Nigerian CGPA to GPA
Convert a Nigerian 5-point CGPA to the US 4.0 scale and find the degree class.
4.05 out of 5.00 is 81.0% of the maximum, which is 3.24 out of 4.00.
The NUC benchmark places 3.50–4.49 in this class. Some universities set their own boundaries — check your institution’s regulations.
Proportional conversion is the method most application forms ask for. Credential evaluators may instead convert each letter grade individually, which can produce a slightly different figure — use theirs where one is specified.
Divide your Nigerian CGPA by 5 and multiply by 4. A 4.05 out of 5.00 is 4.05 ÷ 5 × 4 = 3.24 on the US scale. On the NUC benchmark that CGPA is a Second Class Upper, since First Class begins at 4.50.
Five points, not four
Universities accredited by Nigeria’s National Universities Commission grade on a 5-point scale: A is worth 5 points, B 4, C 3, D 2, E 1, and F nothing. The cumulative grade point average that results therefore tops out at 5.00, not 4.00 — which is the single thing most often misread when a Nigerian transcript reaches an admissions office abroad.
The number that matters most in Nigeria, though, is not the CGPA itself but the class of degree it earns. The NUC Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards place First Class Honours at 4.50 and above, Second Class Upper at 3.50–4.49, Second Class Lower at 2.40–3.49, Third Class at 1.50–2.39, and a Pass at 1.00–1.49. Employers and postgraduate programmes usually ask for the class before the number.
Two ways to convert
The proportional method — CGPA ÷ 5 × 4 — is what most application forms ask for and is easy to check. Credential evaluators may instead convert each course letter individually, and because the Nigerian A band starts at 70% while a US A typically starts near 90%, a grade-by-grade reading can come out differently. Where a receiving institution names a method or requires an evaluation, use theirs.
Proportional conversion from the 5-point scale. The degree classification comes from the CGPA directly, not from the converted figure.
Worked example
Converting a CGPA of 4.05 out of 5.00.
- 1 Take the CGPA from your transcript. The statement of result shows 4.05 out of a maximum 5.00.
- 2 Divide by the maximum. 4.05 ÷ 5.00 = 0.81, meaning 81% of the available grade points.
- 3 Multiply by 4. 0.81 × 4 = 3.24 on the US 4.0 scale.
- 4 Read the degree class. 4.05 falls between 3.50 and 4.49, which is Second Class Honours (Upper Division).
Nigerian grades, points, and degree classes
The 5-point scale and the NUC benchmark classification. Individual universities may set slightly different class boundaries.
| Letter | Percentage | Points | CGPA range | Class of degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 70–100 | 5 | 4.50–5.00 | First Class Honours |
| B | 60–69 | 4 | 3.50–4.49 | Second Class Honours (Upper) |
| C | 50–59 | 3 | 2.40–3.49 | Second Class Honours (Lower) |
| D | 45–49 | 2 | 1.50–2.39 | Third Class Honours |
| E | 40–44 | 1 | 1.00–1.49 | Pass |
| F | Below 40 | 0 | Below 1.00 | Fail |
Reporting it abroad
Always state the maximum. “CGPA 4.05 / 5.00 (Second Class Upper)” is unambiguous, while “CGPA 4.05” invites a reader used to a 4.0 scale to assume something close to perfection. Adding the converted figure — “≈ 3.24 / 4.00” — removes the last of the doubt.
Note also that the Nigerian A band begins at 70%, a threshold that would be a C in some other systems. This is a genuine difference in grading culture rather than leniency, and it is one reason many US graduate programmes ask for a formal evaluation from a service such as WES rather than accepting a self-calculated conversion.