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France Grade Conversion to US GPA

Convert French university grades from the 0–20 scale — Très Bien, Bien, Assez Bien, Passable — to the US 4.0 GPA. French grades look lower than US grades due to different grading culture.

Scale: 0–20 numeric scale with mention descriptors  |  Range: 0–20
US GPA Equivalent
4.00
Excellent
US Letter Grade
France Grade
16–20 — Très Bien (Very Good)
Score Range
16–20
Classification
Très Bien — Highest Distinction

How France's Grading System Works

France uses a 0–20 grading scale across all levels of education, from secondary school (lycée) through university (université) and grandes écoles. A score of 20 is theoretically the maximum but is extremely rare — even in grandes écoles. French professors are known for grading conservatively, and a score of 14 or above is considered excellent.

The grade descriptors are: 16–20 = Très Bien (Very Good / with highest honors), 14–15 = Bien (Good / with honors), 12–13 = Assez Bien (Fairly Good / with some honors), 10–11 = Passable (Acceptable / pass), and below 10 = Insuffisant (Insufficient / fail). For baccalauréat (national high school diploma) and university degrees, these bands determine mention honors.

The licence (bachelor's equivalent, 3 years after baccalauréat), master's (2 additional years), and doctorat all use the same 0–20 scale. At the grandes écoles (École Polytechnique, HEC, Sciences Po), grading is even more competitive. French students regularly receive scores in the 10–13 range that represent solid academic performance.

When converting French grades to the US GPA system, it is important to account for the grading culture: a French 14/20 (Bien) is genuinely excellent and maps to approximately a 3.5 US GPA, even though it looks like a 70% on a 0–100 scale.

Conversion Formula

French 0–20 Scale → US 4.0 GPA:
16–20 (Très Bien) → 4.0 GPA
14–15 (Bien) → 3.5 GPA
12–13 (Assez Bien) → 3.0 GPA
10–11 (Passable) → 2.0 GPA
<10 (Insuffisant) → 0.0 GPA

Approximate: US GPA = (French grade / 20) × 4.0

Worked Example

Student: Claire, Licence de Droit, Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne

Claire's average grade is 13.5/20 (Assez Bien / Fairly Good).

13.5/20 → Assez Bien → US GPA: 3.0 (B). This is a strong result given French grading norms and is competitive for US LLM programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

French academic culture traditionally reserves 20/20 for perfection, which professors consider unattainable. Scores of 18–20 are extremely rare. A score of 16–17 is considered outstanding. This conservative grading means French scores appear low compared to US grades — a 14/20 represents excellent work, not a failing 70%.
Yes, 12/20 is an above-average grade in France. It earns the mention Assez Bien (Fairly Good) when used as a final average, and it converts to approximately a 3.0 US GPA (B). Many French students score between 10 and 13 throughout their studies. A 12/20 is a solid, respectable grade.
The French baccalauréat uses the same 0–20 scale with mentions: Très Bien (16+) = 4.0, Bien (14–15.9) = 3.5, Assez Bien (12–13.9) = 3.0, and Passable (10–11.9) = 2.0. US universities and credential evaluators typically use these bands for conversion. Include your mention on your application transcript.
Yes, degrees from French grandes écoles (École Polytechnique, HEC Paris, Sciences Po, CentraleSupélec, etc.) are highly regarded by US graduate programs. These institutions are very selective, and their graduates are competitive for Ivy League master's and PhD programs. WES or another NACES member may be required for formal credential evaluation.
The passing grade in French universities is 10/20. Below 10 is a fail (Insuffisant). For degree completion, students typically need a session average of at least 10/20 across all subjects. Some programs with "compensation" rules allow passing even with one subject below 10, provided the overall average meets the threshold.

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