Convert Swiss Grades to US GPA

Scale: Switzerland uses a 1–6 scale where 6 is the highest and 4 is the minimum passing grade. It's the reverse of the German system. Swiss-German, Swiss-French, and Swiss-Italian regions all use this scale.  |  Range: 1–6 numeric scale (6 = best)
US GPA Equivalent
4.00
Excellent
US Letter Grade
Switzerland Grade
6
Score Range
94–100
Classification
Ausgezeichnet (Excellent)

How Swiss University Grading Works

Switzerland's higher education system is regulated at the federal level by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI / SBFI). Swiss universities use a consistent 1–6 numeric scale across all four language regions — German, French, Italian, and Romansh — making it one of Europe's most uniform national grading systems. 6 is the highest grade (Ausgezeichnet / Excellent) and 4 is the minimum passing grade (Genügend / Sufficient). Grades below 4 are failing.

The grades in full: 6 (Ausgezeichnet / Excellent) — outstanding, rarely awarded; 5.5 (Sehr Gut / Very Good) — clearly above requirements; 5 (Gut / Good) — above requirements; 4.5 (Befriedigend / Satisfactory) — meets requirements; 4 (Genügend / Sufficient) — just meets minimum requirements; 3.5 (Ungenügend– / Insufficient) — close to passing but still a fail; 1–3 (Schlecht / Bad) — significantly failing. Half-grades (4.5, 5.5, etc.) are standard, giving the scale its practical granularity.

A critical note for international students: the Swiss scale runs the opposite direction to the German scale. In Germany, 1 is the best grade; in Switzerland, 6 is the best. This frequently causes confusion when German-speaking Swiss students present transcripts to German institutions or vice versa. Swiss transcripts should always specify the scale used.

Switzerland's higher education highlights: ETH Zurich (ranked QS top 10 globally, world-class in mathematics, physics, computer science, and engineering — 21 Nobel laureates); EPFL in Lausanne (ranked QS top 15, particularly strong in engineering and life sciences); University of Zurich — Switzerland's largest university; University of Basel — founded 1460, the oldest in Switzerland; and Graduate Institute Geneva — world-leading in international relations. Swiss bachelor's programmes are typically 3 years (180 ECTS), master's 1.5–2 years (90–120 ECTS), fully Bologna-compliant.

Switzerland to US GPA Conversion Table

Swiss Grade Classification US GPA US Letter
6 Ausgezeichnet (Excellent) 4.00 A
5.5 Sehr Gut (Very Good) 3.70 A-
5 Gut (Good) 3.30 B+
4.5 Befriedigend (Satisfactory) 3.00 B
4 Genügend (Sufficient — Minimum Pass) 2.00 C
3.5 Ungenügend– (Insufficient, near miss) 1.00 D
1–3 Schlecht (Bad — Fail) 0.00 F
Conversion approach: Swiss grades are mapped to US GPA using a fixed equivalency table (6=4.0, 5.5=3.7, 5=3.3, 4.5=3.0, 4=2.0, 3.5=1.0, below 3.5=0.0). To calculate a weighted GPA, multiply each grade's GPA value by its ECTS credits, sum the results, and divide by total ECTS credits.

Weighted GPA = ∑(GPA value × ECTS credits) ÷ ∑(ECTS credits)

Note: Because 6 is rarely awarded in Swiss higher education (it signals truly outstanding work), an average of 5.0–5.5 at ETH Zurich or EPFL is considered excellent and highly competitive internationally.

Conversion Example

Student: Lena studies Electrical Engineering at ETH Zurich and is applying to US PhD programmes.

Her grades: Control Systems 5.5 (6 ECTS), Signal Processing 5 (6 ECTS), Machine Learning 6 (4 ECTS), Electromagnetics 4.5 (6 ECTS), Master's Thesis 5.5 (30 ECTS).

Weighted US GPA: (6×3.7 + 6×3.3 + 4×4.0 + 6×3.0 + 30×3.7) ÷ 52 = (22.2 + 19.8 + 16 + 18 + 111) ÷ 52 = 187 ÷ 52 = 3.60 GPA

US equivalent: 3.60 / 4.0 — Strong performance from ETH Zurich. Highly competitive for US EE PhD programmes.

Frequently Asked Questions

The 1–6 Swiss grading scale has historical roots in the cantonal education systems dating back to the 19th century. The scale was standardised nationally because it provides sufficient discrimination (especially with half-grades) while remaining simple to use. The choice of 6 as maximum (rather than 10 or 100) is purely traditional — it is similar to how some countries settled on 10-point or 20-point scales based on their own educational history.
Switzerland has significant cantonal autonomy in education, but the 1–6 scale is used consistently across all federal and cantonal universities for higher education. The primary variation is between language regions in how grades are labelled (German: Ausgezeichnet/Sehr Gut; French: Excellent/Très Bien; Italian: Eccellente/Ottimo), but the numeric values are identical. The two federal institutes (ETH Zurich and EPFL) are governed directly by the Swiss Confederation.
A Swiss average of 4.0 is the minimum passing level and equates to roughly 2.0 US GPA — this would not be competitive for US graduate admission. A Swiss average of 4.5 (approximately 3.0 US GPA) meets minimum requirements for most programmes. For competitive schools, aim for 5.0+ (3.3+ US GPA). Context matters: grading at ETH Zurich and EPFL is demanding, and admissions committees are generally aware of this.
ETH Zurich and EPFL are known for rigorous grading — a 5.0 average at ETH is considered excellent and is rarely achieved. Cantonal universities (University of Zurich, Basel, Geneva, Bern) tend to have slightly more grade inflation. US admissions committees generally account for the institutional context, so a 4.8 from ETH Zurich may be viewed more favourably than a 5.2 from a less demanding institution.
Many US universities accept Swiss transcripts directly if they are in English or accompanied by a certified translation. Some may request a WES or ECE evaluation. Swiss degrees (Bachelor 180 ECTS, Master 90–120 ECTS) are well-structured and easy to evaluate. The ETH Zurich Diploma Supplement is particularly comprehensive and internationally recognised, often sufficient without third-party evaluation.

Related Converters

🇩🇪 Germany Grades to GPA 🇮🇹 Italy Grades to GPA 🇫🇷 France Grades to GPA 🌍 All Grade Converters 📊 CGPA to GPA 🎓 Cumulative GPA Calculator