Understanding the GPA System at Boston University
Boston University uses a 4.0 GPA scale to evaluate academic performance, like most U.S. institutions. Your GPA is a weighted average of the grade points you’ve earned across all your courses, based on both the credit hours and the letter grade received.
Your cumulative GPA shows up on your transcript and plays a major role in academic standing, honors eligibility, and sometimes even internship or grad school opportunities.
BU’s Letter Grade to GPA Conversion Table
Here’s how BU converts letter grades to grade points:
| Letter Grade | Grade Points (GPA) |
|---|---|
| A | 4.0 |
| A− | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B− | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C− | 1.7 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
BU also uses grades like P (Pass), W (Withdrawn), and I (Incomplete) which don’t affect GPA calculations.
How GPA is Calculated at BU
To calculate your GPA:
- Convert each letter grade to grade points (see table above).
- Multiply each course’s grade points by the number of credit hours.
- Add up all the grade points.
- Divide by the total number of credit hours attempted.
For example, if you got a B (3.0) in a 4-credit course and an A− (3.7) in a 3-credit course:
- B: 3.0 × 4 = 12.0
- A−: 3.7 × 3 = 11.1
- Total: 23.1 grade points ÷ 7 credits = 3.3 GPA
School or Department-Specific Grading Notes
Boston University has 17 schools and colleges, and while the core GPA system is consistent across the university, some departments may have variations in grading curves or policies:
Notable examples:
- School of Law and School of Medicine may use different internal systems (like Honors/Pass/Fail or numerical scales) but convert them when necessary for transcripts.
- Questrom School of Business sometimes sets recommended grade distributions for undergraduate core courses.
- College of Arts & Sciences follows the university grading system strictly with little deviation.
Always check your department or program’s academic bulletin for specifics.
BU Honors GPA Thresholds
Boston University recognizes three Latin honors at graduation:
- Cum Laude: GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Magna Cum Laude: GPA of 3.7 or higher
- Summa Cum Laude: GPA of 3.9 or higher
These thresholds may be adjusted slightly based on class rank and departmental policies.