Written by Christian Chinonso
Founder, LearnViaHub | Academic Credential & International Student Research
✓ Last checked: 16 October 2026
Quick answer
Italy has no GPA. Each exam is graded from 18 (minimum pass) to 30, and a top mark can carry lode (“30 e lode”). Your degree gets a separate mark from 66 to 110, and 110 e lode is the highest.
The degree mark is built from your credit-weighted exam average multiplied by 110/30, plus bonus points set by the university. Because of the bonus, a mark such as 105/110 does not mean one exact exam average.
We found no official Italy-to-US GPA conversion. Report your grades as printed and use the method your target programme or credential evaluator names.
The 18–30 exam scale
A Diploma Supplement from LUMSA describes the scheme this way: individual subjects are graded on a scale “with 18 and 30 as minimum and maximum grade respectively”, and a cum laude can be added to the maximum grade as a special distinction (LUMSA Diploma Supplement). That is the same scale used for course exams across Italian universities. We did not find a national table of descriptors such as “Buono” or “Distinto”, so we do not show one.
Does 30 e lode count more than 30?
It depends on the programme. A University of Milan rule on final-mark calculation says an exam passed with 30 e lode must be counted as 33 when the average is calculated (Università degli Studi di Milano, rules updated November 2024). Other universities may count it as 30, so check your own regulations before you compute an average.
Refusing a grade
At the University of Padua’s Department of Economics and Political Science, a student has 10 days from publication to accept or refuse a grade, and only the accepted grades are recorded (student manual, 2015). Rules differ by university, so we do not describe this as a national feature.
The 66–110 degree mark
The same Diploma Supplement says performance in the final examination is graded from 66 to 110, with a cum laude as a special distinction on the maximum (LUMSA).
The starting point is your credit-weighted exam average multiplied by 110 and divided by 30. The University of Bologna’s document for one programme sets it out in three steps (Bologna, Operatore Giuridico Italo-Francese):
- Multiply each exam grade by its credits, add the results and divide by the total credits.
- Multiply the average by 110 and divide by 30. This base is printed to two decimals.
- The graduation commission adds points to reach the final mark.
Bonus points are set by each university or programme. In the Bologna document the commission can add up to 3 points for the thesis and its defence, 1 point for graduating on schedule, and 0.25 points for each lode earned, capped at 1 point. Milan’s rules add points for study abroad and graduation timing. A 2017 Naples (Federico II) guideline for one psychology degree adds up to 3 points for the thesis, up to 2 for timing and 1 more in some cases. Use your own programme’s rules.
Worked example
Four hypothetical exams, 33 credits in total:
| Exam | Grade | Credits | Grade × credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 28 | 9 | 252 |
| B | 30 | 6 | 180 |
| C | 25 | 12 | 300 |
| D | 27 | 6 | 162 |
| Total | 33 | 894 |
The weighted average is 894 ÷ 33 = 27.09. Multiplied by 110/30, the base is 99.33. If the commission adds 4 points (for example 3 for the thesis and 1 for graduating on time, as in the Bologna document), the total is about 103. This is an illustration, not a prediction for your programme.
Reading a degree mark as an exam average
Many readers search for what 105/110 or 110 e lode “is” as a GPA. A degree mark mixes your exam average with bonus points, so you can only bracket the average. Dividing the mark by 110/30 gives the highest average the mark can imply, because bonus points are never negative. To show the spread, the second column takes the Bologna document’s largest possible bonus of 5 points (3 thesis + 1 on time + 1 for lode) as an example:
| Degree mark | Highest implied exam average (no bonus) | Lowest implied average (5 bonus points) |
|---|---|---|
| 110/110 | 30.00 | 28.64 |
| 108/110 | 29.45 | 28.09 |
| 106/110 | 28.91 | 27.55 |
| 105/110 | 28.64 | 27.27 |
| 100/110 | 27.27 | 25.91 |
| 95/110 | 25.91 | 24.55 |
| 90/110 | 24.55 | 23.18 |
| 80/110 | 21.82 | 20.45 |
For 110 e lode, use the 110 row. Your own bonus may be larger or smaller. This is arithmetic from the formula above, not a US GPA, and we found no official table that turns these averages into one.
Lode and honours
The final lode is not automatic. A Federico II guideline says lode “can only be awarded unanimously” by the graduation commission and only if the final score reaches at least 110/110 (Naples, 22 June 2017). Milan’s rules likewise describe a unanimous commission decision, with a written request from the supervisor for master’s and four-year degrees (Milan).
How US readers treat Italian grades
Fulbright Italy’s guide to converting Italian grades states that there is no international agreement between the US and Italy on equivalent grades (Fulbright Italy guide, undated). US schools set their own methods. UC Irvine’s engineering graduate GPA tool, for example, says its translations “vary by country and sometimes by individual institution” (UC Irvine engineering GPA tool). We could not read its Italy table, so we do not reproduce one.
If a programme requires a formal evaluation, see our WES evaluation guide. Italy is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, in force since 11 February 1978 (HCCH status table). Ask the receiving institution whether it requires an apostille.
Reporting your Italian grades
- Say which scale you are reporting: the 18–30 exam average or the 66–110 degree mark. They are not interchangeable.
- Attach the Diploma Supplement or a short grading explanation where the application allows supporting documents.
- Convert only if the application asks, and use the method it names.
- Report the figure an evaluator gives you and do not round it up.
Converting other grading systems? See these guides:
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert my Italian grades to a US GPA?
There is no official conversion. Report your grades as printed, say which scale they are on, and follow the method your target programme or evaluator names. We found no source that fixes one US value for each Italian grade.
What is 110 e lode in GPA?
It has no official GPA. 110 e lode is the highest degree mark, and it implies an exam average of at least about 28.6 out of 30 if the bonus is at most 5 points. See the table above. A programme or evaluator decides what that means on a US scale.
What is 105/110 in GPA?
There is no official GPA for it. A 105 implies a highest exam average of 28.64 with no bonus, or 27.27 if the bonus was 5 points. The real figure depends on your programme’s bonus rules.
Is 18 a good grade in Italy?
No. 18 is the minimum pass, the lowest grade on the 18–30 scale.
What is the difference between the 18–30 and 66–110 scales?
The 18–30 scale grades individual exams. The 66–110 scale is the degree mark, built from your weighted exam average (×110/30) plus bonus points. Do not apply one to the other.
What is the grade for honours in Italy?
A degree with honours is recorded as 110 e lode (110/110 cum laude). The commission has to award it unanimously where the rules say so.
Does 30 e lode count as 30 or 33?
It depends on the university. Milan’s rules count it as 33 in the average. Check your own programme’s regulation.
Can I refuse a passing grade in Italy?
Some universities let you. At Padua’s Department of Economics and Political Science you have 10 days to accept or refuse, and only accepted grades are recorded. Rules differ by university.
Should I convert my Italian grades myself for an application?
Only if the application asks, and with the method it names. If it requires an evaluation, use the evaluator it names.
How we researched this
Last checked: 16 October 2026. The scales and cum laude come from a LUMSA Diploma Supplement. The degree-mark formula and bonus examples come from documents of the University of Bologna (one programme), the University of Milan (updated 25 November 2024) and the University of Naples Federico II (22 June 2017). The grade-refusal rule comes from a University of Padua department manual (2015). The remaining sources are the Fulbright Italy guide, the UC Irvine engineering GPA tool’s explanation page and the Hague Conference Apostille status table.
Limits: bonus points, lode rules and the treatment of 30 e lode are set by each university or programme, so the examples are not a national rule. We found no national table of descriptors and no official Italy-to-US conversion. We could not read UC Irvine’s Italy table. The Bologna, Fulbright and LUMSA documents are undated. The worked example uses hypothetical exams, and the table of implied averages is arithmetic from the stated formula. Universities revise their rules, so confirm the current version with your registrar.
This page is for general information. LearnViaHub is not affiliated with any Italian ministry, university, credential evaluator or government agency mentioned. Check the requirements of your target programme before applying.
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.