IB → GPA
Estimate a US 4.0 GPA from your IB diploma subject grades (1–7).
From 6 subjects · IB subject total 33/42. Estimate only — schools convert IB differently.
Approximate — US universities map IB to GPA differently (some weight HL, many read IB grades directly). Confirm with your target school.
To estimate a US GPA from IB grades, map each subject’s 1–7 mark to a 4.0 point (7 = 4.0, 6 = 3.7, 5 = 3.3, 4 = 3.0), then average them. For example, grades of 7, 6 and 5 give (4.0 + 3.7 + 3.3) ÷ 3 ≈ 3.67. This is an estimate — many US universities read IB grades directly instead of converting.
How IB grades relate to a US GPA
The IB Diploma grades each of your six subjects on a scale of 1 to 7, where 7 is the top mark. Adding the six subject grades gives up to 42 points, and with the bonus points from the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge the full diploma is scored out of 45.
The US uses a 4.0 GPA scale instead. There is no single official formula linking the two, so this tool uses a common approximation: it converts each IB subject grade to a 4.0 point, then takes the average across the subjects you enter.
This is an estimate, not an official conversion. Some US universities weight Higher Level (HL) courses, some don’t convert IB to a GPA at all and simply read your IB grades directly, and credential evaluators use their own tables. Always check what your specific target school does.
Worked example
Three subjects graded 7, 6 and 5.
- 1 Map each subject grade to a 4.0 point. A 7 becomes 4.0, a 6 becomes 3.7, and a 5 becomes 3.3 using the table below.
- 2 Add the points together. 4.0 + 3.7 + 3.3 = 11.0 across the three subjects.
- 3 Divide by the number of subjects. 11.0 ÷ 3 ≈ 3.67, the estimated US GPA.
- 4 Treat it as a guide. Confirm with your target university — many read IB grades directly rather than converting to a GPA.
IB grade → US 4.0 GPA point
A common approximation. Institutions vary — this is not an official conversion.
| IB grade (1–7) | US GPA point |
|---|---|
| 7 | 4.0 |
| 6 | 3.7 |
| 5 | 3.3 |
| 4 | 3.0 |
| 3 | 2.0 |
| 2 | 1.0 |
| 1 | 0.0 |
Use the estimate carefully
Because the mapping above is an approximation, the result is best used to set expectations, not as a number to report on an application. A US admissions office may convert your IB grades with a different table, may weight HL subjects above SL, or may not produce a GPA at all and instead evaluate your IB transcript on its own terms.
If you also hold grades from another system, the GPA scale converter can help you compare them on the same 4.0 anchor.