How GPA Works at UT Austin
At UT Austin, your GPA (Grade Point Average) is a weighted average of the grades you earn in your coursework. Each letter grade you receive corresponds to a numeric value on a 4.0 scale, and each course’s credit hours multiply that value before it’s factored into your overall GPA.
So the formula looks like this:
GPA = Total Grade Points ÷ Total Credit Hours
Let’s say you earned an A (4.0) in a 3-credit-hour course and a B+ (3.3) in a 4-credit-hour course:
- A in 3-credit course: 4.0 × 3 = 12.0 points
- B+ in 4-credit course: 3.3 × 4 = 13.2 points
- Total grade points = 25.2
- Total credit hours = 7
- GPA = 25.2 ÷ 7 = 3.6
UT Austin GPA / Grade Scale
Here’s the general grading scale UT Austin uses to convert letter grades to grade points:
| Letter Grade | Grade Points |
|---|---|
| A | 4.0 |
| A– | 3.67 |
| B+ | 3.33 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B– | 2.67 |
| C+ | 2.33 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C– | 1.67 |
| D+ | 1.33 |
| D | 1.0 |
| D– | 0.67 |
| F | 0.0 |
A few things to note:
- UT Austin does not award A+ grades. The highest possible grade is an A (4.0).
- Courses taken Pass/Fail do not affect your GPA (unless you fail—then the F counts).
- Withdrawals and Incompletes don’t factor into your GPA either.
Faculty or Departmental Grading Policies
Some colleges or departments at UT Austin have stricter grading norms or GPA thresholds:
Business (McCombs School of Business)
- Competitive programs like Business Honors typically require a minimum GPA for continued enrollment (usually around 3.5).
- Grade distribution may be curved, particularly in introductory courses.
Engineering (Cockrell School of Engineering)
- Many departments require a minimum GPA of 3.0 to remain in good academic standing.
- Some upper-division courses enforce strict GPA requirements for enrollment.
Natural Sciences, Nursing, and Education
- GPA minimums can vary by major, especially for programs with licensure or certification requirements (like Nursing, where a 3.0+ is often the benchmark).
Always check with your specific department for the most accurate policy info.
What GPA Do You See on Your Transcript?
UT Austin uses a cumulative GPA system, which means your transcript will show:
- Semester GPA: Your average for that specific term
- Cumulative GPA: Your average across all semesters at UT Austin
Some colleges within UT may also use major GPA, which includes only courses required for your declared major.
Final Tips
- Aim to understand how many credit hours each course carries—those 4-credit classes can weigh more heavily on your GPA.
- Be strategic: one C in a 1-hour seminar won’t tank your GPA, but a C in a 5-credit science course might.
- Use UT’s GPA calculator if you want to run “what-if” scenarios.