An A typically requires a score of 90% or above in most American schools, though the exact cutoff depends on your school or university. The most common grading scale sets an A at 93% to 100% and an A- at 90% to 92.9%, but some institutions draw the line at 90% for a straight A with no plus/minus distinctions.
The Standard Grading Scale
Most U.S. high schools and colleges use a version of the same letter-grade scale, with minor variations. Here’s the breakdown you’ll encounter most often:
- A (or A+): 93% to 100%
- A-: 90% to 92.9%
- B+: 87% to 89.9%
- B: 83% to 86.9%
- B-: 80% to 82.9%
- C+: 77% to 79.9%
- C: 73% to 76.9%
- C-: 70% to 72.9%
- D: 60% to 69.9%
- F: Below 60%
On this scale, the minimum percentage for any kind of A is 90%. If your school uses plus/minus grading, you need a 93% or higher for a straight A and can earn an A- with a 90% to 92.9%. Schools that skip plus/minus grades often set the A threshold at 90% flat.
Why the Cutoff Varies by School
There is no single national standard for grading in the United States. Each school district, college, or university sets its own scale. Some schools place the A cutoff at 90%, others at 93%, and a few use 92% or 94%. Baruch College, for example, defines an A as 93.0% to 100.0%. Other institutions set the bar at 90% with no A- distinction at all.
The difference matters more than it might seem. On a 93% scale, a student scoring 91% earns an A-. On a 90% scale without plus/minus grades, that same 91% is a full A. This can affect your GPA since an A- often carries a 3.7 on a 4.0 scale while a straight A is worth 4.0. If you’re unsure which scale your school uses, check the syllabus or your school’s academic catalog, where the grading policy is usually spelled out.
How an A Converts to GPA
On the standard 4.0 GPA scale, an A equals 4.0 points. An A- is typically worth 3.7, and an A+ is either 4.0 or 4.3 depending on the institution. Many schools cap GPA at 4.0 and treat an A+ the same as an A for GPA purposes, while others don’t use A+ at all.
Your GPA is calculated by multiplying each course’s grade points by its credit hours, adding those up, and dividing by total credit hours. So a single A- in a 3-credit course won’t tank your GPA, but the difference between 3.7 and 4.0 adds up over a full transcript.
Grading Scales Outside the U.S.
If you’re comparing grades internationally, the percentage thresholds look very different. In the UK university system, a First-Class Honours degree, the highest classification, requires 70% or above. That doesn’t mean British schools are easier. The exams and marking standards are calibrated differently, so a 70% in a UK university represents a level of achievement comparable to top marks elsewhere.
Programs like the International Baccalaureate use a 1 to 7 point scale rather than percentages, and the IB itself does not endorse any official conversion to the American A-through-F system. If you need to convert international grades for a college application, the admissions office will typically handle that translation using their own internal guidelines.
What to Do if You’re Close to the Cutoff
If your grade sits right at the boundary between a B+ and an A-, the details of your school’s rounding policy matter. Some professors round up at 0.5% (so an 89.5% becomes a 90%), while others don’t round at all. A few use “breakpoints” where 89.9% stays a B+ no matter how close it is. This is almost always stated in the course syllabus, so check there before assuming your grade will be bumped up.
Participation, extra credit, and attendance policies can also nudge a borderline grade. If you’re within a point or two of an A and the syllabus includes any of these components, they’re worth paying attention to before the semester ends rather than after.