Canada Grade Conversion to US GPA
Convert Canadian university grades — letter grades and percentages — to the US 4.0 GPA scale. Canadian grades are closely aligned with US grades but have some important differences.
How Canada's Grading System Works
Canadian universities use a percentage-based grading system combined with letter grades, and most institutions also report a GPA on a 4.0 scale. Unlike the US, Canada does not have a single national standard — each province and university can set its own grading scale. However, the most widely used scale is closely aligned with the US system, making conversions relatively straightforward.
The typical Canadian grading scale runs: A+ (90–100%) = 4.0, A (85–89%) = 4.0, A- (80–84%) = 3.7, B+ (77–79%) = 3.3, B (73–76%) = 3.0, B- (70–72%) = 2.7, C+ (67–69%) = 2.3, C (63–66%) = 2.0, C- (60–62%) = 1.7, D (50–59%) = 1.0, and F (below 50%) = 0.0. Quebec universities (which use the CGEP system) follow a slightly different convention.
University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, and most major Canadian research universities follow a similar framework. Ontario universities follow the OUSA standards, while Quebec CEGEP uses a percentage and R-Score system. For international applicants, Canadian transcripts are typically accepted directly by US universities without requiring third-party evaluation.
Honors degrees in Canada typically require a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (B average). Many graduate programs at Canadian and US universities require at least a 3.0 (B) in the final two years of study for admission.
Conversion Formula
A+ (90–100%) → 4.0
A (85–89%) → 4.0
A- (80–84%) → 3.7
B+ (77–79%) → 3.3
B (73–76%) → 3.0
B- (70–72%) → 2.7
C+ (67–69%) → 2.3
C (63–66%) → 2.0
C- (60–62%) → 1.7
D (50–59%) → 1.0
F (<50%) → 0.0
Worked Example
Student: Emily, BSc Psychology, University of British Columbia
Emily's transcript shows an average of 82% across all courses, earning an A- in most.
82% → A- → US GPA: 3.7. Since UBC uses a comparable scale to US universities, Emily's credentials transfer seamlessly when applying to US graduate programs.