Grading System Overview
George Mason University does not fix university-wide percentage cutoffs for letter grades — instructors set their own cut-off points for A, B, C, etc., and whether to use plus/minus grading for A, B, and C is also at the instructor's discretion.
An A+ is awarded but carries the same 4.00 quality-point value as a plain A rather than a higher value; it does not raise the maximum GPA above 4.00.
Source: Office of the University Registrar, Grading Scale page; A+ value from AP.3.1, University Catalog 2026-2027. — verified Aug 2026
How the GPA Is Calculated
A quality point score is computed by multiplying a course's letter-grade value by its credit hours; the GPA is the total quality points divided by the number of credits graded A+ through F (GPA hours). The current-term GPA measures one semester's performance; the cumulative GPA covers all institutional credit and is the basis for academic standing and graduation eligibility.
Grades of S (Satisfactory), NC (No Credit), SW (Satisfactory Withdrawal), IN (Incomplete), IX (Incomplete, extended), IP (In Progress), SP (Special Provision), and NA (Never Attended) have no effect on the GPA.
Source: AP.3.3 Additional Grade Notations and AP.3.7 GPA, University Catalog 2026-2027. — verified Aug 2026
Academic Standing
Cumulative GPA is the basis for George Mason's retention policies, including good standing, warning, probation, suspension, and dismissal.
Source: AP.3.7 GPA, University Catalog 2026-2027. — verified Aug 2026
Graduation and Repeat-Course Rules
No credit toward graduation accrues from a failing grade or from a grade that is replaced by a retaken course. Cumulative GPA also determines a student's eligibility to graduate and to have university honors posted to the record at graduation.
Graduate students must additionally maintain a minimum 3.00 GPA in their degree program(s) in order to graduate from the program(s).
Source: AP.3.1 and AP.3.7, University Catalog 2026-2027 (graduate GPA floor per AP.3.2 footnote 1). — verified Aug 2026
Dean's List and University Honors
The current-term GPA affects eligibility for the dean's list. Cumulative GPA also determines whether university honors are posted to a student's record at graduation.
Source: AP.3.7 GPA, University Catalog 2026-2027. — verified Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does George Mason University (GMU) use?
Where does this GMU grade scale come from?
Does this calculator use George Mason's undergraduate or graduate grading scale?
This calculator uses George Mason's undergraduate grading scale. Graduate courses use a separate table: A+, A, A-, B+, B, and B- carry the same quality-point values as the undergraduate scale, but graduate courses offer only C (2.00) below B- before F (0.00) — there is no C+, C-, or D for graduate coursework. Graduate students must also maintain a minimum 3.00 GPA in their degree program to graduate.
Source: AP.3.1 and AP.3.2, University Catalog 2026-2027 (R19 carve-out: undergraduate scale serves the calculator page). — verified Aug 2026
Does an A+ raise my GPA above 4.0 at George Mason?
No. George Mason awards A+ as a passing grade, but it carries the same 4.00 quality-point value as a plain A rather than a higher value such as 4.3. The maximum GPA on George Mason's scale is 4.00.
Source: AP.3.1, University Catalog 2026-2027. — verified Aug 2026
