How grading works at Caltech
Caltech grades on a 4.33 scale. Letter grades are A, excellent; B, good; C, satisfactory; D, poor; and F, failed. Plus and minus variants are also used: A+ and A–, B+ and B–, C+ and C–, and D+. There is no D– grade.
Caltech doesn't publish a simple decimal table — instead each course's grade earns a whole-number "credit" based on its unit count, and your grade-point average is total credits earned divided by total units taken. Working out the credit-per-unit ratio for each letter gives: A+ 4.33, 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, F 0.00.
Source: Catalog, Grades and Grading (grade list; Grade-Point Average; Pass/Fail Grading, D- note) — verified Aug 2026
How your GPA is calculated at Caltech
Grade-point average is computed by dividing the total credits earned in a term or academic year by the total units taken in that period. Each course's units correspond to the hours per week it demands, including class time, lab, and normal outside preparation.
A failing grade (F) counts in your GPA when it's from a letter-graded course, even if you later repeat and pass the class — the original F and its units stay on your record.
Source: Catalog, Grades and Grading (Grade-Point Average; Grades and Grading) — verified Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does California Institute of Technology (Caltech) use?
Where does this Caltech grade scale come from?
Does Caltech award an A+, and is it worth more than a 4.0?
Yes. Caltech's credits table shows A+ earning strictly more credit per unit than a plain A at every unit count — working out to 4.33, one-third of a grade point above A's 4.00. A+ is not capped at the same value as A.
Source: Catalog, Grades and Grading (Grade-Point Average, Credits table) — verified Aug 2026
Does Caltech award a D-?
No. The catalog states this directly: "A grade on the pass/fail system should be P if it would have been a D or better on the letter grade system. (Note that there is no D– grade.)" D+ and D exist; D– does not.
Source: Catalog, Grades and Grading (Pass/Fail Grading) — verified Aug 2026
Is Caltech's first year graded pass/fail?
Yes, largely. During their first and second terms, first-year students receive only P ("passed") or F ("failed") grades in Core classes and a specific list of introductory courses (Bi 8, Ma 2, Ma 3, Ph 2ab, Ph 12ab, Ch 41ab). None of these first-two-term grades count toward the cumulative GPA — GPA computation begins at the end of the third term, though any letter grades earned in non-Core, non-introductory classes during those first two terms are included once computation starts.
Source: Catalog, Grades and Grading (Grades and Grading, first-year Core policy) — verified Aug 2026
Do Incomplete (I), conditional (E), or Withdrawn (W) grades affect my GPA at Caltech?
No. "Grades of E and I do not factor into a student's grade-point average." An unresolved E converts to an F after one year; an unresolved I converts to a W. A W (Withdrawn) grade "will not be included in the computation of the student's grade-point average" either.
Source: Catalog, Grades and Grading (E and I Grades; Petitions and Exceptions) — verified Aug 2026
How does Pass/Fail grading affect my GPA at Caltech?
Courses taken on a pass/fail basis don't affect your GPA either way: "grades of P or F obtained in courses graded on a pass/fail basis are not included in computing grade-point average." This is different from a regular letter-graded F, which does count in your GPA.
Source: Catalog, Grades and Grading (Grade-Point Average) — verified Aug 2026
