Here’s your comprehensive, student-friendly guide to GPA calculation at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or UCSD). Whether you’re a current student navigating TritonLink or a future Triton wondering how your grades will add up, this guide has got you covered.
How UC San Diego Calculates GPA
At UC San Diego, your GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of units attempted for a letter grade. The university uses a 4.0 scale, and each letter grade is assigned a specific number of grade points.
Pass/Not Pass (P/NP) classes do not affect your GPA, though they may count toward unit requirements if passed.
Your GPA appears in multiple forms:
- Quarter GPA: based only on that term’s grades
- Cumulative GPA: all UCSD letter-graded coursework
- Major GPA: letter-graded courses within your major
UC San Diego Grade Scale
Here’s the standard grading scale used for calculating GPA at UC San Diego:
| Letter Grade | Grade Points |
|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 |
| 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 |
Note: UC San Diego does not award higher than 4.0 for an A+. It’s equivalent in value to an A.
Grading Differences by College
UC San Diego has a unique college system (Revelle, Muir, Marshall, Warren, Roosevelt, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth), but GPA policies are centralized across all colleges. The main differences between the colleges lie in their GE requirements, not in how GPA is calculated.
However, some departments (especially in STEM) may have additional grading policies:
Department-Specific GPA Requirements
| Department | Notes |
|---|---|
| Engineering (Jacobs School) | Requires a 2.0 minimum GPA in major courses. |
| Biological Sciences | Minimum 2.0 GPA required in major courses to remain in the program. |
| Economics | Admission to some majors is capped and requires a specific GPA in prerequisite courses. |
| Psychology | Students must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in upper-division major courses. |
Always check your department’s advising page for the most accurate standards and probation policies.
How to Manually Calculate Your GPA
Let’s say you took the following letter-graded courses this quarter:
- MATH 20C (4 units) — A
- PHYS 2A (4 units) — B+
- COGS 17 (4 units) — A−
- MUS 8 (2 units) — B
Here’s how it breaks down:
- Multiply units × grade points:
- MATH 20C: 4 × 4.0 = 16.0
- PHYS 2A: 4 × 3.3 = 13.2
- COGS 17: 4 × 3.7 = 14.8
- MUS 8: 2 × 3.0 = 6.0
- Add up all grade points and all units:
- Total grade points = 50.0
- Total units = 14
- Divide total grade points by total units:
- GPA = 50.0 ÷ 14 = 3.57
Probation & GPA Warnings
If your cumulative GPA falls below 2.0, you’re placed on academic probation. Continued low GPA may lead to disqualification, though you’ll have opportunities to improve your standing through targeted advising and course planning.
GPA Goals for Honors
UC San Diego awards Latin Honors at graduation based on GPA cutoffs that vary slightly year to year, but the general thresholds are:
- Cum Laude: Top 14% (approx. 3.5+)
- Magna Cum Laude: Top 4.5% (approx. 3.8+)
- Summa Cum Laude: Top 2% (approx. 3.9+)
Only students who complete at least 72 graded UC units are eligible.