Grading System Overview
Rider University uses a plus/minus letter grading system. Grades carrying grade-point value, from highest to lowest, are A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, and F; there is no A+ grade and no D+ or D- grade. The 'D' grade is not given at the graduate level in the School of Education and Human Services, the Norm Brodsky College of Business, or Westminster Choir College.
Several transcript notations carry no grade point value and are not computed in the GPA: I (Incomplete), L (Late grade), N (Registered; did not attend), AU (Audit), P (Pass), S (Satisfactory progress), U (Failure in pass/fail course), W (Withdrawal), Y (Satisfactory completion of supplemental education course), Z (Insufficient progress in supplemental education course), and NCR (No credit). The 'N' and 'W' notations are still counted in the total semester hours attempted for tuition purposes.
Source: Rider University Academic Catalog, Grades policy (catalog.rider.edu/policies/undergraduate/grades/), accessed 2026-09-06. — verified Sep 2026
How the GPA Is Calculated
To compute the grade point average, a course's quality points are determined by multiplying its number of credits by the number of quality points for its letter grade. The grade point average (GPA) is then determined by dividing the total number of quality points by the number of GPA hours.
Source: Rider University Academic Catalog, Grades policy (catalog.rider.edu/policies/undergraduate/grades/), accessed 2026-09-06. — verified Sep 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does Rider University use?
Where does this Rider University grade scale come from?
Does Rider University award an A+ grade?
No. Rider's grading scale runs from A (4.0) down to F (0.0) with no A+ grade at any level, undergraduate or graduate.
Source: Rider University Academic Catalog, Grades policy (catalog.rider.edu/policies/undergraduate/grades/), accessed 2026-09-06. — verified Sep 2026
Is the 'D' grade used in every Rider program?
Not at the graduate level. Rider's graduate catalog states the 'D' grade is not given in the School of Education and Human Services, the Norm Brodsky College of Business, or Westminster Choir College.
Source: Rider University Academic Catalog, Graduate Grades policy (catalog.rider.edu/policies/graduate/grades/), accessed 2026-09-06. — verified Sep 2026
Do W, I, and other transcript notations affect a Rider student's GPA?
No. Rider's catalog states that I (Incomplete), L (Late grade), N (Registered; did not attend), AU (Audit), P (Pass), S (Satisfactory progress), U (Failure in pass/fail course), W (Withdrawal), Y, Z, and NCR all carry no grade point value and are not computed in the GPA.
Source: Rider University Academic Catalog, Grades policy (catalog.rider.edu/policies/undergraduate/grades/), accessed 2026-09-06. — verified Sep 2026
