UK Grade to US GPA Converter
Convert UK percentages and honours classifications to an approximate US 4.0 GPA — and see why a 70% in the UK is a top result, not a C.
UK percentage to US GPA
First-Class (1st) · 70–100%
UK marks run much lower than US percentages — 70% is a First-Class result.
Conversions are approximate. For official applications, use a NACES evaluator such as WES.
UK honours classification → approximate GPA
| Grade | Range | Approx. GPA |
|---|---|---|
| First-Class (1st) | 70–100% | 3.7–4.0 |
| Upper Second (2:1) | 60–69% | 3.3–3.7 |
| Lower Second (2:2) | 50–59% | 2.7–3.0 |
| Third (3rd) | 40–49% | 2.0–2.6 |
| Fail | Below 40% | 0 |
What each UK mark actually means
The single biggest mistake is reading a UK percentage as an American one. These are the same marks described in both systems.
| UK mark | UK reading | US reading of the same number |
|---|---|---|
| 80%+ | Exceptional — rare, often reserved for publishable work | B− |
| 70–79% | First-Class — the top classification | C− |
| 60–69% | Upper Second (2:1) — a strong degree | D− |
| 50–59% | Lower Second (2:2) — a solid pass | F |
| 40–49% | Third — a pass | F |
Why UK percentages look low
UK marking is stricter by design. A 70% earns a First-Class degree, the highest classification available, and marks above 80% are genuinely rare — many departments reserve them for work of publishable standard. Converting a UK 70% as though it were an American 70% would turn the best possible result into a C−, which is why classification-based mapping is used instead.
If you are filling in an application that asks for a percentage with no room for explanation, give the number and the classification. “68% (Upper Second-Class Honours)” reads correctly; “68%” alone does not.
What a 2:1 means to an employer or a graduate school
The 2:1 is the practical threshold in UK graduate recruitment and postgraduate admissions — a large share of graduate schemes and master’s programmes set it as their minimum. A 2:2 is a perfectly respectable degree but closes some doors automatically. Roughly a fifth to a third of UK graduates achieve a First, depending on subject and institution.
Module marks, the degree class and your GPA
Your classification is not a simple average of every mark you ever received. Most UK universities weight the final year most heavily, often discount the first year entirely, and apply borderline rules that can lift a 68% average into a First. A US GPA, by contrast, is a straight credit-weighted mean of every course. This is why a UK transcript and a recalculated GPA rarely tell exactly the same story — and why evaluators work from the transcript rather than the classification alone.
Where these figures come from
We have not yet traced this country’s band mapping to a single body that publishes it. The table reflects the scales used by the institutions we checked, and grading practice varies between them — so treat it as an orientation rather than an authority, and confirm the boundaries with the institution that issued the transcript. If you know the official source, tell us and we will cite it.
Conversions are approximate by nature. For official admissions, use a NACES credential evaluator such as WES and confirm with your institution.
United Kingdom conversion FAQ
What GPA is a UK 2:1?
An Upper Second-Class (2:1), typically 60–69%, maps to roughly a 3.3–3.7 US GPA. It is the standard minimum for UK graduate schemes and most master’s programmes.
Is a UK First a 4.0 GPA?
A First-Class degree (70%+) is commonly treated as a 3.7–4.0 GPA. Evaluators differ on whether a First at the bottom of the band is a full 4.0.
What is 70% in the UK as a GPA?
A 70% is the First-Class threshold and reads as roughly a 3.7–4.0 GPA — not the 2.0 an American 70% would suggest.
What GPA is a 2:2?
A Lower Second-Class (2:2), 50–59%, is about a 2.7–3.0 US GPA.
Is 65% a good grade in the UK?
Yes — 65% sits comfortably in the 2:1 band, which is a strong result and above the threshold most employers and postgraduate programmes ask for.
Why are UK marks so much lower than US marks?
They measure different things. UK marking treats the full 0–100 range as usable and reserves the top of it for exceptional work, so the practical ceiling is around 80%. US grading compresses most passing work into 60–100%, making an A start around 93%.
Grade conversion for other countries
Converting a transcript from somewhere else? These pages use each country's own grading scale.