?
This trips almost everyone up. The Modified Bavarian Formula is the officially recognised method for turning a foreign grade into a German one — that is what uni-assist and German universities apply to your incoming transcript. It does not convert German grades outward.
Going the other way, from a German grade to a US GPA, there is no single official formula. The widely used approximation is 5.0 minus your grade, which the converter above applies. A US 3.5 GPA and a German 1.5 are treated as broadly equivalent.
Using the Modified Bavarian Formula
The formula places your grade on the German 1.0–5.0 scale relative to the best and lowest passing grades of your own system. For a US 4.0 scale (Nmax = 4.0, Nmin = 1.0 pass), a 3.5 GPA gives 1 + 3 × (4.0 − 3.5) ÷ (4.0 − 1.0) = 1.5 — a sehr gut. It is recognised by the German KMK and used by uni-assist for admissions.
Abitur and university grades are different scales
German universities grade on 1.0–5.0. The Abitur uses a separate 0–15 point system per course, which aggregates into an overall grade on a 1.0–4.0 scale where 1.0 is again the best. School reports below Abitur level commonly use 1–6. If a form asks for “your German grade”, check which of these your document actually shows before converting anything.
Where these figures come from
- anabin (Kultusministerkonferenz) — the official database for classifying foreign qualifications
- TU München — grade conversion formula for grades earned outside Germany
The modified Bavarian formula (modifizierte bayerische Formel) has been the Kultusministerkonferenz standard since 2004 and is what uni-assist and German public universities apply. It needs two inputs from your own system — the maximum grade and the minimum passing grade — and anabin is where the passing grade for a given foreign institution is established. Getting Nmin wrong changes the result more than any rounding does.
Conversions are approximate by nature. For official admissions, use a NACES credential evaluator such as WES and confirm with your institution.
Germany conversion FAQ
Is 1.0 a good grade in Germany?
It is the best possible grade — sehr gut, very good. The scale is inverted compared to the US, so 1.0 is the top and 5.0 is a fail.
What is a 2.0 German grade in GPA?
About a 3.0 US GPA. A 2.0 is a solid gut (good).
What is a 1.7 in US GPA?
Roughly a 3.3, using the 5.0 − grade convention.
What is the Modified Bavarian Formula?
A KMK-recognised method for converting a foreign grade into the German scale: 1 + 3 × (Nmax − Nd) ÷ (Nmax − Nmin). It is the direction uni-assist uses when assessing your application to a German university.
What is the lowest passing grade in Germany?
A 4.0 (ausreichend, sufficient). Anything above 4.0 — normally recorded as 5.0 — is a fail.
Is a 2.5 German grade good?
It is a respectable gut/befriedigend borderline, roughly a 2.5 US GPA. For competitive master’s admission in Germany, 2.5 or better is a common minimum.
Grade conversion for other countries
Converting a transcript from somewhere else? These pages use each country's own grading scale.