Wisconsin
GPA calculator
Wisconsin GPA
How University of Wisconsin-Madison calculates GPA
University of Wisconsin-Madison (Wisconsin) calculates GPA as a credit-weighted average: multiply each course's grade points by its credits, add them up, and divide by total credits. The detail that matters is the grade scale.
The Wisconsin grade scale — what makes it specific
A+ rule: Wisconsin uses NO plus/minus grades. Instead it has two intermediate grades: AB = 3.5 (between A and B) and BC = 2.5 (between B and C). The full scale is A=4, AB=3.5, B=3, BC=2.5, C=2, D=1, F=0.
Failing grade: University of Wisconsin-Madison uses "F" for a failing grade (0.0).
Repeated courses & grade replacement
Every grade, including failures and repeats, is counted in the GPA (policy in effect since August 1980). All attempts count.
Academic standing
Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. The Law School uses its own scale. Plus and minus signs are not authorized.
Latin honors at graduation
University of Wisconsin-Madison awards Latin honors by rank in the graduating class, not by a fixed GPA, so the GPA that earns each honor moves from year to year.
| Honor | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Distinctive Scholastic Achievement / Graduating with Distinction | top 20 percent of graduating class |
| Graduating with Highest Distinction (CALS, Human Ecology, Pharmacy only) | top 5 percent |
university-wide top-20% tier, with a top-5% 'Highest Distinction' tier limited to three named schools
Dean’s List
University of Wisconsin-Madison names students to its Dean’s List at a term GPA of semester GPA requirement set individually by each school/college with minimum of 12 graded degree credits in the semester.
Academic probation and dismissal
Probation / Strict Probation / Suspension (College of Letters & Science, named example): term GPA 1.000-1.999 (Probation); 0.000-0.999 (Strict Probation).
Dismissal: Suspension when a student already on probation earns a term GPA of 0.000-1.499; suspended students may not enroll for three consecutive terms.
Sources
Every figure on this page was read on one of these pages, all published by University of Wisconsin-Madison itself. Nothing here comes from a ranking site or an aggregator.
- registrar.wisc.edu — Latin honors.
- registrar.wisc.edu — Dean’s List.
- guide.wisc.edu — academic standing.
- registrar.wisc.edu — grading scale and GPA calculation.
Good to know
Wisconsin's scale is genuinely unusual: instead of A-/B+ it uses intermediate letter grades AB (worth 3.5) and BC (worth 2.5). So the grade between an A and a B is literally recorded as 'AB'. There are no plus/minus grades at all. A generic +/- calculator can't represent a UW-Madison transcript correctly. Also note: all attempts at a repeated course count toward the GPA, with nothing dropped.
Need to plan ahead? Use the target GPA planner to find the grades you need, or the final grade calculator for a single class. International student? See CGPA to US GPA (WES).