Keeping track of your grades is vital if you are a high school student. To pass a class and avoid missing out on credits, you need to get at least a D or 60%.
In this post, we’ll talk about the high school grading system in the US and how your final GPA influences what you do after high school.
What Is A Passing Grade In High School?
The minimum passing grade in high school is a D or 60%. You will pass the grade if you score a D (60% to 69%) or higher. If you get less than 60%, you will get an F, and you will not get credits for the specific class and will have to retake it.
However, students need a C to pass in some states and school districts. You can view each state’s course requirements for high school graduation here or check with your school directly.
You should always strive to get higher grades as they determine which college or university you will be able to join after high school.
Is a D a Passing Grade in High School?
D is a passing grade in high school, as it means you have achieved the minimum percentage of 60% and will get credits for that class. The advantage of getting a D is that you won’t have to repeat the course. However, if you want to get an excellent GPA score, you need to avoid getting Ds and strive for better grades.
What is A Failing Grade in High School?
In high school, the failing grade is F. There are four passing grades: A, B, C, and D. You must attain 60% (D) to pass a class. If you fail a class, you won’t get any credits for doing that class and will be required to retake it to get better grades and increase your chances of going to college.
Grading Scale For High School
High schools in the US use a grading system to determine whether students have passed or failed a class. This grading is done using letters that represent points. Here are the letter grades and respective points:
| Letter Grade | Percentage | GPA |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90-100% | 4.0 |
| B | 80-89% | 3.0 |
| C | 70-79% | 2.0 |
| D | 60-69% | 1.0 |
| F | 0-59% | 0.0 |
As you can see, you get points for grades A, B, C, and D. If you get zero points or an F, it means you failed that class, and you won’t be getting any credits for it. Students who get an F usually retake the class to get a passing grade because one needs at least 22 credits to get a high school diploma.
Some colleges won’t allow you to enroll if your GPA or the average grade is low. And it’s not just about college; some companies and agencies require candidates to have high school diplomas to work for them.
What Grade is a C?
In many high schools in the US, you get a C if your score ranges between 70 and 79%. C- is 70-72%, C is 73-76%, while C+ is 77-79%, and they provide 1.7, 2.0, and 2.3 points, respectively, towards your GPA score.
C is considered a pass, and in some schools, you have failed if you don’t attain a C in a class.
What is a B+?
If you get 87-89 percent in a class, that’s a B+, and it gives you 3.3 points on the 4.0 GPA scale. B is 83-86% (3.0 points), while a B- is 80 – 82% and provides 2.7 points.
If you get Bs in all your classes, you will probably end up with a 3.0 GPA, which is considered good in many high schools.
What is an A in Percentage?
In most high schools, you get an A in a class if your score ranges between 90 and 100%. You get up to 4 points on the grading scale if you have an A.
| Letter Grade | Percentage | GPA |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97 - 100% | 4.0 |
| A | 93 - 96% | 3.9 |
| A- | 90 - 92% | 3.7 |
Getting high grades is crucial as it increases your chances of getting scholarships and allows you to gain admission to prestigious colleges.
Why Is There No E Grade?
There is no E in the American grading system. When the grading system was started, students and parents would confuse the grade E with “excellent.” Therefore, to avoid this confusion, it was replaced with F, which made it easier for everyone to know it stood for “Failed.”
What GPA is all B?
If you get a B, you get 3.0 points on the 4.0 scale, so if you get Bs in all your classes, your overall GPA will be 3.
| Letter Grade | Percentage | GPA |
|---|---|---|
| B+ | 87 - 89% | 3.3 |
| B | 83 - 86% | 3.0 |
| B- | 80 - 82% | 2.7 |
If you aim to join the Big Ten or Ivy League universities, you need to ensure you get As on your school transcript. This means studying harder to improve your grades.
Is 70 a Passing Grade?
In most high schools in the US, 70-72% is a C- and it is a passing grade. However, this doesn’t mean that it is a good grade. You will get 1.7 points towards your GPA if you score 70% for a class.
High school students who want to pursue courses that require high GPAs should avoid getting Cs in some classes as this will disadvantage them.
Is 65 a Passing Grade?
65 is a D in most schools. D is the minimum grade you need to get to avoid retaking a class. D only provides 1 point on the 4.0 grading scale, so if you are looking to improve your GPA score, you need to study harder to ensure you get higher grades.
Is 60 a Passing Grade?
60 is a passing grade in many states. This grade means you have done just enough to avoid repeating a class. If you want to join colleges that require high GPAs, strive to get higher grades in your classes.
Note that 60% is an F in some schools where the minimum passing grade is 65%
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University Grading Scale USA
The instructor or lecturer gives a letter grade to indicate your performance when you finish an assignment. Below you’ll find the scale of letter grades, as well as the definitions of letter grades for universities in the United States and what they mean:
- A – Excellent. For students who get between 90 and 100%.
- B – Very good. 80-89%.
- C – Average. For students who get between 70 and 79%.
- D – Student performed poorly but passed. Usually 60-69%.
- F – Failed. For students who failed to meet the requirements for passing the course.
On the 4.0 scale, grade A gives you 4 points, B gives you three points, C gives you two points, and D gives you a point. There are no points for an F which means you will have to repeat the course to pass. The 4.0 scale is used for grade averaging. You will not earn a degree in most colleges if your overall GPA is less than 2.0.
What is a GPA?
GPA is Grade Point Average, the system for measuring academic performance in the United States. If you pass your classes with As, you will probably get an overall GPA of almost 4.0. Getting a good GPA score provides more opportunities for scholarships and can help you land certain jobs.
Below you’ll find a table that shows the conversions from percentage grades to points.
| Letter Grade | Percentage | GPA |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97–100% | 4.0 |
| A | 93–96% | 3.9 |
| 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 | 0–59% | 0.0 |
How To Calculate GPA High School?
You can calculate your GPA by adding your grades’ total points and dividing it by the number of classes taken. Have a look at the steps below to calculate your grade point average value:
Step 1: Convert your percentage or letter grade to points.
Step 2: Add up all your grade points.
Step 3: Divide the grade points by the credits taken.
If you had all As, your overall GPA would be close to 4.0, and if you got Bs in some classes, it would be around 3.5. If you got all Ds in your classes, your final GPA would be 1.0.
You can use this GPA calculator to calculate your score.
What GPA Do You Need To Graduate High School?
In most states in the United States, you need at least a GPA of 2.0 to get a high school diploma. This means students need to strive to get a grade of C or above in all the classes they are taking. There are high schools in some states where you can graduate with a GPA of 1.0.
What GPA Is Considered Failing?
If you get an F or ‘Failed,’ you did not meet the requirements for passing that specific class. D is considered a pass, but it’s not a good grade as many Ds lower your overall GPA and reduce your chances of getting into your first-choice college.
Can You Graduate High School With A 2.0 GPA?
You can get a high school diploma with a 2.0 GPA. Keep in mind that many colleges and trade schools in the United States only accept students with a GPA of 3.0 and above. Some employers also hire candidates with good GPAs because it indicates their willingness to put effort into their work.
Why Do Grades Matter?
Grades matter, especially for students hoping to join Big Ten and Ivy League universities that require first-year students to have at least a 3.75 GPA. Good grades also allow students to get more college scholarship opportunities and a good GPA score is a requirement when applying for some jobs.
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Can I Still Get Into University With Bad Grades?
You can still get into university if your grades aren’t as good. Most universities have a minimum grade requirement of a 3.0 GPA when admitting students. But many other universities will accept you if you have a 2.0-2.5 GPA. You can also opt for community college.
How To Get Into College With Bad Grades?
To gain entry into most colleges in the US, you need a GPA of 3.0 and above, but this doesn’t mean you can’t go to college with bad grades. If you don’t get enough points to join your preferred college, you can join a community college to improve your grades and transfer to a state college.
Here’s a great video to show you how to get into college with bad grades:
Related High School Passing Grade Questions
How To Tell My Parents I Got A Bad Grade?
The best way to tell your parents about your poor grades is to be direct – don’t beat around the bush. Tell them why you got bad grades and explain what you are planning to do to improve them. Also, if something they are doing affects your studies, let them know.
Check out What Happens If You Fail A Class In High School?
How To Get A Bad Grade Up Fast?
To get your grade up fast, start by setting aside more time for study by ensuring you reduce time spent using your laptop, phone, or watching TV.
Secondly, join a study group so you can get help whenever you face a challenging topic.
Beginning revision at least two weeks before the test also helps.
If needed, find out if your teacher offers remedial classes or if you can hire a tutor to assist you in understanding the material and studying before an exam.
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How To Get Over A Bad Grade?
If you get a bad grade, do not waste time being upset and criticizing yourself. Be calm and assess yourself to determine what you are not doing right.
Next, get feedback from your teacher and ask for advice on what you can do to improve. It helps to go over the exam paper to see what you got wrong.
Finally, you should schedule appropriate study time and strive to study harder to improve your grades.
I hope this article has answered most of your questions about passing grades in high school. Whether your school uses a normal grading scale or numerical grading for grading papers, these grading scale descriptions should be able to clarify your educational performance level.
Note that these scores relate to credit bearing classes, and not all college classes have numeric grades. Students will receive a pass/No-pass course grade for noncredit classes.
District school boards might have slightly different grading standards or alternative grading, but overall these guidelines should cover what a passing grade in high school is.
