How GPA Is Calculated
MCCCD uses a 4.0-scale grade point average with no weighting for honors or advanced-placement courses. GPA is calculated by multiplying each course's credit hours by the grade point value of the grade earned, summing those totals, and dividing by the total credit hours. GPAs are truncated to three decimal points.
Students may repeat a course up to three additional times (four attempts total) to improve their GPA. The lower grade from a repeat at the same college is automatically excluded from the GPA; a repeat at a different Maricopa college requires a student request to exclude the lower grade.
Academic renewal allows up to 24 credits of D, F, or Y grades to be excluded from the cumulative GPA; courses graded A, B, or C are never excluded, and this option can be used only once.
Source: MCCCD AR 2.3.3 (Grading/repeats) and 2.3.7 (Academic Renewal) — verified Aug 2026
Academic Standing, Warning, and Probation
Academic standing is based on cumulative GPA. Students in academic good standing have a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- Students who do not reach a 2.0 cumulative GPA after 11 or fewer credit hours are placed on academic warning.
- Students who do not reach a 2.0 cumulative GPA after 12 or more credit hours are placed on academic probation and limited to 12 credit hours per semester, unless a written appeal is approved.
- A student on academic probation who fails to raise their GPA to 2.0 is placed on continued probation and may be limited to 6 credit hours per semester.
Source: MCCCD Administrative Regulation 2.3.4 — verified Aug 2026
GPA Requirement for Graduation
Candidates for a certificate or degree must earn a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on the four-point grading scale in the 100-level-and-above coursework used to satisfy the award's requirements, whether completed in residence or accepted in transfer. Some awards specify an alternative GPA requirement.
Source: MCCCD AR 2.3.9 General Graduation Requirements — verified Aug 2026
Honors Recognition
President's Honor List: awarded each semester to students completing 12 or more credit hours in residence, in courses numbered 100 or higher, with a semester GPA of 3.75 or higher.
Graduation with Honors (degrees only; certificates are not eligible):
- 3.50 to 3.69 cumulative GPA: "with distinction"
- 3.70 to 3.89 cumulative GPA: "with high distinction"
- 3.90 to 4.00 cumulative GPA: "with highest distinction"
Source: MCCCD AR 2.3.8 (Honors) and 2.3.9 (Graduation With Honors) — verified Aug 2026
