Germany GPA
& grading scale
Quick answer: German grades run from 1.0 (best) to 5.0 (fail), so LOWER is better — the opposite of a US GPA. The overall Gesamtnote is a credit-weighted average; 4.0 is the minimum pass and anything above 4.0 fails.
Germany → US GPA
How the Germany grading scale works
German grades run from 1.0 (best) to 5.0 (fail), so LOWER is better — the opposite of a US GPA. The overall Gesamtnote is a credit-weighted average; 4.0 is the minimum pass and anything above 4.0 fails.
Grade scale
| Grade / range | Meaning (≈ US) |
|---|---|
| 1.0–1.5 | Sehr gut (A / 4.0) |
| 1.6–2.5 | Gut (A-/B / 3.0–3.7) |
| 2.6–3.5 | Befriedigend (B-/C / 2.0–3.0) |
| 3.6–4.0 | Ausreichend (C-/D / 1.0–2.0) |
| 4.1–5.0 | Nicht ausreichend — Fail (0.0) |
Formula
Native = credit-weighted mean of module grades (1.0 best, pass ≤ 4.0). Converted with a step table (not a linear rescale): 1.0-1.5 -> 4.0, ~2.0 -> 3.5, ~3.0 -> 2.5, and a passing 4.0 -> a US D (1.0), never 0.
Worked example
A Gesamtnote of 2.0 maps to ~3.5 on the US 4.0 scale; a passing 4.0 maps to a US D (1.0).
Converting to a US GPA
Enter your grade in the calculator above to estimate the US 4.0 equivalent, and download a PDF that cites the source. You can also use the dedicated Germany grade → US GPA converter for credit-weighted results. For a full multi-country matrix use the grade conversion tool.