How grading works at Stanford
Stanford's General University Grading System uses a 4.3 scale, adopted by the Faculty Senate on June 2, 1994. It covers letter grades A through D, each with plus and minus variants, plus a set of non-letter notations. See the Grade Scale Reference above for the exact value attached to each grade.
One quirk worth knowing: Stanford's general system has no “F” grade. Coursework taken for a letter grade that isn't passed receives NP (Not Passed) instead, and NP does count toward your GPA at zero grade points.
This general system applies to most of Stanford, but not all of it: the Graduate School of Business, the School of Law, and M.D. and M.S. in PAS students in the School of Medicine are graded under their own separate systems, even when students from other schools are enrolled in their classes.
Source: Stanford Bulletin, "General University Grading Systems" (Policy Summary, Policy Statement); Student Services "Calculate GPA" page — verified Aug 2026
How your GPA is calculated at Stanford
Your GPA weights every grade by the unit value of the course: an “A” in a five-unit course counts for more than an “A” in a one-unit course. Concretely, Stanford's system (Axess) multiplies each course's grade-point value by its units, adds the results together, and divides by the total units of all courses graded:
Sum of (grade points × units) ÷ sum of units = GPA.
For example, a B- in a 3-unit course, an A- in a 4-unit course, and a B+ in another 3-unit course works out to (2.7×3) + (3.7×4) + (3.3×3) = 32.8, divided by 3+4+3 = 10 units, for a 3.28 GPA.
NP counts against you, even at zero. Although an NP carries 0.0 grade points, it is still averaged in — a 4-unit A (4.0) alongside a 4-unit NP (0.0) works out to a 2.0 GPA overall, not 4.0.
Your GPA appears on your official undergraduate transcript only — it does not appear on the official graduate transcript, and if you graduated before 1986 it isn't included at all. If you're in a coterminal degree program, your transcript GPA reflects only the courses assigned to your undergraduate degree. Stanford does not calculate a class rank.
Source: Student Services "Calculate GPA" page (Unit Weighting, worked examples); Bulletin "General University Grading Systems" (transcript scope); Grades hub (Class Ranking) — verified Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does Stanford University use?
Where does this Stanford University grade scale come from?
Does Stanford award an A+, and what is it worth?
Yes. Stanford's scale tops out at A+, worth 4.3 grade points — the reason the university describes its scale as "a 4.3 scale" rather than the more familiar 4.0.
Source: Student Services "How Do I Calculate My Grade Point Average (GPA)?", Grade Weighting table — verified Aug 2026
What's the lowest passing grade at Stanford, and does D- exist?
D-, worth 0.7 grade points. Stanford's "minimal pass" category runs D+, D, and D- (1.3, 1.0, and 0.7 respectively), all counted as passing.
Source: Stanford Bulletin, "General University Grading Systems" (Definition and Explanation of Grades); Student Services "Calculate GPA" page — verified Aug 2026
Does Stanford give an F grade?
No. Stanford's general grading system doesn't use an F at all. If you take a course for a letter grade and don't pass it, you receive NP (Not Passed) instead — and NP does count toward your GPA, at 0.0 grade points, just like an F would elsewhere.
Source: Stanford Bulletin, "General University Grading Systems" (Definition and Explanation of Grades: NP); Student Services "Calculate GPA" page (NP worked example) — verified Aug 2026
What's the difference between NP and NC at Stanford?
They apply to different grading tracks. NP (Not Passed) is for courses you took for a regular letter grade and didn't pass — it carries 0.0 grade points and does count toward your GPA. NC (No Credit) is the unsatisfactory outcome on the credit/no-credit or satisfactory/no-credit track (equivalent to a D+ or below) — it carries no grade-point value and is not used in calculating your GPA at all.
Source: Stanford Bulletin, "General University Grading Systems" (Definition and Explanation of Grades: NP, NC); Student Services "Calculate GPA" page (GPA exclusion list, NP worked example) — verified Aug 2026
What is an "L" grade at Stanford, and does it affect my GPA?
L is a temporary notation Stanford's Registrar's Office posts when an instructor needs more time to determine your final grade — you'll receive a permanent letter grade before the next quarter begins. Since Autumn 2014-15, an L is assigned a temporarily passing GPA of 2.0 until your final grade replaces it, so it does count toward your GPA while it's on your record.
Source: Stanford Bulletin, "General University Grading Systems" (Definition and Explanation of Grades: L); Student Services "Calculate GPA" page (Grade Weighting table footnote) — verified Aug 2026
What happens if I don't finish the work for an Incomplete (I)?
You have up to one year to complete an Incomplete. If it isn't cleared by then, the Office of the University Registrar automatically converts it to NP (Not Passed) or NC (No Credit), whichever fits the course's grading method.
Source: Stanford Bulletin, "General University Grading Systems" (Definition and Explanation of Grades: I) — verified Aug 2026
Do the Graduate School of Business, School of Law, or School of Medicine use this grading scale?
No. The Graduate School of Business, the School of Law, and M.D. and M.S. in PAS students in the School of Medicine are graded under their own separate systems — even when students from other Stanford schools are enrolled in their classes. This calculator reflects the General University Grading System that covers the rest of Stanford.
Source: Stanford Bulletin, "General University Grading Systems" (Policy Summary); Student Services Grades hub — verified Aug 2026
What GPA do I get if I take a Graduate School of Business course as a non-GSB student?
Stanford converts the GSB's own grades to GPA-equivalents for students outside the GSB: H (4.14), HP (3.54), P (3.24), LP (2.94), and U (0.00). This conversion doesn't apply to MBA or MSx students, who use their own GSB point scale.
Source: Student Services "How Do I Calculate My Grade Point Average (GPA)?", "Undergraduate and Graduate Students Enrolling in GSB Courses" table — verified Aug 2026
Does Stanford rank students by GPA?
No. Stanford University does not calculate an individual class ranking.
Source: Stanford Bulletin, "General University Grading Systems" (Policy Statement); Student Services Grades hub — verified Aug 2026
