How grading works at Notre Dame
Notre Dame's undergraduate grading system runs from A (4.000) down to F (0.000), with A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C- in between — there is no A+, D+, or D-. Point values are printed to three decimals in the Undergraduate Academic Code (e.g. A- is 3.667, not 3.7), though this calculator rounds them to two decimal places.
One grade is easy to miss: X, given with a dean's approval for extenuating circumstances beyond a student's control. It carries 0.000 grade points and counts toward the GPA like any other grade until it is resolved — if not resolved within 30 days of the next semester's start, the Registrar converts it to an F.
Source: Undergraduate Academic Code §3.3.8 (Undergraduate Grading System table) — verified Aug 2026
How your GPA is calculated at Notre Dame
Your GPA is quality points divided by graded credit hours attempted: each course's point value is multiplied by its credit hours, those are summed, and divided by the total graded credit hours. Cumulative GPA is computed the same way across all terms to date. Only Notre Dame course grades count — including University-sponsored study-away grades where enrollment is maintained, and Saint Mary's College co-exchange grades.
Repeating a course does not replace the original grade. A course may only be repeated for a failing grade, or (with dean approval, twice maximum per undergraduate career, once per course) for a D — and when repeated, both grades are included in the GPA.
Source: Undergraduate Academic Code §3.3.13 (GPA Computation), §3.3.14 (Repeats) — verified Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does University of Notre Dame use?
Where does this University of Notre Dame grade scale come from?
Does Notre Dame award an A+?
No. Notre Dame's undergraduate scale tops out at A (4.000) — there is no A+ anywhere in the current grading system, nor D+ or D- (the D-level row is a single undivided D at 1.000).
Source: Undergraduate Academic Code §3.3.8 (Undergraduate Grading System table) — verified Aug 2026
What is an X grade at Notre Dame?
X is given with the approval of a student's dean in extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control, documented and submitted in a timely manner. It carries 0.000 grade points and counts in the GPA while pending. If it isn't resolved within 30 days after the start of the next semester, the Registrar converts it to an F.
Source: Undergraduate Academic Code §3.3.8 (X grade explanatory comment) — verified Aug 2026
What's the difference between W, NR, F*, and X at Notre Dame?
All four are handled outside the regular faculty grading table and carry no printed point value of their own. W (discontinued with permission) requires the dean's approval after the last day to drop a course. NR (Not Reported) and F* (no individual grade reported) both revert to F if unresolved — NR by the start of final week the next semester, F* within 30 days of the next semester's start. X, by contrast, does carry a printed value (0.000) and counts in the GPA while it's outstanding, converting to F after 30 days if not resolved.
Source: Undergraduate Academic Code §3.3.8-§3.3.9 — verified Aug 2026
Does the Pass/Fail option affect my GPA at Notre Dame?
Undergraduates may take one course per semester or summer session pass/fail (four total, maximum), starting the summer after sophomore year, outside their declared programs. The instructor's letter grade (A-D) becomes a P, which is not computed into the GPA. If the final grade is an F, though, it is computed into the GPA as normal. The election is irrevocable once made.
Source: Undergraduate Academic Code §3.3.11 (Pass/Fail Option) — verified Aug 2026
Does Notre Dame use a percentage grading scale?
No. Notre Dame's undergraduate grading system is letter-only — no percentage-to-letter conversion table appears anywhere in the current Undergraduate Academic Code.
Source: Undergraduate Academic Code §3.3.8 (no percentage bands printed) — verified Aug 2026
Does this grading scale apply to Notre Dame's Law School or Graduate School?
No. The Undergraduate Academic Code governs undergraduate student work only. Notre Dame's Law School and Graduate School are each governed by their own, separately published grading rules, not covered by this calculator.
Source: Undergraduate Academic Code, Preamble (scope: "undergraduate students... and faculty teaching undergraduate courses") — verified Aug 2026
