German grades to US GPA (and back)
In Germany 1.0 is the top grade and 4.0 the lowest pass, so the scale runs the opposite way to a GPA. This page converts in both directions.
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 “German grade (1.0 best, 4.0 pass)” scale: 1 → 4.0, 1.7 → 3.7, 2 → 3.3, 2.5 → 3.0, 4 → 1.0. 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.
A scale that runs backwards
German higher education grades from 1.0 (best) to 4.0 (lowest pass); anything worse is a fail. Final grades are reported to one decimal, so you will see 1.3, 1.7, 2.3 and so on. Because a lower number is better, every conversion has to be flipped, and simple “percentage” tricks do not work.
The modified Bavarian formula
When German universities convert a foreign grade into the German system, the usual method is the modified Bavarian formula set out by the Standing Conference of education ministers (KMK): X = 1 + 3 × (Nmax − Nd) / (Nmax − Nmin), where Nmax is the best grade on the foreign scale, Nmin the lowest pass and Nd your grade. The KMK text says the result is taken to one decimal place without rounding. TUM’s page stresses the result is only a first orientation, and each program’s examination rules still apply.
Modified Bavarian formula calculator
The defaults show a US 3.4 GPA with D (1.0) as the lowest pass: 1 + 3 × 0.6 / 3 = 1.6. A program that sets the lowest pass at C (2.0) would get 1 + 3 × 0.6 / 2 = 1.9 for the same transcript, which is why German admissions offices take Nmax and Nmin from their own rules or the KMK’s anabin database.
Worked example, German to US
For the other direction we use published anchors. Toronto treats 2.5 as mid-B (3.0), 2.0 as B+ (3.3) and 1.7 as A− (3.7). A German 2.3 is 40% of the way from 2.5 to 2.0, so 3.0 + 0.3 × 0.4 = 3.12, shown as 3.1. Loughborough reads 1.5 as a UK First and 2.5 as a 2:1, so the same 2.3 is a 2:1 there. Oregon State uses 2.5 (“Good”) as its B-average minimum.
What universities publish
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies | Mid-B 2.5/5, B+ 2/5, A− 1.7 (Bachelor’s, Diplom). |
| Oregon State University Graduate Admissions | B average: 2.5 (Good) out of 5 where 1 is high. |
| Loughborough University | UK First 1.5, 2:1 2.5, 2:2 3.0. |
| Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) | Modified Bavarian formula; result to one decimal, not rounded. |
| Technical University of Munich | 1.0 is the best grade and 4.0 the lowest pass; results are for orientation only. |
Estimated conversion table
| German grade (1.0 best, 4.0 pass) | Estimated US GPA (4.0) | UK class (Loughborough guide) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.0 | First class |
| 1.3 | 3.9 | First class |
| 1.7 | 3.7 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 2 | 3.3 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 2.3 | 3.1 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 2.5 | 3.0 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 2.7 | 2.7 | Lower second (2:2) |
| 3 | 2.3 | Lower second (2:2) |
| 3.3 | 1.9 | Below a lower second |
| 3.7 | 1.4 | Below a lower second |
| 4 | 1.0 | Below a lower second |
Sources
- Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK): Vereinbarung über die Festsetzung der Gesamtnote bei ausländischen Hochschulzugangszeugnissen (PDF)
- Technical University of Munich: Notenumrechnung mit der Bayerischen Formel
- University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies: International Credentials Equivalencies
- Oregon State University Graduate Admissions: Germany 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.