Brazilian grades to US GPA
Brazilian universities grade from 0 to 10, usually to one decimal. Passing takes both a grade and attendance. Enter your average to see an estimated 4.0-scale GPA.
Convert a grade
Standards vary by school; follow your target school’s rules.
How the estimate works
The estimate draws straight lines between these points on the “Grade out of 10” scale: 5 → 1.0, 7.7 → 3.0, 8.3 → 3.3, 10 → 4.0. The points in the middle come from the published tables below; mapping the lowest pass to 1.0 and the top of the scale to 4.0 is a GradeKite assumption. Values outside the points get no estimate.
Grade and attendance
At the Universidade de São Paulo, grades run from zero to ten and may be given to one decimal place. To pass a course and earn its credits a student needs a final grade of at least 5 and at least 70% attendance. Other Brazilian universities set their own pass marks, so read the rules printed with your transcript. A course failed for attendance can show a perfectly good grade, which confuses foreign evaluators.
How overseas universities read it
The published equivalences are unusually far apart for Brazil. Oregon State accepts 7 out of 10 (“Bom”) as its B average. Toronto wants 7.7 for mid-B and 8.3 for B+. Loughborough maps 8.5 to a UK First, 7.5 to a 2:1 and 6.5 to a 2:2. A 7.2 average therefore meets one school’s B bar and misses another’s.
Worked example
Ana’s average is 8.0. On Toronto’s anchors, 8.0 is halfway between 7.7 (3.0) and 8.3 (3.3), so about 3.15, shown as 3.2. Loughborough reads 8.0 as a 2:1, and Oregon State as above its 7.0 minimum. Below 7.7 the converter draws a line down to USP’s pass mark of 5, treated as 1.0; that segment is a GradeKite assumption. A 6.5 gives 1.0 + 2.0 × 1.5/2.7 ≈ 2.1.
Before you send it
Brazilian transcripts sometimes list concepts (A, B, C) instead of numbers, or a coefficient of performance. If yours does, find the conversion key from your own university and use its numeric equivalent here. When an admissions office publishes a Brazil table, that table wins.
What universities publish
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies | Mid-B 7.7/10, B+ 8.3/10. |
| Oregon State University Graduate Admissions | B average: 7 (Bom/Good or Media Superior) out of 10. |
| Loughborough University | UK First 8.5, 2:1 7.5, 2:2 6.5. |
| Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Química | Grades 0 to 10 to one decimal; pass with a final grade of 5 or more and at least 70% attendance. |
Estimated conversion table
| Grade out of 10 | Estimated US GPA (4.0) | UK class (Loughborough guide) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1.0 | Below a lower second |
| 6 | 1.7 | Below a lower second |
| 7 | 2.5 | Lower second (2:2) |
| 7.5 | 2.9 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 7.7 | 3.0 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 8 | 3.1 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 8.3 | 3.3 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 8.5 | 3.4 | First class |
| 9 | 3.6 | First class |
| 10 | 4.0 | First class |
Sources
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Química: Avaliação do Rendimento Escolar
- University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies: International Credentials Equivalencies
- Oregon State University Graduate Admissions: Brazil requirements
- Loughborough University: Postgraduate qualification equivalencies for international students
Once you have course grades on a 4.0 scale, the GPA calculator turns them into a credit-weighted GPA.