Convert Italian Grades to US GPA

Scale: Italian universities use a 18–30 scale for individual exams plus "30 e lode" (30 with honours). The minimum passing grade is 18/30. The final degree grade is on a 66–110 scale (110 e lode for highest distinction).  |  Range: 18–30 per-exam scale (+ 30 e lode)
US GPA Equivalent
4.00
Excellent
US Letter Grade
Italy Grade
30 e lode
Score Range
30
Classification
30 with Honours — Summa Cum Laude

How Italian University Grading Works

Italy's higher education system operates within the Bologna Process framework and is regulated by the MIUR (Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca). Italian universities use a unique grading system that operates on two separate scales: a per-exam scale of 18–30 (plus 30 e lode), and a final degree grade scale of 66–110 (plus 110 e lode).

For individual exams: scores below 18 are failing (insufficiente — the exam is not recorded); 18–19 is the minimum pass (Sufficiente); 20–21 is Sufficiente Plus; 22–23 is Discreto (Satisfactory); 24–25 is Buono (Good); 26–27 is Buono (Very Good); 28–29 is Ottimo (Excellent); 30 is the maximum Ottimo; and 30 e lode (30 with honours, written as 30L) is reserved for truly outstanding performance, awarded at the professor's discretion.

The final laurea triennale (3-year bachelor's) or laurea magistrale (2-year master's) grade is typically calculated from the weighted average of all exams converted to a base-110 scale, plus bonus points for thesis quality, graduation speed, and other factors. A final grade of 110 e lode (massima votazione con lode) is the Italian equivalent of summa cum laude.

Key Italian institutions: Politecnico di Milano — consistently ranked QS top 150, particularly for engineering and design; Bocconi University — one of Europe's top business schools; Università di Bologna — the world's oldest university (founded 1088); Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa — highly selective elite research institution. Italian universities follow the Bologna 3+2 system (3-year laurea + 2-year laurea magistrale), which is compatible with US bachelor's and master's structures.

Italy to US GPA Conversion Table

Italian Score Classification US GPA US Letter
30 e lode Honours — Ottimo con Lode 4.00 A+ (exceptional)
30 Ottimo (Excellent) 4.00 A
28–29 Ottimo (Very Good) 3.70 A-
26–27 Buono (Good) 3.30 B+
24–25 Buono (Good) 3.00 B
22–23 Discreto (Satisfactory) 2.70 B-
20–21 Sufficiente+ (Pass Plus) 2.30 C+
18–19 Sufficiente (Minimum Pass) 2.00 C
< 18 Insufficiente (Fail) 0.00 F

Conversion Example

Student: Giulia studies Computer Science (Laurea Magistrale) at Politecnico di Milano and is applying to US MS/PhD programmes.

Her exam scores: Machine Learning 30 e lode (5 CFU), Algorithms 28 (6 CFU), Computer Vision 29 (5 CFU), Distributed Systems 27 (5 CFU), Thesis 30 (10 CFU).

Weighted US GPA: (5×4.0 + 6×3.7 + 5×4.0 + 5×3.3 + 10×4.0) / 31 = (20 + 22.2 + 20 + 16.5 + 40) / 31 = 118.7 / 31 = 3.83 GPA

US equivalent: 3.83 / 4.0 — Outstanding from PoliMi. Highly competitive for US CS PhD programmes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Historically, Italian university exams were assessed out of 30, and only scores of 18 or above were considered sufficient (sufficiente) for passing. Scores of 1–17 indicate failure and are not recorded on the official transcript — only passing grades appear. This tradition dates back centuries in the Italian academic system.
Laurea triennale (3 years, 180 ECTS) is Italy's first-cycle degree, equivalent to a US bachelor's. Laurea magistrale (2 additional years, 120 ECTS) is the second cycle, equivalent to a US master's. The full 3+2 combination (300 ECTS) is typically required for US doctoral programme admission.
Italian transcripts are in Italian and typically require certified English translation for US applications. Many universities also require WES evaluation to convert Italian voti (exam grades) into a US GPA equivalent. The Diploma Supplement (DS) issued alongside Italian degrees provides an English-language summary.
A final laurea grade of 105–110 e lode (on the 110 scale) is generally competitive for top US PhD programmes, equivalent to approximately 3.7–4.0 US GPA. 100–104 roughly maps to 3.3–3.7. For competitive fields, graduating with 110 e lode from a recognised institution (PoliMi, Bocconi, Bologna) significantly strengthens applications.

Related Converters

🇪🇸 Spain Grades to GPA 🇫🇷 France Grades to GPA 🇩🇪 Germany Grades to GPA 🇨🇭 Switzerland Grades to GPA 🌍 All Grade Converters 🎓 US GPA Calculator