ECTS Credit Converter
Convert ECTS credits to US semester credit hours and estimated study hours.
Estimated total student workload ≈ 1620 hours (1 ECTS ≈ 25–30 h, so 1500–1800 h).
The ÷2 rule is the standard transfer guideline. The receiving university makes the final decision on how many credits transfer.
One full academic year is 60 ECTS, which lines up with about 30 US semester credit hours — so US credits = ECTS ÷ 2. A 6-ECTS course is roughly 3 US credits. Each ECTS credit also represents about 25–30 hours of total student workload (≈ 27 on average), so 60 ECTS is roughly 1,500–1,800 study hours.
What ECTS is
ECTS stands for the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, the standard used across the European Higher Education Area to measure and compare study. Unlike US credit hours, which count contact hours in class, an ECTS credit measures total student workload — lectures, seminars, lab time, reading, assignments, and exam preparation combined.
A full academic year of study is defined as 60 ECTS. Because a typical US academic year is about 30 semester credit hours, the two systems map cleanly at a 2:1 ratio, which is where the “divide by two” rule comes from.
Equivalently, ECTS = US credits × 2. One ECTS credit ≈ 25–30 hours of total workload.
Worked example
Converting a 6-ECTS European course to the US system.
- 1 Take the ECTS value. A typical European course is worth 6 ECTS.
- 2 Divide by two. 6 ÷ 2 = 3 US semester credit hours.
- 3 Estimate the workload. 6 × 27 ≈ 162 hours of total study (range 150–180 h, using 25–30 h per ECTS).
- 4 Confirm with the institution. The receiving university decides the actual transfer credit — use this figure as a planning estimate, not a guarantee.
ECTS → US credits and study hours
US credits use the ÷2 rule; study hours use ≈ 27 h per ECTS (25–30 h range).
| ECTS | US credit hours | Study hours (≈ 27 h) | Study hours range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2.5 | 135 | 125–150 |
| 15 | 7.5 | 405 | 375–450 |
| 30 (one semester) | 15 | 810 | 750–900 |
| 60 (one year) | 30 | 1,620 | 1,500–1,800 |
| 180 (Bachelor) | 90 | 4,860 | 4,500–5,400 |
| 240 (4-yr Bachelor) | 120 | 6,480 | 6,000–7,200 |
Read the result honestly
The ÷2 rule is the widely accepted transfer guideline, not a binding formula. The receiving university always decides how many credits it will actually award — it may apply its own ratio, cap transfer credit, or evaluate courses individually against its degree requirements.
Workload hours also vary by country. The 25–30 hours per ECTS figure is the official range used across most of Europe, but some national systems define an ECTS credit closer to the low or high end, so treat the hour estimate as a band rather than an exact number.