Convert Irish Grades to US GPA
How Irish University Grading Works
Ireland's higher education system operates under the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), managed by QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland). Irish universities award degrees at NFQ Level 8 (Honours Bachelor's), Level 9 (Master's), and Level 10 (Doctoral) — directly comparable to US bachelor's, master's, and PhD degrees.
The standard Honours Bachelor's degree classification system uses five bands: First Class Honours (H1) for 70% and above; Second Class Honours Grade 1 (H2.1) for 60–69%; Second Class Honours Grade 2 (H2.2) for 50–59%; Third Class Honours (H3) for 40–49%; and Fail for below 40%. These are often colloquially referred to as "First", "Two-one", "Two-two", and "Third" respectively.
Irish universities also offer Ordinary Bachelor's degrees (NFQ Level 7) for students who do not meet Honours entry requirements, though most Irish students pursue Honours degrees. The grade threshold for First Class Honours (70%) is lower than the UK's 70% standard, making it somewhat more accessible than a British First — though standards are still rigorous.
Major Irish universities include Trinity College Dublin (TCD) — Ireland's oldest university and consistently ranked in global top 100 lists; University College Dublin (UCD); University College Cork (UCC); NUI Galway / University of Galway; and several technological universities. Irish degrees are highly regarded by US universities and typically do not require WES evaluations for admissions purposes, though some scholarship applications may request them.
Ireland to US GPA Conversion Table
| Irish Grade | Score % | US GPA | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| H1 / First | 70–100 | 4.00 | First Class Honours |
| H2.1 / 2:1 | 60–69 | 3.30 | Second Class Honours Grade 1 |
| H2.2 / 2:2 | 50–59 | 2.70 | Second Class Honours Grade 2 |
| H3 / Third | 40–49 | 2.00 | Third Class Honours |
| Fail | < 40 | 0.00 | Fail |
Conversion Example
Student: Ciarán studies Computer Science at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and is applying to MS/PhD programmes at US universities.
His final year module averages: Advanced Algorithms 75% (H1), Machine Learning 68% (H2.1), Distributed Systems 72% (H1), Research Project 80% (H1), Software Engineering 62% (H2.1).
US GPA equivalent (equal weighting): (4.0 + 3.3 + 4.0 + 4.0 + 3.3) / 5 = 18.6 / 5 = 3.72 GPA
US equivalent: 3.72 / 4.0 — First Class Honours level from TCD. Excellent profile for US computer science PhD programmes.