Spanish grades to US GPA
Spanish universities grade from 0 to 10 with one decimal, and a Notable or Sobresaliente means more than the number suggests. Enter your average to see its band and an estimated 4.0 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 → 3.0, 7.5 → 3.3, 8.5 → 3.7, 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 bands
| Result | Numerical grade |
|---|---|
| Sobresaliente (SB) | 9.0–10 |
| Notable (NT) | 7.0–8.9 |
| Aprobado (AP) | 5.0–6.9 |
| Suspenso (SS) | 0–4.9 |
The 2003 grading decree
Spanish university grades are set by Royal Decree 1125/2003, which introduced the European credit system. Each subject is graded from 0 to 10 with one decimal, with a qualitative label: Suspenso below 5, Aprobado from 5.0 to 6.9, Notable from 7.0 to 8.9 and Sobresaliente from 9.0. A Matrícula de Honor can be given to students with 9.0 or more, but to no more than 5% of the students enrolled in the subject. That cap makes an MH a genuinely rare distinction, worth mentioning in an application.
A compressed top end
As in France, the top of the scale is used sparingly. An average Notable is a solid record and an average above 8.5 is excellent. Foreign universities know this. Toronto sets mid-B at 7, B+ at 7.5 and A− at 8.5. Oregon State goes further and accepts 6 (“Good”) as its B-average minimum. Loughborough puts a UK First at 8.5, a 2:1 at 7 and a 2:2 at 6.5 for pre-Bologna Licenciado degrees.
Worked example
Lucía finishes her Grado with a 7.8 average, a Notable. On Toronto’s anchors 7.8 is 30% of the way from 7.5 (3.3) to 8.5 (3.7): 3.3 + 0.4 × 0.3 = 3.42, shown as 3.4. Loughborough reads it as a 2:1, and it is well above Oregon State’s 6. A 6.0 average, by contrast, estimates at 1.0 + 2.0 × 1/2 = 2.0 on our line from the pass mark (5) to mid-B (7), even though Oregon State would call it a B: the published tables disagree most at the bottom of the scale.
Below 7, the line down to 5 (treated as 1.0) is a GradeKite assumption, not a published equivalence.
What universities publish
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies | Mid-B 7/10, B+ 7.5/10, A− 8.5/10 (Grado; pre-2006 Licenciatura). |
| Oregon State University Graduate Admissions | B average: 6 (Good) out of 10. |
| Loughborough University | Licenciado/Ingeniero/Arquitecto: UK First 8.5, 2:1 7, 2:2 6.5. |
| BOE | 0–4.9 Suspenso, 5.0–6.9 Aprobado, 7.0–8.9 Notable, 9.0–10 Sobresaliente; Matrícula de Honor from 9.0, at most 5% of students. |
Estimated conversion table
| Grade out of 10 | Estimated US GPA (4.0) | UK class (Loughborough guide) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1.0 | Below a lower second |
| 6 | 2.0 | Below a lower second |
| 6.5 | 2.5 | Lower second (2:2) |
| 7 | 3.0 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 7.5 | 3.3 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 8 | 3.5 | Upper second (2:1) |
| 8.5 | 3.7 | First class |
| 9 | 3.8 | First class |
| 10 | 4.0 | First class |
Sources
- BOE: Real Decreto 1125/2003 (sistema europeo de créditos y sistema de calificaciones)
- University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies: International Credentials Equivalencies
- Oregon State University Graduate Admissions: Spain 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.