Decoding the College Grade Scale: A Comprehensive Explanation

Navigating the world of college grades can be confusing, as different institutions employ varying systems and symbols. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of college grading scales, including letter grades, GPA calculation, and special grade notations, to help students understand their academic performance and how it is evaluated.

Understanding Letter Grades and GPA

Most colleges use a letter grading system, where each letter corresponds to a specific range of performance. A typical grading scale assigns numerical values to each letter grade, which are then used to calculate a student's Grade Point Average (GPA). The GPA is a weighted average of grades earned in all courses, reflecting a student's overall academic performance.

The 4.0 Scale

One of the most common GPA scales is the 4.0 scale. In this system, an A typically equals 4.0, and the overall GPA is the average of the grades. Here's an example of how numerical/letter grade relates to the traditional 4.0 scale:

Letter Grade	Percent Grade Range	GPA Points Per Class
A	90-100	4.0
B	80-89	3.0
C	70-79	2.0
D	66-69	1.0
E/F	Below 65	0.0

To determine your GPA, you add up all the GPA points from your courses and divide them by the number of classes you’ve taken. For example, if you took five classes and earned three A’s (4.0 each), one B (3.0) and one C (2.0): (4.0 + 4.0 + 4.0 + 3.0 + 2.0) ÷ 5 = 3.4 GPA.

Plus and Minus Grades

Many institutions, including the University of Illinois, use plus (+) and minus (−) grades to provide a more nuanced evaluation of student performance. These grades are interpreted to mean a specific letter grade range. While quality points cannot be directly assigned to a specific letter grade, the plus/minus grades default scale to meet the requirements specific to her/his course. The formula for calculation of a grade-point average (GPA) does not change.

GPA Calculation

Term grade point averages are calculated as follows:

Multiply the number of credits for each course by the grade received to get the grade points for that course.
Add up all the grade points from your courses.
Divide the total grade points by the total number of credits from courses that use numerical grades.

Each course syllabus indicates the relationship between course components and assignments in determining a final grade.

How Colleges Evaluate GPAs

Colleges may recalculate your GPA based on their own criteria. Some may:

Remove noncore courses (like physical education or electives).
Focus on core subjects (math, science, English, social studies, and world languages).
Adjust or remove weighting assigned to AP or honors to standardize GPAs across applicants, since grading scales vary by school. Some colleges may apply their own weighting system.

Because of these variations, it’s best to ask college admissions offices directly how they evaluate GPA during the application process.

University Honors

To determine University Honors, two GPAs are computed for each student: (1) on all work completed and (2) on all work completed at LSU (all System campuses). The lower of the averages is used to determine eligibility for University Honors at LSU A&M.

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Special Grades and Notations

Besides the standard letter grades, colleges use a variety of special grades and notations to indicate different situations. Here are some common examples:

AU (Audit): Indicates attendance as a visitor only. The grade does not count toward the student’s GPA or earned hours. Up to the end of the second week of the term, students may initiate, without instructor’s permission, a change to or from audit status. From weeks three through six of the term, instructor permission is required. After the sixth week, no change in status may be made.
CR (Credit): Used only in courses taken for credit/no credit. Instructors report the usual letter grades. Prior to Fall 2022, a grade of C- or better was automatically converted to CR. As of Fall 2022, a grade of D- or better is required to be converted to CR. Indicates student has passed with a “C” level grade or higher for undergraduate students and a “B” or better for graduate students; not included in determining grade average but does represent satisfactory progress toward a degree.
DFR (Deferred): Used only in thesis, research, and special-problems courses extending over more than one semester that are taken by graduate students as preparation for thesis and by undergraduate students in satisfaction of the requirements for graduation with honors and in other approved courses that extend over more than one semester.
I (Incomplete): Approved extension of time to complete the final examination or other requirements of the course. An Incomplete (I) grade is assigned when a student is unable to complete the requirements of a course due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as illness, hospitalization, death or care of family member. A student may request an Incomplete grade if at a minimum 60% of a course is completed and in good standing. The student must initiate the request for an Incomplete to the faculty prior to the last day of the course. Faculty may require student to provide documentation of the extenuating circumstance. If the faculty approves the request for the Incomplete, a student may be given a maximum of four (4) weeks from the end of the course to meet the criteria outlined by the faculty for an Incomplete. Faculty will send the approval to the Office of the Registrar for processing. It is the responsibility of the student to follow up with the faculty to remove an Incomplete. A grade of Incomplete is not considered a grade and may not satisfy the prerequisite requirement of any subsequent courses.
NC (No Credit): Used only in courses taken under the credit/no credit grading option. Instructors report the usual letter grades. Prior to Fall 2022, a grade of D+ or lower or a grade of ABS was automatically converted to NC. As of Fall 2022, grades of F will automatically convert to NC. (Between Fall 2022 and Summer 2025, ABS grades will convert to NC.) Indicates student has not passed with a “C” level grade or higher for undergraduate students and a “B” or better for graduate students; not included in determining grade average but does represent satisfactory progress toward a degree.
NR (Not Reported): Automatically recorded when the instructor has not submitted the grade. If an "NR" grade appears for a course in a prior semester, you should contact the instructor of the course to find out why a final grade was not recorded.
P (Pass): Used for Graduate, Law, and Undergraduate students during global health emergency. Credit is earned for courses with this grade designation. The "P" grading option is used to indicate a passing grade in a class when an individual student receives permission from both the class instructor and his/her college or school. If you earn a "P" grade, you will earn hours, but the grade is not used for computing your GPA. A "P" grade should only be assigned when an individual student receives permission to take a course as pass/fail.
W (Withdrawal): Indicates withdrawal after an Add/Drop period; not included in determining grade average but does count toward hours attempted when determining satisfactory academic progress. If you withdraw from a class after the first week of school, you will receive a mark of "W" on your transcript. You earn no credit or grade for withdrawn classes.
XE (Academic Dishonesty): The grade of "XE" denotes failure due to academic dishonesty and is treated the same as an "E" for the purposes of GPA, course repeatability, and academic standing determination. A student may not avoid any penalty for academic dishonesty by withdrawing from a course.

Cascadia College Grades

Cascadia College uses a decimal grading system. Instructors may report grades from 4.0 to 1.0 in 0.1 increments, as well as the grade of 0.0. Grades in the range of 0.9 to 0.1 are not assigned. Decimal grades are equivalent to letter grades as follows:

Decimal Grade	Letter Grade
4.0 - 3.9	A
3.8 - 3.5	A-
3.4 - 3.2	B+
3.1 - 2.9	B
2.8 - 2.5	B-
2.4 - 2.2	C+
2.1 - 1.9	C
1.8 - 1.5	C-
1.4 - 1.2	D+
1.1 - 1.0	D
0.0	F

Cascadia College will use the following letter grades for credit classes, as appropriate. These letter grades are not subject to the Grade Appeal Process.

H (Course in Progress): This grade is assigned when instructors teach courses that extend beyond the end of the term or for courses which are continuous.
I (Incomplete): This grade may be given when requested by the student and approved by instructor. A grade of I is appropriate when the student (a) has already completed a majority of work for the course, (b) is unable to finish the remaining coursework, and (c) is able to complete the coursework with no additional instruction.
N (Audit): The student participates in coursework at the instructor’s discretion, but no credit is earned.
NP (Non-graded No Credit for the Course): This grade is assigned when the student has not met the class outcomes and requirements to receive a grade of 2.0 or higher OR for level completion.
P (Pass): This grade is assigned when the student has met the learning outcomes for the class. Only designated courses are graded using a P. This information is listed in the course description of the class schedule.

Additional Considerations

Grade Exclusion Policy: All grades are used to determine University Honors. The Grade Exclusion Policy will be included in determining the University Medalists.
Repeating Courses: If a course is repeated, the most recent attempt will be used in calculating the cumulative GPA and for completion of program requirements. Students in a nursing program taking clinical with a co-requisite didactic will be required to repeat both didactic and clinical courses if failure to pass either co-requisite. An undergraduate course taken by undergraduate students at ASU may be repeated for credit if the grade or mark of "D", "E", (including EU, EN, and XE) "W", "X" is received. To be eligible for the deletion of "D" or "E" grades from calculations of the GPA, the course must be repeated at ASU.
Grade Appeals: The University recognizes the right of every student to challenge and/or appeal a grade. Students are free to make general inquiries about grades, but are required to follow the published policies and procedures for formal appeals and requests for grade changes.
Withdrawal: Students may drop after the drop period and receive a withdrawal grade (W). A grade of “W” does not affect a student’s cumulative GPA, but counts as credit hours attempted toward both pace and maximum time frame. Course withdrawals will not be allowed after week seven (7) of an 8-week session. Students who are administratively withdrawn during week 8 will be awarded a withdrawal fail (WF) grade. Notifying an instructor or other office of intent to drop a course does not constitute an official withdrawal. Students may withdraw from courses via student portal. Students who withdraw from course(s) are still responsible for tuition. Please refer to the University Refund Policy for more information.
Incomplete Grades: A mark of "I" (incomplete) is given by the instructor when you are otherwise doing acceptable work but are unable to complete the course because of illness or other conditions beyond your control. You are required to arrange with the instructor for the completion of the course requirements. The arrangement is recorded on the Request for Grade of Incomplete form. If you receive an "I" in an undergraduate course in the fall 1983 or thereafter, your grade will be automatically changed to a failing grade "E" if you do not complete the course within one calendar year. If you receive an "I" in a graduate course (500-level or above) your "I" grade will become a permanent part of your transcript if you do not complete the course within one year, and you will have to reregister and pay fees to repeat the course for credit.

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