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China Grade Conversion to US GPA

Convert Chinese university grades from the 100-point scale to the US 4.0 GPA. Covers all major Chinese universities including Tsinghua, Peking University, Fudan, and Zhejiang University.

Scale: 100-point percentage scale with letter/descriptor grades  |  Range: 0–100
US GPA Equivalent
4.00
Excellent
US Letter Grade
China Grade
90–100 — A (优秀/Excellent)
Score Range
90–100
Classification
Excellent — 优秀

How China's Grading System Works

Chinese universities primarily use a 100-point percentage scale, often alongside a 4.0 or 5.0 GPA equivalent. The system is standardized by the Ministry of Education but individual universities may have slight variations in their grade-to-GPA mapping. Major institutions like Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, and Zhejiang University all use percentage-based grading.

The grade letters in China are: A (优秀/Excellent, 90–100), A- (85–89), B+ (82–84), B (78–81), B- (75–77), C+ (72–74), C (68–71), D (64–67), and F (below 64). Many universities also use a simplified 5-grade system: Excellent (优秀, 90+), Good (良好, 80–89), Average (中等, 70–79), Pass (及格, 60–69), and Fail (不及格, below 60).

For graduate school applications to US universities, Chinese students are typically evaluated on a 4.0 scale using their percentage average. A key consideration: Chinese universities, especially top-tier ones, are graded competitively, and grade inflation is less common than in many Western institutions. A 90+ average from Tsinghua or PKU is genuinely outstanding.

The Chinese credit system (学分制) assigns credit points to each course, and the weighted average is used for the final GPA calculation. Most US graduate schools and credential evaluators are familiar with the Chinese 100-point system and can convert it accurately.

Conversion Formula

Chinese 100-Point Scale → US 4.0 GPA:
90–100 (A / 优秀) → 4.0 GPA
85–89 (A-) → 3.7 GPA
82–84 (B+) → 3.3 GPA
78–81 (B / 良好) → 3.0 GPA
75–77 (B-) → 2.7 GPA
72–74 (C+) → 2.3 GPA
68–71 (C / 中等) → 2.0 GPA
64–67 (D) → 1.0 GPA
<64 (F / 不及格) → 0.0 GPA

Worked Example

Student: Wei, BSc Computer Science, Tsinghua University

Wei's weighted average score across all courses is 88/100.

88 falls in the A- band (85–89) → US GPA: 3.7. This is highly competitive for top US CS graduate programs. A Tsinghua 88/100 is recognized as outstanding by US admissions committees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most Chinese universities report grades on a 100-point scale. Use our table above to find the US GPA equivalent. Some universities also provide a 4.0 scale GPA directly on the transcript. If your school uses a 5.0 scale, divide by 5 and multiply by 4 for an approximate conversion. Always check if your target US school has a specific conversion table for your institution.
优秀 (Yōuxiù / Excellent) in the Chinese system corresponds to a score of 90–100, which is equivalent to a 4.0 US GPA — an A. It represents the highest academic achievement. If your transcript shows 优秀 for most or all courses, you have an outstanding academic record that is competitive for top US graduate programs.
Yes, most major US graduate programs are familiar with Chinese university transcripts. Schools like MIT, Stanford, and CMU regularly admit students from Tsinghua, PKU, Fudan, and SJTU. Chinese transcripts typically need to be officially translated into English (many Chinese universities provide official English translations). A WES or credential evaluation may be required by some programs.
For top US programs (MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley), a Chinese GPA of 85+ (3.7 equivalent) combined with a strong GRE and research publications is typically competitive. For mid-tier programs, an 80+ average (3.0 equivalent) is usually sufficient. Given the rigor of top Chinese universities, even a 78–82 average from Tsinghua or PKU is considered strong by US standards.
The standard passing score in Chinese universities is 60/100 (及格). Scores below 60 (不及格) are failing grades. The 60-point threshold is used across most Chinese universities for undergraduate courses. For some graduate courses or professional programs, a higher minimum (70 or 75) may be required to receive credit.

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