American Grading System in US Schools
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The main American school grading scale runs from A to F, with A as the highest grade and F the lowest. D is the minimum passing mark.
Percentage equivalents are common conventions, not national requirements; grading rules are set regionally, with State Boards of Education responsible rather than a national body.
This page explains what letter grades mean and how grading is organized, to help teachers interpret U.S. report cards, marking keys and transcripts. It also covers teaching students from the United States and related grading systems.
What each American grade means
The American letter-grade scale runs from A, the best grade, to F, the worst, and D is the lowest passing grade. Its percentage ranges are a widely used convention, not a national rule.
| Grade | Meaning | Passing | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Excellent | Yes | 90 to 100% |
| B | Good | Yes | 80 to 89% |
| C | Fair | Yes | 70 to 79% |
| D | Poor | Yes | 60 to 69% |
| F | Fail | No | 0 to 59% |
Percent bands follow a widely used convention, not a national rule. These are the commonly used national percentage ranges described by WES.
D is the lowest passing grade; F means Fail.
In secondary and higher education, a transcript assigns grade points from 4 for A to 0 for F, unless its notes specify otherwise (Nuffic).
How American school grading is run
American school grading rules are set by each region, and there is no national body that sets grading.
Local school districts and state and territorial departments of education are responsible for secondary education, and high school diplomas are awarded by local school districts and State Departments of Education (WENR).
An official transcript records education level, programme content, grades, credits and graduation date, and must be issued by the institution where the study took place (Nuffic).
Teaching students from the United States
Ask students to provide their report cards and transcripts. Check the grading key on each document, then record the grades and key in your gradebook. Set the scale up once in a gradebook so every report card and transcript you produce uses the same key.
Related grading systems
More pages in this section are on the way.
Sources and verification
- [1]ed.sc.gov. Uniform Grading Policy - South Carolina Department of Education - 09/16/2026 9:45 PM. Accessed Sep 23, 2026. Official source
- [2]schools.nyc.gov. Grading. Accessed Sep 23, 2026. Official source
- [3]nuffic.nl. Grades and study results | Nuffic. Accessed Sep 23, 2026. Credential evaluator
- [4]wenr.wes.org. United States: Secondary Education - WENR. Accessed Sep 23, 2026. Credential evaluator
The facts on this page were last verified on Sep 24, 2026. Suggest a correction
Frequently asked questions
What is a passing grade in the United States?
D is the lowest passing grade in the commonly used U.S. scale, with a range of 60–70%. Grading rules vary by region, so percentage ranges are conventions rather than national requirements.
Do schools in the United States use percentages for grades?
Yes. Percentages are commonly used as equivalents for letter grades, but the ranges are conventions, not national requirements.
Is a C a good grade in the United States?
C means average in secondary education. On the commonly used percentage scale, C is considered fair and corresponds to 70–79%.
What grade is a 60 in America?
A 60 is in the D range on the commonly used percentage scale, making it a passing grade. Grading scales vary by region.
