How grading works at the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota uses two distinct grading scales: A-F and S-N. On the A-F scale, grades run from A (4.000 grade points) down to F (0.000), including plus and minus grades — but with two exceptions: the University does not award A+ grades, and D- grades are not permitted (the Law School is the only unit that awards A+). Instructors are not required to use pluses and minuses when grading, and grade points are the same regardless of course level — undergraduate and graduate courses use identical grade-point values.
The S-N scale is a self-contained alternative to A-F and cannot be combined with it in the same course: S (Satisfactory, equivalent to a C- or better) and N (Not Satisfactory) carry no grade points and are not part of the GPA calculation.
The Law School and Medical School are exempt from this policy and report their own grading systems separately to the Faculty Senate.
Source: Policy Statement, Section A (University Grading Scales) — A-F table, no-A+/no-D- rule, S-N description, Exclusions — verified Aug 2026
How your GPA is calculated at the University of Minnesota
Your grade point average is the ratio of grade points earned divided by the number of credits attempted with grades of A-F (including pluses and minuses). Both your term GPA and cumulative GPA are calculated this way and both appear on your transcript.
Courses graded on the S-N scale, and registration symbols like I, W, V, X, K, and NR, do not count in your GPA — courses with symbols rather than grades don't earn credit either. Zero-credit courses also don't count toward either your term or cumulative GPA.
If you repeat a course as an undergraduate, both grades appear on your official transcript, but only your last enrollment counts toward your GPA (the earlier attempt is "bracketed" out) — and the credits only count once toward your degree. Graduate students work the opposite way: repeating a course counts all attempts in the GPA, except in the College of Pharmacy, where only the last enrollment counts.
Source: Policy Statement, Section E (GPA Calculation and Other Provisions) — grade point average, zero-credit courses, repeating courses, bracketing — verified Aug 2026
Dean's List requirements at the University of Minnesota
Each term, every college and campus publishes a dean's list for students who achieve a 3.666 term GPA or higher and complete a minimum of 12 credits on the A-F grading scale. (Juniors and seniors in the Respiratory Care Program on the Rochester campus qualify for the Chancellor's List instead, with the same 3.666 GPA threshold but only 11 A-F credits required, in recognition of their fixed Spring course sequence.)
Source: Policy Statement, Section E.7 — dean's list criteria and Rochester Respiratory Care exception — verified Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does University of Minnesota (UMN) use?
Where does this UMN grade scale come from?
Does the University of Minnesota award A+ grades?
No — except for the Law School, the University does not award A+ grades. D- grades aren't permitted either. The Law School is the only unit at the University of Minnesota that awards A+, and it operates under its own grading system, separate from this general policy.
Source: Policy Statement, Section A — verified Aug 2026
What's the difference between the A-F and S-N grading scales?
A-F is the University's standard letter-grade scale, running from 4.000 (A) down to 0.000 (F), and it's what counts toward your GPA. S-N is a separate, self-contained alternative — S (Satisfactory, equivalent to a C- or better) and N (Not Satisfactory) carry no grade points and don't factor into your GPA at all. The two scales can't be combined for the same student in the same course, and not every course offers S-N — when both are available, you must choose at registration and can't switch after the end of the second week of classes.
Source: Policy Statement, Section A — verified Aug 2026
What happens if you get an Incomplete (I) and don't finish the work?
An Incomplete requires a written agreement with your instructor spelling out what you still need to do and by when. Except for graduate and professional students, if you haven't finished that work and had it changed to a letter grade by the day grades are due for the next regular (fall or spring) term, your Incomplete automatically becomes an F or N, depending on which grading scale you registered under. Graduate and professional students' Incompletes stay on the transcript until an instructor or department changes them.
Source: Policy Statement, Section B (Incompletes) — verified Aug 2026
What does a W mean on your University of Minnesota transcript?
W means you officially withdrew from a course. It's recorded on your transcript if you withdraw during the third through tenth week of class (or the second or third week of a summer session), regardless of how you were doing in the course. If you withdraw in the first two weeks, there's no record of the course on your transcript at all. You also get one no-questions-asked late withdrawal during your entire undergraduate enrollment, usable any time up through the last day of instruction.
Source: Policy Statement, Section C (Other Transcript Symbols) — Withdrawing from a course — verified Aug 2026
What happens to your GPA if you repeat a course at the University of Minnesota?
As an undergraduate, both attempts show on your official transcript, but only your most recent (last) enrollment counts toward your GPA — the earlier grade is "bracketed" out of the calculation, though you still only get credit once. Graduate students are treated the opposite way: repeating a course counts every attempt in the GPA, with one exception — College of Pharmacy students, who like undergraduates only have their last enrollment counted.
Source: Policy Statement, Section E.4 — repeating courses and bracketing — verified Aug 2026
