Written by Christian Chinonso
Founder, LearnViaHub | Academic Credential & International Student Research
✓ Last Verified: October 2026Sources Cited
Quick answer
The UK has no GPA, and no official UK-to-US conversion exists. The University of St Andrews, for one, says it offers no formal conversion and points students to a credential evaluation agency (St Andrews). The ranges below come from published figures at US and UK universities, so they show how institutions actually read UK grades.
| UK degree | UK mark | Washington (US graduate school) | Warwick (UK, US applicants) | Range across the sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Class | 70%+ | 4.0 | 3.7 or above | 3.7 – 4.0 |
| Upper Second (2:1) | 60–69% | 3.5 (3.7 at 65–69%) | 3.3 or above | 3.2 – 3.7 |
| Lower Second (2:2) | 50–59% | 3.0 | 3.0 or above | 2.7 – 3.0 |
| Third Class | 40–49% | 2.0 – 2.5 | Not published | 2.0 – 2.5 |
The low end of the 2:1 range is Queen’s University Belfast’s minimum of 3.2 (QUB), and the low end of the 2:2 range is St Andrews treating a B− as lower second (St Andrews). Sources: University of Washington Graduate School and Warwick.
Master’s: Distinction is usually 70%+, Merit 60–69% and Pass 50–59% (De Montfort University). A US evaluator or admissions office may use a different scale, so confirm with the programme you are applying to.
This guide sits within our GPA systems around the world series. To see what GPA a programme expects, use the Target GPA Planner or read what counts as a good GPA.
UK grade to US GPA converter
🇬🇧 UK to US GPA Converter
Convert your UK grades to US GPA instantly. Select your qualification level, enter your grade, and see your estimated US GPA.
📋 These conversions are estimates. UK universities do not use GPA; always confirm with your target institution.
Need the reverse? Use our GPA to Percentage Converter.
How to use it: choose your qualification, pick your UK grade, and the converter returns an estimated US GPA and letter grade. It is an estimate. If a university publishes its own figure for your grade, such as the Warwick thresholds below, use the university’s figure.
Without the converter: find your UK mark or class in the tables below, read off the GPA, and use the worked example to weight several modules by credit.
UK degree classification to US GPA
Honours degrees are classified by overall percentage: First 70%+, 2:1 60–69%, 2:2 50–59%, Third 40–49% (Loughborough; University of York; Prospects). Universities reach the class with their own algorithm. St Andrews uses a credit-weighted mean and median of honours-level modules (St Andrews), and Manchester Metropolitan allows a second method based on credits at each level (MMU), so the class on your certificate may differ from a simple average of your marks.
The University of Washington Graduate School gives its staff a mark-by-mark scale for UK transcripts (University of Washington). It is the most detailed published scale we found:
| UK mark | US letter | US GPA |
|---|---|---|
| 70–100% | A | 4.00 |
| 65–69% | A− | 3.70 |
| 60–64% | B+ | 3.50 |
| 50–59% | B | 3.00 |
| 45–49% | C+ | 2.50 |
| 40–44% | C | 2.00 |
| 0–39% | F | 0.00 |
By class, the same document gives First = 4.00, upper second = 3.50, lower second = 3.00 and third = 2.00. One school’s scale is not a universal rule, so the sections below compare it with what UK universities require from US applicants.
UK master’s grades to GPA
| UK master’s result | Typical mark | GPA using the Washington scale |
|---|---|---|
| Distinction | 70%+ | 4.0 |
| Merit | 60–69% | 3.5 – 3.7 |
| Pass | 50–59% | 3.0 |
| Fail | Below 50% | No pass awarded |
De Montfort (DMU) and Heriot-Watt (Heriot-Watt) use these boundaries, but the rules are not uniform. St Andrews classifies master’s degrees on a 20-point scale, with Merit at a credit-weighted mean of 13.5 to 16.4 (St Andrews). Leicester requires a dissertation mark of at least 70% for a Distinction (Leicester). Check your own university’s award regulations.
US GPA to UK classification
Three UK universities publish the US GPA they require for postgraduate entry:
| UK university | What it publishes for US applicants |
|---|---|
| University of Warwick | First: cGPA 3.7 or above. 2:1: 3.3 or above. 2:2: 3.0 or above (Warwick) |
| University of Edinburgh | Most postgraduate degrees: a minimum 3.25 GPA (Edinburgh) |
| Queen’s University Belfast | 2:1: cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 out of 4.0 (QUB) |
A GPA of 3.3 or above meets all three minimums. A 3.25 meets Edinburgh and Queen’s but not Warwick, and a 3.2 meets only Queen’s.
For individual grades, the table below sets the Washington scale beside the St Andrews table used to convert US partner-university grades for its study-abroad students (St Andrews):
| US GPA (letter) | Washington: UK mark and class | St Andrews study-abroad table |
|---|---|---|
| 4.0 (A) | 70%+, First | First |
| 3.7 (A−) | 65–69%, 2:1 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 3.5 (B+) | 60–64%, 2:1 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 3.0 (B) | 50–59%, 2:2 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 2.7 (B−) | Not listed | Lower second (2:2) |
| 2.5 (C+) | 45–49%, Third range | Lower second (2:2) |
| 2.0 (C) | 40–44%, Third range | Third |
| F | Below 40%, fail | Fail |
A US 3.0 is the clearest disagreement: Washington places it at a 2:2 mark, and St Andrews places a B in the upper second band. If a programme asks for a 2:1, aim for the programme’s own published GPA. Where none is published, 3.5 or higher is a 2:1 under both tables.
Worked example: a UK transcript to US GPA
A graduate has four final-year modules of 15 credits each. Each mark is converted with the Washington scale above, multiplied by its credits, and the total is divided by total credits.
| Module | UK mark | Credits | GPA points | Credits × points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 68% (65–69%) | 15 | 3.7 | 55.5 |
| English | 72% (70%+) | 15 | 4.0 | 60.0 |
| Biology | 55% (50–59%) | 15 | 3.0 | 45.0 |
| History | 62% (60–64%) | 15 | 3.5 | 52.5 |
| Total | 60 | 213.0 |
GPA estimate: 213.0 ÷ 60 = 3.55. The simple average mark is 64.25%, which sits in the 2:1 range. This is only an estimate: a US evaluator may use different points per band, and your UK class comes from your university’s algorithm, not from these four marks alone.
A-Level, GCSE and UCAS points
We found no US university or evaluator that publishes an official A-Level or GCSE to GPA table, so this page does not invent one. What the sources show is that applications ask for the grades themselves. UMass Amherst asks UK applicants for official copies of their GCSE and A-Level results (UMass Amherst). Cambridge International says most US applications, including the Common Application, ask students to self-report grades (Cambridge International). The US-UK Fulbright Commission’s transcript templates for English and Welsh students list AS and A-Level grades as awarded, with predicted grades where results are not yet out (English template; Welsh template).
What to do:
- Check whether the application wants grades as awarded. If it does, enter your GCSE, AS and A-Level grades exactly as they appear on your certificates.
- Ask your school to complete a transcript in the Fulbright template format if the application asks for one.
- If a form insists on a GPA, ask the admissions office how it wants UK grades converted before you calculate anything.
GCSE grades. England has used the 9 to 1 scale since 2017. These anchor points link it to the old A* to G scale (GOV.UK; AQA):
| GCSE 9–1 grade | Relation to the old A*–G scale |
|---|---|
| 9 | Set above the old A* |
| 7 | Bottom of grade 7 aligned with the bottom of the old A |
| 5 | Sits in the high C and low B range |
| 4 | Standard pass; bottom aligned with the old C |
| 1 | Bottom aligned with the old G |
When the scale was introduced, regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland did not adopt the 9 to 1 scale (Ofqual guide), so check which scale your certificate uses.
UCAS Tariff points. The Tariff measures entry grades for UK universities. We found no published conversion from Tariff points to GPA, so do not report UCAS points as a GPA.
| Qualification and grade | UCAS points |
|---|---|
| A-Level A* / A / B / C / D / E | 56 / 48 / 40 / 32 / 24 / 16 |
| BTEC National Extended Certificate D* / D / M / P | 56 / 48 / 32 / 16 |
| T Level Distinction* | 168 (the same as three A* grades) |
Sources: UWE Bristol, University of Roehampton and Leicester College.
Which figure to use on an application
- Use the programme’s own published GPA first. Warwick, Edinburgh and Queen’s Belfast each publish one, and they differ by up to 0.1.
- For US forms, start with your class and overall percentage. Some US admissions offices, such as UMass Amherst, take UK results as awarded (UMass Amherst).
- If an evaluation is required, use the evaluator the institution names, such as WES. Check its current fees on its own site.
- Keep your transcript and class certificate to hand, because evaluators work from module marks where available.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 2:1 in GPA?
Across the sources we read, a 2:1 sits between 3.2 and 3.7. The University of Washington Graduate School converts it to 3.5, or 3.7 at 65–69%, and Warwick treats a 3.3 as the equivalent. There is no official conversion, so treat it as an estimate.
What is a 2:2 in GPA?
About 2.7 to 3.0. The Washington scale and Warwick both use 3.0, and St Andrews treats a B− (2.7) as lower second.
What is a First Class degree in GPA?
3.7 to 4.0. Washington gives 4.0 for marks of 70% and above, and Warwick treats a 3.7 or above as a First.
What is a Merit in GPA?
A Merit is usually 60–69%, which the Washington scale converts to 3.5 or 3.7. Boundaries vary by university, so check your own regulations.
What is a Distinction in GPA?
A Distinction is usually 70% or more, converting to 4.0 on the Washington scale. Some universities also set a minimum dissertation mark, as Leicester does at 70%.
What GPA do I need for a UK 2:1?
It depends on the university. Warwick asks for 3.3, Edinburgh for 3.25 and Queen’s Belfast for 3.2. A 3.3 or above meets all three.
What is a 3.5 GPA in the UK?
A 3.5 is a 2:1 under the Washington scale (60–64%) and the St Andrews table, and it clears the Warwick, Edinburgh and Queen’s thresholds.
What is a 3.6 GPA in the UK?
It sits between 3.5 (B+) and 3.7 (A−), so it is a 2:1 under both the Washington and St Andrews tables.
What is a 3.2 GPA in the UK?
It meets Queen’s Belfast’s 2:1 minimum of 3.2 but not Warwick’s 3.3 or Edinburgh’s 3.25. On the Washington scale it falls between a B (2:2) and a B+ (2:1), so the answer depends on the university.
What is a 4.0 GPA in the UK?
A 4.0 (A) corresponds to a First Class degree under both tables. It does not mean 100%: the Washington scale gives 4.0 for any mark of 70% or above.
Is GPA used in the UK?
No. UK universities use honours classifications and marks, and St Andrews states that it offers no formal GPA conversion.
How do I calculate GPA from UK marks?
Convert each module mark to grade points, multiply by credits, add the results and divide by total credits. The worked example above shows this.
Can I convert UCAS points to GPA?
We found no published conversion. UCAS points measure entry grades, so report your actual A-Level grades instead.
Do US universities convert UK grades themselves?
Often they read UK results directly. UMass Amherst asks for official GCSE and A-Level copies, and some programmes require an evaluation from a service such as WES. Check each programme.
How we researched this
Last checked: 23 October 2026. We read the University of Washington Graduate School’s GPA computation guide, the University of St Andrews classification guide and study-abroad grade table, the postgraduate US-applicant requirements of Warwick, Edinburgh and Queen’s Belfast, degree regulations from Loughborough, York, De Montfort, Heriot-Watt, Leicester and Manchester Metropolitan, the GOV.UK and AQA GCSE guidance, UMass Amherst, Cambridge International and the US-UK Fulbright Commission on US applications, and UWE Bristol and Roehampton on the UCAS Tariff. The Washington PDF is undated. Each “range” is the span of the published figures above, not an official standard. We found no official A-Level, GCSE or UCAS-points conversion to GPA and have not made one up.
Conversions are estimates. LearnViaHub is not affiliated with any university or evaluator named here, so confirm requirements with the institution you are applying to.
Christian Chinonso is the founder of LearnViaHub, with 6+ years of research experience in international education — including GPA systems, scholarships, student financing, and study-abroad guidance — for students worldwide.