A- GPA: Grade Points, Percentage and Average
An A- is worth 3.7 grade points on the common 4.0 scale and covers about 90 to 92%.
- Letter grade
- A-
- Percentage
- 90 to 92%
- Out of 4.0
- 3.7
What an A- is worth on every scale
An A- is worth 3.7 grade points on the common 4.0 scale, covers 90 to 92 percent where schools use pluses and minuses, and 90 to 100 percent on a plain 10 point scale as an A. Schools differ: on a 4.33 scale an A+ counts extra, and on a plain 4.0 scale the sign is dropped.
A straight A- average is a 3.7 GPA; the 3.7 GPA page shows how it compares with the US average and what raises it.
90, 91 and 92 are all an A- on the plus and minus scale. See each one on the grading scale chart.
| Scale | A- equals |
|---|---|
| Grade points (4.0 scale) | 3.7 |
| Percentage (10 point, plus and minus) | 90 to 92% |
| Plain 10 point scale | A, 90 to 100% |
| 5.0 weighted scale (AP or IB class) | 4.7 |
The 5.0 row is the same grades with every class AP, IB or dual enrollment, which adds 1.0 to each grade except an F (Honors adds 0.5). Source: Rockingham County Schools (NC), state ten point grade scale and course weighting, checked Oct 17, 2026. Your school's weighting may differ.
| Letter | Points | Percent (10 point, plus and minus) |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | 93 to 100 |
| A-this page | 3.7 | 90 to 92 |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87 to 89 |
| B | 3.0 | 83 to 86 |
| B- | 2.7 | 80 to 82 |
Sources for the table: Points: James Madison University, How to calculate your GPA, checked Oct 17, 2026. Percent: Concordia University Wisconsin catalog, grading scale, checked Oct 17, 2026. Your school's scale may differ.
National average: US high school graduates averaged a 3.11 in 2019 (NAEP High School Transcript Study 2019 (National Assessment Governing Board release, March 2022), checked Oct 21, 2026). Every letter from A to F is in the full GPA scale chart.
What an A- does to a GPA next to other grades
Most report cards mix letters. With six classes of equal credits, an A- in all of them gives 3.70, and A, A, A, A-, A-, A- gives 3.85. One F among five A-s pulls the average to 3.08, which is why a single failed class is worth retaking.
| Grades in six equal credit classes | GPA |
|---|---|
| A-, A-, A-, A-, A-, A- | 3.70 |
| A, A, A, A-, A-, A- | 3.85 |
| A-, A-, A-, B+, B+, B+ | 3.50 |
| A-, A-, A-, A-, A-, F | 3.08 |
Common 4.0 scale, unweighted. Classes with more credits count for more.
How to raise an A- GPA
How fast an A- moves depends on the credits behind it. The table shows three starting points with a 15 hour term ahead: the GPA after a term of straight As and the term GPA that reaches 3.8, the next tenth, then the term GPA that reaches 3.9, a typical summa cum laude line. When one term is not enough, the cell says how many credit hours of straight As get there.
| Starting point | After straight As | Term GPA for a 3.8 | Term GPA for a 3.9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| After one semester (15 hours) | 3.85 | 3.90 | over 4.0 (30 hours of As) |
| After one year (30 hours) | 3.80 | 4.00 | over 4.0 (60 hours of As) |
| After two years (60 hours) | 3.76 | over 4.0 (30 hours of As) | over 4.0 (120 hours of As) |
Unweighted 4.0 scale, credits weighted. "Over 4.0": more than one term, with the credits of straight As that reach it. "Not reachable": a 4.0 cumulative, which needs an A in every class from the start.
To add each class with its own grade and credits, use the cumulative GPA calculator; to see how many terms a higher GPA takes from your own credits, use the raise GPA calculator.
If your school ranks students, it usually uses GPA, often weighted. To see your place as a percentile or decile, use the class rank calculator.
How this calculator works
An A- is 3.7 on the common 4.0 scale, 3.67 on the 4.33 scale and 3.67 on the thirds scale; a plain scale without signs counts it as an A, 4.0. Each number on this page comes from those scale files and the 10 point percent scale with pluses and minuses, each with its source below. Your school may count an A+ as 4.33, drop pluses and minuses, or weight honors and AP classes, so this is the common reading, not a rule.
The planner at the top starts with an A- over 30 credits and a term of As over 15: (3.7 x 30 + 4.0 x 15) / 45 = 3.80. Change the credits or the average you expect and the new cumulative GPA updates; the more credits are behind a GPA, the less one term moves it.
Questions and answers
Is an A- GPA good?
An A- average is 3.7 grade points, well above the US average and over every common scholarship line. It sits 0.59 points above the 3.11 national average for the class of 2019. The next line worth aiming for is 3.9, a typical summa cum laude line.
Is an A- GPA good in college?
Yes. In college an A- meets the 3.5 that many dean's lists and cum laude cutoffs use, and it clears the 3.0 most scholarships and internships ask for. The next line is 3.9, a typical summa cum laude line, 0.20 points up.
What GPA is an A- average?
An A- in every class gives a 3.7 GPA on the common 4.0 scale. Mixed with other letters it moves toward them: half A-s and half As average 3.85. Schools that do not use pluses and minuses count an A as 4.0.
What is an A- GPA in percentage?
About 91% on the 10 point scale with pluses and minuses, where an A- runs from 90 to 92. There is no exact conversion back, because a GPA only keeps the letter: a 90% and a 92% are both an A- and both count 3.7. The converter on the GPA scale page uses your own school's scale.
How do I raise an A- GPA to a 3.8?
It depends on how many credits the A- already covers. After one semester (15 hours): a 3.90 term GPA over 15 hours; After one year (30 hours): a 4.00 term GPA over 15 hours; After two years (60 hours): more than one term: 30 hours of straight As. The planner above starts at 30 credits; change them to match your transcript.
Is an A- GPA good for college admissions and scholarships?
Usually, yes. An A- is well above the 3.11 US average and clears every common scholarship line. Selective colleges publish the GPA range of their admitted students in their Common Data Set or class profile, so compare with the colleges on your list; course rigor and test scores decide the rest.
From CurveFox