How Harvard College calculates GPA

Harvard College uses a 4.0 scale for FAS undergraduate grades. Your GPA is based on the grades that count and the Harvard credits attached to those courses. A typical term course is 4 credits, so a 4-credit A contributes 16.00 grade points, while a 4-credit B+ contributes 13.32.

Quick answer: Harvard College does not use an A+ grade. An A is worth 4.00, the highest value on the College scale.

Grade	Grade points
A	4.00
A-	3.67
B+	3.33
B	3.00
B-	2.67
C+	2.33
C	2.00
C-	1.67
D+	1.33
D	1.00
D-	0.67
E	0.00

The basic calculation is:

GPA = total grade points ÷ total GPA-bearing credits

For example, a 4-credit A and a 4-credit B+ produce 29.32 grade points over 8 credits, for a GPA of 3.665 in this calculator.

Which Harvard grades count in GPA?

The distinction between a zero-point grade and an excluded grade matters. A failing grade can lower GPA because its credits remain in the denominator at zero grade points. A passing nonletter grade can earn credit without entering the GPA calculation.

Grade or course type	College GPA treatment
A through D-	Counts at the published grade-point value
E	Counts at 0.00
ABS, NCR, FL, UNS, EXL	Failing marks; count at 0.00
PA, SAT, CR	Excluded from GPA
EXT	Temporary; wait for the final grade
WD	Excluded from the College GPA calculation
Harvard Summer School course taken for College credit	Included under the College rules
Passing external/out-of-residence work	Excluded from College GPA
Cross-registration	Needs special care; see below

Important: Do not enter a PA or SAT as if it were a 4.0. Those passing grades are not assigned letter-grade points in the Harvard College GPA.

Pass/Fail and SAT/UNS courses

A passing Pass/Fail grade (PA) or Satisfactory grade (SAT) does not enter the College GPA. A failing Pass/Fail grade (FL) or Unsatisfactory grade (UNS), however, is a failing grade and counts at zero.

That means a failed nonletter course can lower GPA even though a successful course on the same grading basis would be excluded from the calculation.

Repeating a course at Harvard

Harvard College does not use a simple grade-replacement rule for repeats.

If you repeat a course that you already passed, the second iteration appears with zero credit and does not count toward degree requirements, honors, or GPA. In the calculator, choose Repeated course after a passing first attempt for that later iteration so it stays excluded.

If you repeat a course you failed, the original failing grade remains part of your College record and both the original and repeat grades are factored into GPA. Enter both counted attempts as separate completed courses.

Calculator limitation: The shared Repeat Impact tool is disabled for Harvard because a one-size-fits-all replacement calculation would be wrong. Courses specifically designated as repeatable for credit can follow different rules.

Failed-course repeat example

Suppose a 4-credit course first receives an E and is later repeated for an A. The E contributes 0 grade points over 4 GPA credits, and the A contributes 16 grade points over another 4 GPA credits. Both attempts affect GPA.

Transfer, study abroad, and cross-registration

Grades from coursework done out of residence do not enter the Harvard College GPA, even when approved credit can count toward the degree. Transfer-credit acceptance and GPA inclusion are separate questions.

Passing cross-registration grades normally do not enter the College GPA, while a failing cross-registration grade does. Because the other Harvard schools and MIT can use different grading notations, the calculator sends Cross-registered course entries to manual review instead of guessing a conversion.

Harvard College academic standing is not one GPA cutoff

Harvard College’s academic-performance rules focus on the student’s term record, not a universal minimum cumulative GPA. C- or higher and CR/PA/SAT are satisfactory grades; D-range grades are passing but unsatisfactory; E and other failing marks are failures.

A satisfactory record normally requires satisfactory grades in all courses and at least one letter grade in an FAS course taken for degree credit, with a special first-term rule for first-year students. Students who do not meet the requirements can face probation or required withdrawal under the Administrative Board process.

Planning note: A calculator GPA can help you understand your numbers, but it cannot decide whether your academic record is satisfactory or predict an Administrative Board action.

Harvard honors and GPA

Harvard’s Latin honors standards are not permanent GPA targets. They depend on the graduating cohort, the student’s full record, qualifying letter-graded credits, and—when applicable—a concentration recommendation.

For May 2026, the FAS Registrar published these cutoffs:

May 2026 honor	Published GPA cutoff
Summa cum laude in field	3.987
Magna cum laude in field	3.925
Cum laude in field	3.741
Cum laude based on overall record	3.925

These figures are useful historical context for that degree period, not guaranteed cutoffs for a future graduating class.

How to use the Harvard GPA calculator

Enter your previous GPA and previous GPA-bearing credits if you want a cumulative estimate. Add completed Harvard College courses using the final grade and Harvard credits, then open Planned Courses to test future grades. The target GPA tool estimates the average you would need over a chosen number of future credits.

Classify special coursework carefully. Use the excluded transfer/out-of-residence type for passing external work, the excluded passing-repeat type for a second iteration after an already-passed course, and manual review for cross-registration.

Harvard GPA FAQ

Does Harvard use a 4.0 or 4.3 GPA scale?

Harvard College FAS uses a 4.0 scale. An A is 4.00, and there is no A+ grade in the current undergraduate grading system.

Is an A+ a 4.0 at Harvard?

Harvard College does not issue an A+ under the current FAS grading system. The top letter grade is A, worth 4.00.

Does Pass/Fail affect Harvard GPA?

A passing PA does not enter the College GPA, but a failing FL counts as a zero-point failure. SAT is likewise excluded when passed, while UNS counts as a failure.

Does retaking a failed class replace the old grade at Harvard?

No. For a normally repeatable failed course, the original failing grade remains and both attempts are factored into GPA. A repeat after a passing grade is treated differently: the later iteration normally carries zero credit and does not count in GPA.

Do transfer grades count in Harvard College GPA?

Passing grades from coursework done out of residence do not enter the College GPA. Approved coursework may still provide degree credit, so credit transfer and GPA calculation should be treated separately.

Do cross-registered MIT or other Harvard-school courses count in GPA?

Passing cross-registration grades normally do not enter the Harvard College GPA, while failing grades do. Because grading systems differ, confirm the posted Harvard treatment rather than converting the grade yourself.

What GPA do you need to stay in good standing at Harvard?

Harvard College does not define satisfactory academic performance as one universal cumulative GPA number. Its rules evaluate satisfactory, unsatisfactory, and failing grades across the term record, along with minimum course requirements.

Is there a minimum GPA to get into Harvard?

Harvard College does not publish a rigid first-year grade requirement, and it states that transfer applicants do not have a required minimum GPA to apply. Admissions review considers the broader academic record and other factors.

What GPA do you need for Harvard honors?

There is no single permanent honors cutoff. Harvard publishes degree-period cutoffs; for May 2026, the published thresholds ranged from 3.741 for cum laude in field to 3.987 for summa cum laude in field, with additional eligibility requirements.

Official Harvard Resources

This Harvard GPA calculator is an independent planning tool for Harvard College undergraduates, not an official Harvard University record or decision. Always use your posted academic record and current Harvard policies for standing, honors, degree credit, financial aid, and course-repeat decisions.

Harvard GPA Calculator

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