How PCC calculates your GPA
Your cumulative GPA is determined by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of credit hours attempted.
Your major GPA uses only the courses required for your current major, counting the highest grade earned on each course. Transfer courses are not included in the GPA calculation.
Source: Enrollment Services — Grade Point Average (GPA), 2026-2027 Catalog — verified Sep 2026
Academic probation and grade replacement
Academic probation is defined as a cumulative GPA below the standard for your hours attempted toward your credential:
| Program type | Hours toward degree | Minimum GPA |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 0-10 | 1.00 |
| Associate Degree | 11-20 | 1.25 |
| Associate Degree | 21-30 | 1.50 |
| Associate Degree | 31-40 | 1.75 |
| Associate Degree | 41-50 | 1.90 |
| Associate Degree | 51 and above | 2.00 |
| Diploma/Certificate | 0-9 | 1.00 |
| Diploma/Certificate | 10-18 | 1.35 |
| Diploma/Certificate | 19-27 | 1.75 |
| Diploma/Certificate | 28 and above | 2.00 |
This scale does not apply to non-degree-seeking students.
PCC applies a unilateral grade-replacement policy: for courses required in your major, only your highest grade earned counts toward your major GPA and cumulative GPA. Separately, students returning after 36+ consecutive months away may apply once for grade forgiveness, removing F, I, or W grades earned three or more years prior from the cumulative GPA calculation (does not affect Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress).
Source: Enrollment Services — Standards of Academic Progress Scale; Grade Replacement and Forgiveness Policies — verified Sep 2026
GPA required to graduate
To graduate, you must earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA ("C" average) in the courses required for the curriculum you're graduating from, and complete at least 25% of your required credit hours at PCC (including 12 major-course semester hours).
Health sciences students must maintain a grade of "C" in every required course for their curriculum, not just a 2.00 average.
Source: Enrollment Services — Graduation Requirements, 2026-2027 Catalog — verified Sep 2026
Dean's List, Honor Roll, and graduation honors
Full-time students (12+ credit hours) earn Dean's List recognition with a semester GPA between 3.50 and 4.00, or Honor Roll recognition between 3.00 and 3.49. A student with an Incomplete grade that semester is not eligible for either.
You're eligible to graduate with honors if your major GPA is 3.00 or higher the semester before graduation. Summer graduates walking in the fall ceremony receive an honor cord if their major GPA is 3.5 or higher the semester before the ceremony.
Source: Enrollment Services — Dean's List and Honor Roll; Graduation Requirements — verified Sep 2026
Transfer credit and your GPA
Transfer courses count toward your credit hours but are not included in your GPA calculation. Grades earned at other colleges cannot be removed under PCC's grade forgiveness policy, and transfer work cannot replace a grade you earned in a PCC course under the grade replacement policy.
Source: Enrollment Services — Grade Point Average (GPA); Grade Replacement and Forgiveness Policies — verified Sep 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does Pitt Community College (PCC) use?
Where does this PCC grade scale come from?
Does this grading scale apply to Health Sciences programs?
No. PCC's catalog states that Health Sciences students use a different grading system than the general A-F scale used here, and directs those students to their program handbook for details. Health Sciences students must also maintain at least a "C" in every required curriculum course to graduate, rather than only an overall 2.00 average.
Source: Enrollment Services — Grading System note; Graduation Requirements footnote — verified Sep 2026
