Letter Grade Calculator
Convert a percentage score into a letter grade instantly — using the standard U.S. scale, your school’s custom cutoffs, or a points-earned-out-of-total input. Convert one score or a whole class list at once.
On the standard U.S. scale, 90% and above is generally an A, 80–89% a B, 70–79% a C, 60–69% a D, and below 60% an F — with plus/minus grades splitting each band into three. Enter your score below to get the exact letter grade, or build your own custom scale if your school uses different cutoffs.
Enter the minimum percentage required for each grade. Anything below your lowest entry becomes an F.
Enter a score above to see how close you are to the next grade band.
Reverse Lookup: Letter Grade → Percentage Range
Paste multiple scores, one per line. Great for converting a whole gradebook or a semester’s worth of assignments at once.
Accepts plain percentages (92), scores with a percent sign (92%), or fractions (43/56, 77/100).
How the Percentage-to-Letter-Grade Scale Works
Every letter grade represents a range of percentage scores, not one exact number — that’s the single most common misunderstanding students run into. A “B+” isn’t 88%, it’s typically anywhere from 87% to 89%. The standard U.S. scale most schools default to splits scores into bands of roughly three to four percentage points each, with plus and minus grades marking the top and bottom of each letter band. Here’s the chart this calculator uses by default:
| Letter Grade | Percentage Range | GPA Points |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97–100% | 4.0 |
| A | 93–96% | 4.0 |
| A- | 90–92% | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87–89% | 3.3 |
| B | 83–86% | 3.0 |
| B- | 80–82% | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77–79% | 2.3 |
| C | 73–76% | 2.0 |
| C- | 70–72% | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67–69% | 1.3 |
| D | 63–66% | 1.0 |
| D- | 60–62% | 0.7 |
| F | Below 60% | 0.0 |
Worked Examples: Converting Raw Scores to Letter Grades
Most searches for this topic aren’t really “what letter grade is 88%” — they’re a specific test result, like “43 out of 56” or “77 out of 100.” Here’s the method, worked through with real numbers:
Example 1: 43 out of 56
43 ÷ 56 = 0.7679, or 76.79%. On the standard scale, that lands in the C range (73–76%) — just above the line into C, since 76.79 rounds into the 73–76 band as a straight C, not a C+.
Example 2: 77 out of 100
77 ÷ 100 = 77% exactly, which lands precisely on the C+ boundary (77–79%) — so this scores a C+.
Example 3: 89.5% (a borderline decimal score)
This is where grading policy matters most. With no rounding, 89.5% stays a B+ (87–89% band). If your school rounds to the nearest whole number, 89.5% rounds to 90% and becomes an A-. Both are “correct” depending on your instructor’s stated policy — always check your syllabus rather than assuming.
Why Rounding Policy Changes the Answer
Decimal scores like 89.9%, 92.31%, or 62.5% are where almost every grade dispute starts. Schools generally handle this one of three ways, which is exactly why this calculator lets you choose:
- No rounding (exact score): 89.9% stays 89.9% and remains in the B+ band, since it hasn’t reached 90%.
- Round to nearest whole number: 89.9% rounds up to 90% and crosses into the A- band.
- Breakpoint rounding: some instructors round up only when a score is within a fraction of a point of the next grade line (informally, “professor’s discretion”), which is a courtesy — not a guaranteed rule.
None of these is universally “correct.” Your instructor’s syllabus or your school’s registrar policy is always the final word — this calculator’s rounding selector exists so you can check your result under whichever policy actually applies to you.
Straight Letter Grades vs. Plus/Minus: Know Which One Your School Uses
The second biggest source of wrong answers is applying the wrong chart entirely. High schools more often use straight letter grades (A, B, C, D, F, each spanning a full 10-point band), while colleges and universities more commonly use the plus/minus system shown above. Applying a plus/minus chart to a straight-letter school — or vice versa — is the fastest way to get a technically wrong grade even when your math is correct. If you’re not sure which your school uses, check your syllabus or ask your registrar before trusting any calculator’s default, including this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Without rounding, 89.9% is a B+ (falls in the 87–89% range). If your school rounds to the nearest whole number, 89.9% rounds up to 90% and becomes an A-. Check your instructor’s specific rounding policy, since both answers are correct under different rules.
Divide the points earned by the total points possible, then multiply by 100 to get a percentage. For 31/40: 31 ÷ 40 = 0.775, or 77.5%, which falls in the C+ range (77–79%). Use the “Points earned / out of” input mode above to skip the manual math.
No. The scale shown above is the most common U.S. convention, but individual schools, districts, and even individual instructors can set different cutoffs. Use the custom scale builder above if your school’s grading scale differs from the standard one.
A letter grade reflects performance in a single course or assignment. GPA converts each letter grade into a point value and averages those points, weighted by credit hours, across multiple courses. This calculator shows both the letter grade and its corresponding GPA point value for a single score.
It depends on the institution. Many schools consider D grades passing but below the minimum required for certain majors, financial aid standing, or prerequisite courses, while others set the passing bar at C or higher. Always confirm the passing threshold for your specific course or program.
Enter your current score into the calculator above — the insight box beneath your result automatically shows exactly how many percentage points separate you from the next grade band up.
Yes — switch to the “Batch Convert” tab above, paste one score per line (percentages or fractions like 43/56 both work), and the calculator converts the entire list into letter grades with a class average and grade distribution chart.
The most common causes are a different grading scale (straight letters vs. plus/minus), a different rounding policy, or a custom cutoff your school uses that differs from the standard chart. Try the custom scale builder above to match your exact syllabus.
Related Calculators
Use these companion calculators to go from a single test score all the way to your full GPA.
Methodology: This calculator defaults to the most common U.S. percentage-to-letter-grade scale with standard +/- point values. Grading scales, rounding policies, and passing thresholds vary by school, district, and instructor — use the custom scale builder above to match your exact syllabus, and always confirm your official grade with your teacher or registrar. This tool is for planning and estimation purposes only. Last reviewed for the 2026 academic year.