Japan grade
to US GPA
Japan → US GPA
How Japanese grades convert to US GPA
Japanese universities grade with letters — 秀 (Shū) / S, 優 (Yū) / A, 良 (Ryō) / B, 可 (Ka) / C, 不可 (Fuka) / F — usually tied to a 100-point mark. US credential evaluators map those bands onto the 4.0 scale, so enter your course percentage (or the band your letter falls in) above.
Important nuance for grad applicants: many Japanese universities also print a native GPA where S = 4, A = 3, B = 2, C = 1. That scale is deflated versus the US 4.0 — a Japanese "GPA 3.0" is mostly A's and converts to roughly a US 3.7–4.0, not a US 3.0. Always convert from the underlying grade/percentage, which is what WES and ECE actually evaluate — never copy the Japanese GPA number across directly.
Japan grade equivalents at a glance
| Japanese grade | Percentage | US GPA (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 秀 / S | 90–100 | ~4.0 |
| 優 / A | 80–89 | ~3.7 |
| 良 / B | 70–79 | ~3.0 |
| 可 / C | 60–69 | ~2.0 |
| 不可 / F | Below 60 | 0.0 |
Is this competitive for US & Canada grad school?
Most US and Canadian master's programmes look for the equivalent of a US 3.0+ (an 80%+ / 優 average). Because the native Japanese GPA is deflated, strong Japanese applicants often look better after a proper WES conversion than their raw GPA suggests — another reason to evaluate rather than self-report.
Credential evaluation (WES / ECE for US · WES / IQAS / ICES for Canada)
US programmes usually require a WES or ECE course-by-course evaluation; Canadian universities and immigration use WES Canada, IQAS (Alberta) or ICES (BC). Japanese universities issue sealed English transcripts on request — you send those directly to the evaluator.
For a multi-course credit-weighted result, use the WES-method iGPA calculator. Comparing to Canada? See the Canada GPA guide.