Understanding the University of Pittsburgh GPA Scale: A Comprehensive Guide

For prospective and current students, understanding the University of Pittsburgh's GPA scale is crucial. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to navigating the GPA system, covering everything from calculation methods to grading options and their implications.

GPA as an Admission Factor

When considering your admissions chances, GPA is one of the three critical numbers, along with SAT scores and the acceptance rate. The average GPA at the University of Pittsburgh is 4.08, requiring you to be at the top of your class. To compete with other applicants, you'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes. If your GPA is at or below the school average, a higher SAT score can compensate and demonstrate your readiness for college academics. Scoring at a 1360 SAT or above will give you a great shot at getting in, given that the school is moderately selective with an acceptance rate of 58.1%.

Calculating Your GPA at Pitt

Every student at the University of Pittsburgh has a GPA (Grade Point Average) that ranges from 0.00 to 4.00. This average results from a calculation relating credits to grade points. Each course you take is worth a number of credits and has the potential to earn a letter grade. Every letter grade is worth a number of grade points. Credits for each course are multiplied by the number of points the grade is worth. The resulting grade point credits are added together for all courses, and that number is divided by the total number of credits attempted. The Grade Point Average (GPA) is the numeric indication of a student’s academic achievement based on a 4.00 grade point scale.

The University of Pittsburgh, like many universities, uses a slightly modified 4.0 GPA scale. The primary difference from a typical 4.0 scale is their inclusion of an A+ grade, which carries a value of 4.00, the same as an A grade.

Here's Pitt's scale for more context:

A+: 4.00
A: 4.00
A-: 3.75
B+: 3.25
B: 3.00
B-: 2.75
C+: 2.25
C: 2.00
C-: 1.75
D: 1.00
F: 0.

The formula to recalculate your GPA to get a sense of how it would look on Pitt's scale is: (Grade Value Credits Earned) / Total Credits Attempted.

Accessing Your GPA and Academic Record

You can view your grades by logging into my.pitt.edu and linking to your Student Center. Grades are available approximately 24 hours after the date the grades are due. If one of your instructors submits grades after the established deadline, your record will not reflect a grade for that course until the grade is submitted. If you have questions about the grade you have earned in a class, please direct them to the individual instructor or to the department chairperson. If there is a grade dispute, please follow the Grade Dispute protocol found on the Academic Standards, Policies, and Integrity page. If an incorrect grade has been posted, update requests must be submitted by the instructor.

Each student can receive an academic record or unofficial transcript from the University Registrar. You must present your University of Pittsburgh I.D. and be in good academic standing to receive your free copy. Students may also access this information in their degree progress reports in PeopleSoft. Please carefully review this information to ensure the correct number of credits, courses, and grades are listed.

The academic record is not an official University transcript, but a document containing a student’s complete University of Pittsburgh academic history. In addition to the information provided on the transcript, the academic record provides students and advisors with admission data, academic events, detailed advanced standing/placement/transfer credit information, and standardized test scores.

Grading Options at the University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh has a standard letter grade system. However, some additional grading options are available in some courses as determined by the school and the instructor. Finally, undergraduate students may choose to audit a course. Students may select a grade option for those courses that offer more than one option by submitting a Grade Option/Audit Request form by the established deadline to the school offering the course (generally four weeks from the start of the term, but check with the school for specific deadlines).

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H/S/U Grade Option

Certain courses are offered on the H/S/U (Honors/Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) grade option. Under this option, students earn an H if they do exceptional work (equivalent to an A- or higher under the letter grade system), an S if they do satisfactory work (equivalent to grades from a C up to a B+), or a U if they do unsatisfactory work (equivalent to a C- or lower). The H and S grades received under this option are counted toward graduation but are not computed in the student’s GPA.

S/NC Grade Option

Certain courses are offered on the S/NC (Satisfactory/No-Credit) grade option. This option was designed to encourage students to explore new and potentially difficult subjects without fear of the risks of failure. Under this option, a student who does satisfactory work (a grade of C or better) in a course receives the grade of S. If the student’s work is not satisfactory (a grade of C- or lower), the grade of NC (No Credit) is given. Courses for which an S is received are counted toward graduation but are not computed in the GPA. Students can take a maximum of 6 credits with the S/NC grade and have those credits applied to CGS major requirements. There is one exception to this: students who study abroad who take courses that will be applied as ‘S’ grades through transfer credit can apply up to 9 credits to their major requirements. Students can only apply “S” grades to internship, experiential learning, and elective courses in the major.

For most courses, students who wish to take a course with the S/NC Grade Option will need to complete the S/NC Grade Option/Audit Request form (Registrar's Office) and the CGS Grade Option Waiver form by the end of the fourth full week of classes during a term (second full week of classes during summer sessions 1 and 2). This decision may not be changed. If the student does not fill out a Grade Option/Audit Request form for a course in which more than one grade option is available, the default option (generally a letter grade) will automatically be selected.

Other Grades

Upon a student’s completion of a course, one of the grades listed below may appear on the student’s transcript in lieu of one of the options selected by the student and/or instructor.

G Grade: The G grade signifies unfinished course work due to extenuating personal circumstances. Students assigned G grades are required to complete course requirements no later than one year after the term or session in which the course was taken, including the summer term, or by an earlier deadline established by the instructor. After that year, the grade will automatically change to NG; an NG grade cannot be changed, and the credits will no longer appear as "in progress." The student will be required to re-register for the course if it is needed to fulfill requirements for graduation. At the time of requesting a G grade, the student should arrange with the instructor a plan and schedule for completing the course work.
R Grade: The R grade signifies that a student resigned from the University for the term. Students who resign from all the courses for which they are registered in a term will receive a grade of “R” for each course.
W Grade: The W grade signifies that a student has withdrawn from a course. A student, who withdraws from a class after the add/drop period has ended for a term, will receive a grade of “W” for that course.

Repeating a Course

Students may elect to repeat a course, subject to certain stipulations. The grade earned by repeating a course is used instead of the grade originally earned when computing the GPA, even if the grade earned in the later attempt is lower than the first. W, R, or N grades reported for the repeated course will not be identified as a course repeat, and therefore the original grade earned will continue to be counted in the GPA. Students are only permitted to repeat a course twice. Students who wish to repeat a course for a third time or more must secure permission from the Dean's Office.

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Grade Changes

The instructor of a course may change a student’s grade by submitting a Change of Grade Card. All grade changes require the authorization of the dean of the school from which the original grade was issued.

Academic Standing and Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate students’ academic standing is maintained and monitored each term by the school in which a student is enrolled. Students whose grades indicate outstanding academic achievement are recognized on their school’s Dean’s List. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress may be subject to academic probation and/or suspension and dismissal. Students who have completed at least 12 quality point credits and whose GPA falls below 2.00 will be placed on academic probation by the dean of the school. After a certain period of time on academic probation (determined by the student’s school), a student is subject to academic suspension and restricted from registering for classes in that school.

Graduation requirements differ among schools. However, all undergraduate schools require a minimum of 120 passing credits to graduate, as well as a GPA of at least 2.00. Undergraduates must have a 2.00 GPA in order to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh.

Academic Advising and Resources

Academic advising is a key part of every undergraduate’s experience at the University of Pittsburgh. An academic advisor helps a student determine the appropriate academic path to further the student’s educational and career goals. To be a success, the advising process must work both ways: The advisor will be there to help when the student needs it, and the student must actively seek out an advisor for help. Before signing up for classes each term, students meet with their advisors. Though each school may have different advising requirements, students are generally required to meet with their advisors at least two times per term-for an advising appointment and a subsequent registration appointment.

Law School Specifics

To advance to the second year, a student in the School of Law must attain an average of at least 2.25 for all the work in the first year. Failure to attain this independent yearly average for the first year will automatically be excluded from the school. To advance to the third year, a student must attain a cumulative average of at least 2.25 at the end of the second year. Failure to attain the cumulative average will automatically be excluded from the school. A JD student must attain a cumulative average of at least 2.0 at the time of graduation to graduate from the school. An LLM student must attain a cumulative average of at least C to be graduated from the school.

In computing grade averages for law students, the following numerical equivalents will be used: A+ = 4.00; A = 4.00, A- = 3.75; B+ = 3.25; B = 3.00; B- = 2.75; C+ = 2.25; C = 2.00; C- = 1.75; D = 1.00; F = 0. The required average must be fully attained rather than approximated. For example, to earn a C average, a student must have a numerical grade average of at least 2.000 (the total integral value of C on the numerical equivalent scale).

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