Dutch Grade to GPA
Convert a Dutch cijfer on the 1–10 scale to a US 4.0 GPA.
7.5 is Goed (7.5–8.4), which evaluators read as A — 4.0 on the US 4.0 scale.
Dutch grading is famously strict at the top: 9s are uncommon and a 10 is exceptional, so a 7.5 represents a stronger performance than the number suggests to an outside reader.
Dutch grades run 1 to 10 with 5.5 the usual pass mark. Evaluators read 7.5–8.4 as an A worth 4.0, 7.0–7.4 as a B+ worth 3.3, 6.5–6.9 as a B worth 3.0, and 6.0–6.4 as a C worth 2.0. So a 7.5 is a 4.0.
A ten-point scale where the top is barely used
On paper the Dutch scale runs from 1 to 10. In practice the upper end is almost theoretical: a 9 is uncommon and a 10 is reserved for flawless work, so a strong student’s transcript is largely made of 7s and 8s. Dutch academics describe the culture as one where full marks imply nothing could have been better, which is a claim examiners are reluctant to make.
This is why a mechanical percentage-style reading misleads badly. A 7.5 out of 10 looks like 75% to an outsider, which sounds middling — but in Dutch terms it is a good, solidly above-average result, and evaluation tables map it to an A precisely because the distribution behind it is compressed.
Passing and rounding
The pass mark for an individual course is generally 5.5, often rounded to a 6 on the transcript, since Dutch institutions typically award grades in half or whole points. A 5.5 is “bijna voldoende” — almost satisfactory — and sits right on the boundary, which is why it converts to the lowest passing grade point rather than a comfortable one.
Worked example
Converting a cijfer of 7.5.
- 1 Take the cijfer. The course grade is 7.5 on the Dutch 1–10 scale.
- 2 Find the band. 7.5 sits at the bottom of the 7.5–8.4 range, described as Goed.
- 3 Read the US letter. That band is read as an A in credential evaluation.
- 4 Convert to a grade point. An A is 4.0 on the US 4.0 scale.
Dutch cijfer → US GPA
Bands used in credential evaluation for the Dutch 1–10 scale, with grade points on a standard US 4.0 scale.
| Cijfer | Dutch description | US letter | US 4.0 GPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5–10 | Uitmuntend | A+ | 4.0 |
| 8.5–9.4 | Zeer goed | A+ | 4.0 |
| 7.5–8.4 | Goed | A | 4.0 |
| 7.0–7.4 | Ruim voldoende | B+ | 3.3 |
| 6.5–6.9 | Ruim voldoende | B | 3.0 |
| 6.0–6.4 | Voldoende | C | 2.0 |
| 5.5–5.9 | Bijna voldoende | D | 1.0 |
| Below 5.5 | Onvoldoende | F | 0.0 |
Cum laude and the weighted average
Dutch degrees can be awarded cum laude, and the threshold is set by each institution — commonly a weighted average around 8.0 with no failed components and a strong thesis mark. Because the top of the scale is used so sparingly, an 8.0 average is a genuinely distinguished result rather than an ordinary one.
For an overall figure, take the ECTS-weighted average of your cijfers and convert that, or convert course by course and average the grade points. Either way, report the Dutch average alongside the converted figure — “7.8 / 10 (≈ 4.0 / 4.0)” tells the reader far more than the converted number alone.