University of Washington GPA Calculator

How UW Grades Work: Numbers, Not Letters

The University of Washington does not give letter grades. Instructors report a number from 4.0 down to 0.7 in steps of 0.1, or a 0.0. Grades between 0.6 and 0.1 cannot be assigned, and the registrar converts them to 0.0. That number is what appears on your transcript and what goes into your GPA, which is why the calculator above asks for a UW grade such as 3.7 instead of an A-.

0.7 is the lowest passing grade. A 0.0 is a failing grade and earns no credit.

UW publishes letter equivalents for readers outside the university, such as employers and other schools:

Because each letter covers several numbers, two UW students who both "got an A-" could have earned a 3.5 and a 3.8. Only the number counts in your GPA, so always enter the exact grade from your transcript.

How to Calculate Your UW GPA

UW computes GPA by dividing your total grade points by the total graded credits you attempted in residence. For each course, grade points are the numeric grade multiplied by the course's credits.

A worked example for one quarter with three 5-credit courses:

• Chemistry, 5 credits, grade 3.4: 5 × 3.4 = 17.0 grade points
• Calculus, 5 credits, grade 3.8: 5 × 3.8 = 19.0 grade points
• English composition, 5 credits, grade 3.6: 5 × 3.6 = 18.0 grade points

Total: 54.0 grade points ÷ 15 credits = 3.60 quarterly GPA. That clears the 3.50 Dean's List line, provided all 15 credits were graded numerically.

To estimate your cumulative GPA, enter your current UW GPA and graded credits in the two boxes at the top of the calculator, then add this quarter's courses.

What Doesn't Count in Your UW GPA

Only numeric grades earned at UW enter the GPA. These do not:

• S / NS (Satisfactory / Not Satisfactory): for undergraduates, S means the underlying grade was 2.0 or higher. Neither S nor NS affects your GPA. UW advising limits students to 20 S/NS credits of registration, and at most 25 S credits count toward a degree.
• CR / NC (Credit / No Credit) courses.
• W (withdrawal or course drop) and HW (hardship withdrawal).
• I (Incomplete): no effect at first, but the work must be finished by the grading deadline of the following quarter, or the I converts to a 0.0.
• N (satisfactory progress, no grade yet), used for thesis and multi-quarter courses.
• Transfer, AP and IB credit: it can count toward your degree, but your UW GPA only includes courses taken at UW.

Repeating a Course: Both Grades Count

This is where UW differs from many universities. An undergraduate may repeat a course once, with departmental permission, but the second grade does not replace the first. Both grades are computed in your GPA, while credit counts only once, unless the first grade was a 0.0.

For example, suppose you took a 5-credit course, earned a 1.5 and then retook it for a 3.5. Both attempts stay in your GPA: 10 graded credits producing 25.0 grade points, which averages 2.5 for that course. At a school with grade replacement, only the 3.5 would count. Before you retake a class to raise your GPA, use the calculator to check whether a new course would help more.

Dean's List at UW

• Quarterly Dean's List: a quarterly GPA of 3.50 or higher in at least 12 UW graded credits, for matriculated students working toward their first undergraduate degree.
• Annual Dean's List: a 3.50 quarterly GPA in 12 or more graded credits in each of three quarters of the academic year. A student enrolled in a fourth quarter can also qualify with a 3.50 in 10 or more credits.

S/NS and CR/NC credits do not count toward the 12 graded credits, so a quarter with 15 credits where 5 are S/NS leaves only 10 graded credits, which is too few.

Academic Alert, Academic Warning and Academic Drop

UW renamed its low-scholarship stages in August 2024. What used to be called "warning" is now academic alert, and what used to be "probation" is now academic warning.

• Academic alert: your GPA falls below 2.00 at the end of your first quarter as a degree-seeking student.
• Academic warning: your cumulative GPA falls below 2.00 in any later quarter.
• Getting back to good standing: raise your UW cumulative GPA to 2.00 or higher.
• Academic drop: while on warning, you must earn at least a 2.00 quarterly GPA or raise your cumulative GPA to 2.00. If you do neither, you are dropped for low scholarship and must petition for reinstatement.

If you are on warning, the calculator's cumulative box shows exactly what quarterly grades bring you back to 2.00.

Baccalaureate Honors

UW awards baccalaureate (Latin) honors to roughly the top 10% of graduating students. To be considered, you need at least 90 credits completed in residence at UW, of which at least 60 are graded. Transfer, AP and IB credits do not count toward the 90. The GPA cutoffs are set by class standing each year rather than fixed in advance, so check with your adviser or college for the current figures.

Why Grades Weigh So Heavily at UW: Applying to a Major

Many UW majors admit students by application after they complete prerequisite courses, and prerequisite grades play a large part in those decisions. A tenth of a point in a key course can matter more than at a school with direct admission. Model your prerequisite quarter in the calculator before registering, and ask your department adviser how the major you want weighs grades.

Using a UW GPA Outside UW

A UW GPA is already on a 4.0 scale, so most applications accept it as it is. Law school applications are different: LSAC recalculates every grade on its own scale, which you can preview with the LSAC GPA calculator. Medical and health-profession applications often recalculate too; see the pre-health GPA calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: UW General Catalog, Grading System; UW Office of the Registrar, Transcript Legend; UW Undergraduate Advising, Academic Terms and Policies and Academic Alert and Warning. Policies change; check the current catalog before making decisions. This site is independent and not affiliated with the University of Washington.