How does Philippine GWA compare to US GPA?

The Philippine scale is inverted — lower GWA is better. A GWA of 2.33 roughly corresponds to a 3.0 US GPA (graduate school minimum). A GWA of 1.67 corresponds to approximately 3.5 US GPA.

GWA Calculator — Philippines

Q: What is a good GWA in the Philippines?

A GWA of 1.75 or lower is considered very good (Cum Laude range). A GWA of 1.50 or lower typically qualifies for Magna Cum Laude, and 1.20–1.25 for Summa Cum Laude. A GWA below 2.00 is strong; 2.00–2.50 is average.

Q: Why is there no grade between 3.00 and 5.00 in the Philippine system?

This is characteristic of the Philippine grading system. A grade of 3.00 is the minimum passing mark. Any performance below the passing threshold results in a 5.00 (Fail) — there are no partial failure grades.

Calculate your General Weighted Average (GWA) using the Philippine 1.0–5.0 grading scale where 1.00 is Excellent and 3.00 is Passing. Used by UP, Ateneo, De La Salle, UST, and all Philippine universities.

Subject NameGrade (1.0–5.0)Units

General Weighted Average (GWA)

1.7647

Good

Total Units

Grade Points

30.00

Approx. US GPA

2.85

Subjects

How to Use the GWA Calculator

Enter each subject with its Philippine grade (1.00 to 5.00) and the number of units assigned to that subject. The calculator instantly computes your General Weighted Average (GWA) — the standard measure of academic performance used by universities in the Philippines, including UP, Ateneo, De La Salle, UST, and all DepEd-regulated institutions.

Use the Calculate GWA tab to compute your GWA from your semester or year-end grades. Switch to the To US GPA tab to see how your GWA maps to the American 4.0 GPA scale — useful for Filipino students applying to US graduate programs or scholarships.

GWA Formula

GWA = Σ(Grade × Units) ÷ Total Units

Example: Math (1.75 × 3 units) + English (1.50 × 3 units) + Science (2.00 × 3 units)
= (5.25 + 4.50 + 6.00) ÷ 9 = 15.75 ÷ 9 = GWA: 1.75

Note: Unlike the US GPA where higher numbers are better, the Philippine GWA scale works in reverse — lower is better. A GWA of 1.00 is the highest possible grade (Excellent), while 3.00 is the minimum passing grade at most institutions. A grade of 5.00 indicates a failed subject.

Philippine Grading Scale

1.00 — Excellent | 1.25 — Excellent | 1.50 — Very Good

1.75 — Very Good | 2.00 — Good | 2.25 — Good

2.50 — Satisfactory | 2.75 — Fair | 3.00 — Passing

5.00 — Failed (no grade between 3.00 and 5.00 is typically assigned)

The Philippines system is unique in that there are no grades between 3.00 and 5.00 in most universities — a student either passes with a 3.00 or fails with a 5.00. The University of the Philippines (UP) uses a slightly different scale where 1.0 is highest and they include marks like 1.1, 1.2, etc. up to 5.0 (Fail).

Latin Honors in the Philippines

Summa Cum Laude: GWA of 1.00–1.20 (or 1.00–1.25 depending on institution)

Magna Cum Laude: GWA of 1.21–1.45 (or 1.26–1.50)

Cum Laude: GWA of 1.46–1.75 (or 1.51–1.75)

Latin honor cutoffs vary between universities. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) provides guidelines, but each institution sets its own specific GWA thresholds. Always check your specific university's academic regulations for the exact cutoffs that apply to your degree program.

Step-by-Step Example

Scenario: Maria is a third-year BS Nursing student at UST Manila with these first semester grades:

Anatomy & Physiology (5 units, grade 1.50) → 7.50 points

Microbiology (3 units, grade 1.75) → 5.25 points

Pharmacology (3 units, grade 2.00) → 6.00 points

Nursing Theory (3 units, grade 1.75) → 5.25 points

Related Learning Experience (5 units, grade 1.25) → 6.25 points

Total: 30.25 points ÷ 19 units = GWA: 1.5921

US GPA equivalent: 4.0 − ((1.59 − 1.0) × 1.5) = 3.11

Frequently Asked Questions

A GWA of 1.75 or lower is considered very good and puts you in Cum Laude range at most universities. A GWA of 1.50 or lower typically qualifies for Magna Cum Laude, and 1.20–1.25 or lower for Summa Cum Laude. For most purposes, a GWA below 2.00 is considered strong, 2.00–2.50 is average, and 2.50–3.00 is passing but not competitive for scholarships or honors.

This is a characteristic of the Philippine grading system adopted from older Spanish and American colonial-era educational conventions. A grade of 3.00 is the minimum passing mark. Any performance below the passing threshold results in a 5.00 (Fail) — there are no partial failure grades. Some universities, particularly UP Diliman, use a more granular scale including grades like 4.0 (conditional) between 3.0 and 5.0.

Most US graduate programs require the equivalent of a 3.0 US GPA minimum. On the Philippine scale, this roughly corresponds to a GWA of 2.33 or below. For competitive US programs (top 50 universities), you would want the equivalent of 3.5 US GPA, which corresponds to approximately a GWA of 1.67 or lower. US admissions offices familiar with Philippine transcripts generally know the inverted scale, but it is always helpful to include a note explaining that lower GWA = higher performance.

Some Philippine universities use "QPI" (Quality Point Index) or "GPA" instead of GWA, but they refer to the same concept — a weighted average of grades. UP Diliman uses a different numbering system (1.0 scale, similar to US GPA where higher is better), which can cause confusion. Always check which specific scale your university uses when computing or reporting your academic average.

CHED (Commission on Higher Education) scholarships like the CHED Merit Scholarship generally require a GWA of 1.75 or better in the immediately preceding academic year, with no failing grades. The Government Scholarship Program has similar requirements. Some scholarships from DOST (Department of Science and Technology) require a GWA of 1.50 or better in science and mathematics subjects. Always verify the specific requirements with the scholarship granting body, as criteria can be updated each year.