Convert Turkish Grades to US GPA
How Turkish University Grading Works
Turkey's higher education system is regulated by YÖK (Yükseköğretim Kurulu — Council of Higher Education), which standardised grading across all universities. Turkish universities use a distinctive double-letter grading system (AA, BA, BB, CB, CC, DC, DD, FF) mapped to a 4.0 GPA scale. The GPA is called GNO (Genel Not Ortalaması) or cumulative GPA.
The double-letter system: AA (4.0) for 90–100% — Pekiyi (Excellent); BA (3.5) for 85–89%; BB (3.0) for 80–84% — İyi (Good); CB (2.5) for 75–79%; CC (2.0) for 70–74% — Orta (Average); DC (1.5) for 65–69%; DD (1.0) for 60–64% — Geçer (Pass); FF (0.0) for below 60% — Başarısız (Fail). Some universities also use FD (0.0) for failing due to attendance below the minimum requirement.
Credits in Turkey are measured in AKTS/ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits, making Turkish grades directly compatible with both US and European systems. Most undergraduate programmes require 240 ECTS credits (roughly equivalent to 120 US credit hours) over four years. The YÖK system has aligned Turkish higher education with the Bologna Process for European compatibility.
Turkey's most internationally competitive universities include Koç University and Sabancı University (private, English-medium, consistently ranked in QS global top 500); Bilkent University (founded with significant US ties); METU (Middle East Technical University / ODTÜ) — Turkey's premier engineering and science university; and Boğaziçi University — known for strong social sciences and engineering. Graduates from these institutions regularly secure places in top US PhD programmes.
Turkey to US GPA Conversion Table
| Grade | Score % | TR GPA | US GPA | Turkish Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA | 90–100 | 4.00 | 4.00 | Pekiyi (Excellent) |
| BA | 85–89 | 3.50 | 3.50 | Çok İyi (Very Good) |
| BB | 80–84 | 3.00 | 3.00 | İyi (Good) |
| CB | 75–79 | 2.50 | 2.50 | Orta İyi (Above Average) |
| CC | 70–74 | 2.00 | 2.00 | Orta (Average) |
| DC | 65–69 | 1.50 | 1.50 | Geçer (Conditional Pass) |
| DD | 60–64 | 1.00 | 1.00 | Geçer (Pass) |
| FF | < 60 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Başarısız (Fail) |
Conversion Example
Student: Emre studies Computer Engineering at METU (Middle East Technical University / ODTÜ) and is applying to US PhD programmes in machine learning.
His senior year courses: Deep Learning AA (3 ECTS, 92%), Machine Learning BA (3 ECTS, 87%), Algorithms BB (4 ECTS, 83%), Data Engineering AA (3 ECTS, 91%), Thesis BA (5 ECTS, 86%).
GNO: (3×4.0 + 3×3.5 + 4×3.0 + 3×4.0 + 5×3.5) / 18 = (12 + 10.5 + 12 + 12 + 17.5) / 18 = 64 / 18 = 3.56 GNO
US GPA equivalent: 3.56 / 4.0 — Strong profile from METU, which is highly regarded for US ML PhD admissions.