How Illinois State University calculates your GPA
Illinois State computes your GPA by dividing total grade points earned by the credit hours counted for GPA. The university's own worked example: a student earning a D, P, A, I, B, WX and NC across six courses ends up with 24 total grade points from 9 credit hours counted for GPA — a 2.67 GPA.
Not every grade on your transcript enters that calculation. F is counted (as 0 grade points), but I, AU, DE, CR, NC, P, NP, M, S, U and WX are not computed in your GPA at all — they add no grade points and their credit hours aren't counted toward the GPA denominator either.
At the graduate level, courses graded below C don't count toward the degree or certificate, but grades of D and F in graduate courses are still included when computing the cumulative GPA.
Source: Grading System — Grade Point Average section; worked GPA-calculation table; Graduate Level Grades — verified Aug 2026
Minimum GPA required to graduate from Illinois State
To graduate, undergraduates need a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 (C) in all Illinois State coursework graded A, B, C, D or F — and the same 2.00 minimum applies within your major, and your minor if you have one. Certain majors require a higher GPA to graduate, and education majors pursuing state licensure cannot count any course graded below a C toward their required program coursework.
Graduate students need a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 (B). Graduate courses graded below C don't count toward the degree or certificate, though D and F grades in graduate coursework are still included when your cumulative GPA is calculated.
Failing grades aren't excluded from the credit-hour count used to calculate your GPA — a failed course still counts against your average rather than simply being dropped.
Source: Grading System — Grade Point Average: Undergraduate and Graduate minimum-GPA sections — verified Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does Illinois State University use?
Where does this Illinois State University grade scale come from?
Does Illinois State University give A+ grades?
No. Illinois State's grade scale runs A, B, C, D, F only — there is no A+ distinction anywhere in the university's published grading system, for undergraduate or graduate coursework. A is worth 4 grade points, the highest value on the scale.
Source: Grading System — University grades assigned to courses — verified Aug 2026
Does an Incomplete (I) grade affect your GPA at Illinois State?
Not while it's outstanding. An I (Incomplete) is a holding grade with a 0 value that is not computed in your GPA. It's assigned only when you're doing passing work but can't finish because of circumstances beyond your control, and you must have attended within three weeks of the semester's end (one week for summer session) to qualify.
If the required paperwork isn't submitted, the I lapses to an F after one year — at which point it does count, as a failing grade. You also can't graduate with an Incomplete still on your record, and you can't repeat a course while an I remains.
Source: Grading System — I - Incomplete — verified Aug 2026
Does withdrawing from a course (WX) hurt your GPA at Illinois State?
No. A WX (Withdrawal) — assigned when you officially withdraw from a course before the deadline in the withdrawal policy — carries a 0 value that is not computed in your GPA, unlike a failing grade.
Source: Grading System — WX - Withdrawal; Grade Point Average — verified Aug 2026
Do Pass/No Pass or Credit/No Credit grades count toward your GPA at Illinois State?
No. Grades of P (Passing), NP (Not Passing), CR (Credit) and NC (No Credit) all carry a 0 value that is not computed in your GPA — whether you pass or don't under one of these options, your grade point average is unaffected. P is awarded for A/B/C-level work taken under the Pass/No Pass option; CR/NC applies only to courses offered exclusively on that basis and pre-approved by the Office of the Provost.
Source: Grading System — CR - Credit; NC - No Credit; P - Passing; NP - Not Passing — verified Aug 2026
