NR on a transcript stands for “Not Reported,” meaning the instructor has not yet submitted a final grade for your course. It is an administrative placeholder, not a reflection of your academic performance. An NR typically appears shortly after a semester ends, during the window when faculty are still finalizing and entering grades into the system.
Why NR Appears on Your Transcript
The most common reason is simple timing. Grading deadlines vary by school, and some instructors, particularly those with large classes or project-based courses, submit grades after the registrar’s initial posting. When the registrar publishes grades before an instructor has entered yours, the system fills the gap with NR.
Less often, an NR shows up because of an administrative error: the instructor accidentally skipped your entry, there was a system glitch, or a grade dispute is being reviewed. In any of these cases, the NR is meant to be temporary.
It is important to understand that NR is not the same as an Incomplete (I). An Incomplete means you and your instructor agreed that your coursework was unfinished at the end of the term and you have additional time to complete it. An NR simply means the grade hasn’t been turned in yet, regardless of whether you finished the work.
How NR Affects Your GPA
Because NR is a placeholder and not an actual grade, it is not factored into your GPA calculation. It also does not count toward your earned credit hours. Your transcript will show the course, but until the NR is replaced with a letter grade, it has no mathematical effect on your academic standing.
That said, an unresolved NR can create practical problems. If a course you need for a prerequisite, financial aid verification, or graduation requirement still shows NR, it may look to advisors or automated systems as though you never completed it. The grade itself is neutral, but the absence of a real grade can hold things up.
Deadlines for Replacing an NR
Most schools set firm deadlines by which an instructor must replace an NR with an actual grade. The exact timeline varies, but a common structure works like this: grades for fall semester courses must be submitted by late spring, and grades for spring or summer courses must be submitted by the end of the following fall. At the University of St. Thomas, for example, the fall semester deadline is May 31 and the spring/summer deadline is December 31.
The critical detail is what happens if the deadline passes without a grade being submitted. At many schools, an unresolved NR automatically converts to an F. Some institutions convert it to an R (which typically indicates a failing or unsatisfactory mark in pass/fail courses). These conversions are usually final and cannot be extended, so an NR that seemed harmless at first can become a serious problem if ignored for too long.
Not every school follows this pattern. Some programs automatically assign a passing mark after a certain period. Certain graduate-level research and thesis courses, for instance, may convert an NR to a P (Progress) grade at the end of the grading window, since those courses often span multiple semesters by design.
What to Do If You Have an NR
If you notice an NR on your transcript within the first few weeks after the semester ends, give it a little time. Many NR grades resolve on their own once the instructor finishes submitting grades. Check your school’s academic calendar for the official grading deadline to know when all grades should be posted.
If the NR persists past that deadline, contact your instructor directly. A brief email asking about the status of your grade is usually enough. Instructors sometimes overlook a single student’s entry, and a quick reminder often resolves it within days.
If you cannot reach the instructor or the issue is not resolved after contacting them, your next step is the registrar’s office. The registrar manages the official grade records and can reach out to the instructor or department on your behalf. Bring any documentation you have, such as your final assignment submissions, exam scores, or emails from the instructor, to help speed things along.
Keep a close eye on your school’s conversion deadline. If an NR is going to turn into an F automatically, you want the real grade entered well before that cutoff. Waiting until the last week creates unnecessary risk if there is any administrative delay in processing the change.