Navigating the American University Grading System: A Comprehensive Guide

The American university grading system can be complex, with variations across institutions and even within different departments of the same university. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the grading system commonly used in American universities, covering aspects such as letter grades, GPA calculation, special grades, academic standing, and policies related to course repetition and grade replacement. This guide is designed to help students, both domestic and international, navigate the academic landscape in the United States.

Traditional Letter Grades

In the United States, academic grading typically uses a system of letter grades. Traditionally, the grades are A+, A, A−, B+, B, B−, C+, C, C−, D+, D, D−, and F, with A+ being the highest and F being the lowest. The typical letter grades awarded for participation in a course are (from highest to lowest) A, B, C, D, and F. Variations on the traditional five-grade system allow for awarding A+, A, A−, B+, B, B−, C+, C, C−, D+, D, D−, and F. These grades are often accompanied by a plus (+) or minus (-) to indicate performance nuances, such as B+ or C-.

Passing Grades

In primary and secondary schools, a D is usually the lowest passing grade. However, some schools consider a C the lowest passing grade, so the general standard is that anything below a 60% or 70% is failing, depending on the grading scale. In post-secondary schools, such as colleges and universities, a D is considered to be an unsatisfactory passing grade. Students will usually still earn credit for the class if they get a D. For undergraduate work, a C- or above is likely a passing grade. Anything in the D range has become more questionable, and its status depends on the university guidelines, the program of study, the course itself, and other variables.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The Grade Point Average (GPA) is a numerical representation of your academic performance. It ranges from 0.0 to 4.0, with 4.0 being the highest. Many scholarships, internships, and postgraduate programs require a GPA of 3.0 or higher. If your GPA drops too low, your school may limit your course load or require academic support.

GPA Calculation

In the grades system in the USA, calculating the GPA is not just the average of the sum of your grades, but determined by the amount of semester hours. Multiply the grade points for each course by the number of credit hours of the course. Add up all the final grade points you calculated for each course.

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For example, let’s say you took three courses this semester. In which, Course 1 is worth 3 credits, and you earned an A in the course, with a GPA value of 4.0. While Course 2 is worth 4 credits, and you earned a B in the course with a GPA value of 3.0. And Course 3 is worth 3 credits, and you earned a C in the class with a GPA value of 2.0. GPAs are truncated after two decimal places.

Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA

Unweighted GPA: Based solely on grades, without considering course difficulty.
Weighted GPA: Reflects course difficulty, with advanced or honors courses carrying more weight (e.g., an A in an honors course might equal 5.0).

Percentage-Based Grading System

The 100-point scale is a percentage-based grading system. In a percentage-based system, each assignment regardless of size, type, or complexity is given a percentage score: four correct answers out of five is a score of 80%. The overall grade for the class is then typically weighted so that the final grade represents a stated proportion of different types of work. For example, daily homework may be counted as 50% of the final grade, chapter quizzes may count for 20%, the comprehensive final exam may count for 20%, and a major project may count for the remaining 10%.

Alternatives to Letter Grading

Alternatives to letter-grading assessments have been tried in some schools, but still remain a marginal approach due to the heavy emphasis and history of letter grading. Alternatives to standard letter grading are able to evaluate the students skills and understanding of the course material. The flaws in the standard letter grading system are major and require a lot of attention. These issues include ways for students to achieve high grades without actually understanding the course material. They don't have any real understanding of the complex information taught in the class.

Some institutions either do not issue grades at all (such as Alverno College, Antioch College, Bennington College, Evergreen State College, New College of Florida, and Hampshire College), de-emphasize them (St. John's College, Reed College, Sarah Lawrence College, Prescott College, College of the Atlantic), or do not calculate grade point averages (Brown University). In many cases, narrative evaluations are used as an alternative measurement system.

Special Grades

FN Grade

The FN grade indicates that a student has failed a course due to non-attendance. It is calculated as an "F" in the student's grade point average. For students receiving financial aid, failure for non-attendance may require the student to refund to the college all or part of their aid. The FN grade will be assigned by the faculty member at any time following the final withdrawal date for the course.

W Grade

A grade of "W" indicates that a student has elected to withdraw from a course prior to the course's withdraw deadline. It is not calculated in the student's grade point average, which would keep the student from facing possible academic disciplinary action if they were to fall below the required Standards of Academic Progress (SAP). For students receiving financial aid, a grade of "W" may require the student to refund to the college all or part of their aid.

Incomplete (I) Grade

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.

Credit (CR) and No-Credit (NC) Grades

A grade of Credit (CR) is equivalent to acceptable undergraduate or graduate performance (the equivalent of a “C” or higher for undergraduate students and a “B” or higher for graduate-level students). A No-Credit (NC) grade indicates that the course was not mastered.

Administrative Fail

Administrative fail is assigned by the instructor in lieu of a grade of “F” when a student never attended or ceased attending the class, rendering an assessment of academic performance impossible.

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N Grade

N = No grade or invalid grade submitted (assigned by the academic unit or appropriate administrative officer when an expected final grade has not been received before the grade posting deadline.

Pass/Fail Options

Some courses offer a pass/fail grading system, where "Pass" does not affect GPA, but "Fail" does. This is a great way to explore subjects outside your major without risking your GPA. A grade of Pass indicates performance of no less than a 2.00 (“C”) on a conventional grading scale.

Standards of Academic Progress (SAP)

Standards of Academic Progress are the standards set by the school, state, Board of Education, or other agency which are required of students to adhere to in order to continue to attend classes. A student who falls below the SAP may have disciplinary action taken against them or denial of financial aid until the student has met the required SAP. In Florida, Standards of Academic Progress require a student to maintain a grade point average of 2.00 or above on the 4.00 numeric grading scale. The student must also finish 67% of the courses attempted, which includes previous failures, re-takes, and withdrawals.

In addition to GPA and course completion requirements, some institutions include specific benchmarks for individual courses or program components as part of SAP. These may involve maintaining minimum grades in core subjects, meeting credit-hour thresholds each term, or successfully completing remedial coursework if necessary. Schools may also implement probationary periods for students who temporarily fall below SAP standards, providing guidance and academic support to help them regain satisfactory status.

Academic Standing

Undergraduate students (degree and non-degree) are in Good Academic Standing if they are not on Academic Warning and are enrolled in semester classes, or are eligible to enroll in subsequent semester classes.

Academic Warning

The Academic Warning process (formerly known as “probation”) consists of two levels for students to utilize appropriate academic supports and plan for academic recovery when the cumulative GPA or other indicators from the academic unit shows that the student is not making adequate academic progress.

Students will be placed on Initial Academic Warning for the conditions described in regulations section 5.7.1. If at the end of the Initial Academic Warning term, a student’s cumulative GPA remains below 2.00 or other conditions from the academic unit for academic progress are not met, the student is placed on Final Academic Warning Before Dismissal. If at the end of the Final Academic Warning Before Dismissal term, a student’s cumulative GPA remains below 2.00 or other conditions from the academic unit for academic progress are not met, the student will undergo Academic Dismissal.

Academic Dismissal

Students who have proceeded from Initial Academic Warning to Final Academic Warning Before Dismissal in two subsequent terms will undergo Academic Dismissal. The university will dismiss students whose cumulative GPA after the completion of 24 attempted credits falls below 1.00 (“D”). Temporary grades do not affect grade point average. When Incomplete or In-progress grades are converted to a letter grade, the GPA will be recalculated accordingly. Courses with a recorded grade of “W” (Withdraw) do not affect grade point average.

Course Credits

In colleges and universities, the terms “credits” and “units” are generally used interchangeably, and indicate the number of hours of class time required for a particular class. For example, a four-credit History course would require a student to be in that class for four hours each week for the duration of the semester. Credit hours do not, however, include implied study and homework time for each course. The amount of out-of-class work required varies greatly by course, but a general rule is that most classes require twice as much out-of-class work as in-class work.

The course credits system serves two purposes: it indicates a student’s total course workload by semester (15 credits per semester is standard), and it serves as a running tally of how close a student is to graduating. Again, requirements vary by school, major, etc., but 120 credits is generally seen as the magic number of total credits needed to graduate from a four-year university.

Course Repetition and Grade Replacement

The may repeat courses in which a below than average, or minimum passing, grade has been earned in order to work towards a better grade to assist in raising GPA. 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.

Students have a maximum of two attempts to pass a course with a grade of “C” or better before subsequent registrations require the student to meet with the academic unit to create an academic recovery plan for the course. After the second attempt, an advising hold will be placed on the student’s academic record until they meet with the academic unit to create an academic recovery plan for the course. While withdrawals are counted towards course attempts overall, they are not included in the two attempts to repeat a particular course before the advising hold is placed.

Once a student passes a course taken at American University, the student may repeat it one more time. Regardless of number of attempts, credit may only be earned once for a course, excluding any course appropriately designated as repeatable for credit. Students are responsible for determining any academic or financial implications for repeating courses. In the context of this policy, passing a course includes earning a grade of “C” or better and meeting any stipulations needed to satisfy a university-wide, major, minor, or certificate requirement.

Degree-seeking students may request a Course Grade Replacement for two eligible courses, taken at American University or through an AU approved program abroad where students receive institutional credit, at any time during their undergraduate study in which they have earned a grade of “C-“ or lower. In order to receive a Course Grade Replacement, a student must retake the same course that they intend to replace. Only the second grade is computed in American University’s cumulative average GPA. Academic units may designate certain classes as ineligible for Course Grade Replacement. Courses and/or sections that are ineligible for Course Grade Replacement will be indicated in the Eagle Service Course Catalog. Students must request a Course Grade Replacement through their academic advisor.

Academic Regulations

This document constitutes the American University’s Academic Regulations of undergraduate degree and non-degree programs. When enrolled in a joint program, students must satisfy the Academic Regulations that relate to both units in which their degree is housed. Students are expected to know and follow these regulations; ignorance of a regulation will not be accepted as an excuse for failure to act in accordance with it. Academic units and undergraduate programs may establish additional regulations for their students, but all students must follow these regulations.

Attendance Policy

Individual instructors may have different attendance requirements; it is the student's responsibility to review each course syllabus and communicate with instructors in advance regarding any reasonably anticipated absence. Students seeking an excused absence for significant or lengthy medical events must provide the Office of the Dean of Students with documentation from a medical or mental health provider. Students may also be asked to provide appropriate documentation to support the need for extended absences for other significant personal or family concerns. Instructors should use reasonable discretion when determining whether to excuse other single-day or short-term absences. Faculty should not require students to seek excusals from the Office of the Dean of Students or the Student Health Center for these types of absences.

Subject to 4.1.4, students may not be penalized for excused absences and should be given an opportunity to make up missed work from an excused absence. Students are required to make up all work, or equivalent work as designated by the instructor, missed as a result of the excused absence. The missed work must be completed by the deadline set by the instructor (which may not be after the end of the term).

Final Exams

Students are expected to take final exams at the times scheduled by the Office of the University Registrar.

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