Percentage to GPA Calculator
There is no single official way to turn a percentage into a GPA. Enter one percentage, or a list of courses with credits, and compare the results from the most widely used methods.
🔒 Runs in your browser — the numbers you enter are not uploaded or stored. Results are estimates; your school’s own rules decide. Last reviewed: October 2026.
How to use the Percentage to GPA Calculator
- Choose “One percentage” for a single score, or “A list of courses” to get a credit-weighted GPA.
- Enter the percentage — or each course’s credits and percentage score.
- Compare the GPA each method gives and use the one your target school or evaluation service asks for. The “typical range” card shows how far the methods differ.
Why the methods give different GPAs
A percentage has to be mapped onto 4.0 grade points somehow, and schools, countries and evaluation services do it differently. Some use a few big steps (90–100 = 4.0, 80–89 = 3.0, …), some use finer tables that mimic US letter grades, and China’s education information service CHSI also publishes a formula:
GPA = 4 − 3 × (100 − X)² ÷ 1600 for scores X from 60 to 100 (below 60 = 0)
This is the “standard algorithm II” on the CHSI GPA page, alongside “standard algorithm I”, which is the credit-weighted average of course grade points used for the course-list mode here. Because the answers differ, always use the method your destination asks for.
The methods side by side
| Score | CHSI formula | Standard 4.0 | Improved 4.0 (1) | Improved 4.0 (2) | Fine-grained table | US-style table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 95% | 3.95 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 90% | 3.81 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.7 |
| 85% | 3.58 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.7 | 3 |
| 80% | 3.25 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2.7 |
| 75% | 2.83 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2.7 | 2 |
| 70% | 2.31 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1.7 |
| 65% | 1.7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1.5 | 1 |
| 60% | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0.7 |
| 55% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scores below 60 give 0.0 in every method (the usual fail range at Chinese universities). Here is what each method means:
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| CHSI “standard algorithm II” (formula) | GPA = 4 − 3(100 − X)² / 1600 for 60–100; below 60 = 0. Published by China’s CHSI/CSSD. |
| Standard 4.0 (4 steps) | 90–100 = 4.0, 80–89 = 3.0, 70–79 = 2.0, 60–69 = 1.0. |
| Improved 4.0 (1) | 85–100 = 4.0, 70–84 = 3.0, 60–69 = 2.0. |
| Improved 4.0 (2) | 85–100 = 4.0, 75–84 = 3.0, 60–74 = 2.0. |
| Fine-grained 4.0 table (“PKU-style”) | 90+ = 4.0, 85–89 = 3.7, 82–84 = 3.3, 78–81 = 3.0, 75–77 = 2.7, 72–74 = 2.3, 68–71 = 2.0, 64–67 = 1.5, 60–63 = 1.0. |
| US letter-grade style (A+ = 4.0) | 93+ = 4.0, 90–92 = 3.7, 87–89 = 3.3, 83–86 = 3.0, 80–82 = 2.7, 77–79 = 2.3, 73–76 = 2.0, 70–72 = 1.7, 67–69 = 1.3, 63–66 = 1.0, 60–62 = 0.7. |
The standard and improved 4.0 tables are the ones commonly published by study-abroad services and third-party calculators; the fine-grained table is a widely circulated version of the Peking University-style scale. They are not an official rule of any single evaluation agency, so treat them as estimates.
Converting a whole transcript
Convert each course first, then take the credit-weighted average of the grade points — that is how a GPA is defined. Averaging the percentages first and converting the average can give a different result. Example with six courses (19 credits in total):
| Course | Credits | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Mathematics | 5 | 92% |
| College English | 4 | 86% |
| Data Structures | 4 | 81% |
| Physics | 3 | 74% |
| Politics | 2 | 88% |
| PE | 1 | 95% |
The credit-weighted percentage is 85.32%. The GPA by method:
| Method | GPA |
|---|---|
| CHSI “standard algorithm II” (formula) | 3.52 |
| Standard 4.0 (4 steps) | 3.16 |
| Improved 4.0 (1) | 3.63 |
| Improved 4.0 (2) | 3.47 |
| Fine-grained 4.0 table (“PKU-style”) | 3.43 |
| US letter-grade style (A+ = 4.0) | 3.05 |
The spread — from 3.05 to 3.63 — is why it matters which method the receiving school uses.
Official evaluation services
For applications to US or Canadian institutions, many schools ask for an evaluation by a credential service such as WES, which converts your grades course by course from the most common grading scale for your country. WES also offers a free iGPA calculator. Use our calculator for planning, and the service your school names for anything official. More in our guide to converting grades for applications.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a percentage to a 4.0 GPA?
There is no universal formula. Pick the method your target school or evaluation service uses — for example a table such as 90–100 = 4.0, 80–89 = 3.0 — or the CHSI formula for Chinese transcripts. This page shows five methods at once.
Is 85% a 4.0 GPA?
In the “improved 4.0” methods, yes (85–100 = 4.0). In the standard 4.0 method 85% is 3.0, with the CHSI formula it is about 3.58, and in a US-style table it is 3.0.
Which method do universities abroad accept?
It depends on the university. Many ask for an official evaluation (for example WES) and use that GPA instead of your own calculation. Check the admissions page of each program.
Why convert each course instead of the average percentage?
GPA is an average of grade points, and the percentage-to-grade-point step is not linear. Converting course by course and weighting by credits reflects that, which is what the course-list mode does.
What happens below 60%?
All methods here give 0.0 below 60%. If your school uses a different pass mark, treat the result as an estimate.