German Grade Calculator
Calculate your Notendurchschnitt (weighted average) using Germany's 1.0–5.0 grading system. Lower is better—1.0 is excellent, 4.0 is the minimum pass. ECTS credit-weighted as used by LMU, TUM, Heidelberg and other German universities.
German universities use a numeric grading scale from 1.0 to 5.0, where lower numbers are better. Degrees are based on a credit-weighted average. GPA/CGPA is not standard domestically; conversion is used for international applications.
- Fixed increments: 1.0, 1.3, 1.7, 2.0, 2.3, 2.7, 3.0, 3.3, 3.7, 4.0. Grades like 1.1 or 1.2 are rarely used.
- Pass mark: 4.0. A 4.1 is a fail.
- Credits: ECTS (1 ECTS ≈ 30 hours). Bachelor: 180–240 ECTS; Master: 60–120 ECTS.
- Law & Medicine: State examinations use different scales (e.g. 18-point Law scale). See below.
- Grades awarded: Each module graded numerically (1.0–5.0) or via descriptors mapped to numbers.
- ECTS weighting: Weighted grade = Module grade × ECTS credits.
- Final average: Σ(Weighted grades) ÷ Σ(ECTS credits).
- Thesis: At many universities (e.g. TUM, RWTH), the thesis may be weighted double or triple its ECTS value.
- Rounding: Most institutions cut off after one decimal (e.g. 1.59 → 1.5) rather than rounding up.
| Numeric | Descriptor | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0–1.5 | Sehr gut | Very good |
| 1.6–2.5 | Gut | Good |
| 2.6–3.5 | Befriedigend | Satisfactory |
| 3.6–4.0 | Ausreichend | Sufficient (Pass) |
| 5.0 | Nicht bestanden | Fail |
Law (Jura) uses a separate 0–18 scale. A "9" (Befriedigend) is often considered strong; above 13 is elite.
| Points | Term | US Approx. |
|---|---|---|
| 16–18 | Sehr gut | A+ |
| 13–15 | Gut | A |
| 10–12 | Vollbefriedigend | A− / B+ |
| 7–9 | Befriedigend | B |
| 4–6 | Ausreichend | C (Pass) |
| 0–3 | Mangelhaft / Ungenügend | F |
| Module | ECTS | Grade | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microeconomics | 6 | 2.0 | 12.0 |
| Accounting | 6 | 1.7 | 10.2 |
| Statistics | 9 | 2.3 | 20.7 |
| Business Law | 3 | 3.0 | 9.0 |
| Total | - | 51.9 | |
Final grade = 51.9 ÷ 24 = 2.16 (Gut)
- Module grade: Numeric grade for one module.
- Weighted average grade: Credit-weighted final result.
- Converted GPA: Calculated only for international applications.
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU)
System: 1.0–5.0, ECTS-weighted
Uses ECTS grading tables for rankings.
RegulationsTechnical University of Munich (TUM)
System: Numeric grading, ECTS
Strict ECTS-weighted averages for Master's eligibility.
RegulationsRWTH Aachen University
System: Numeric grading
Engineering modules often have high fail rates; a 3.0 is respected.
RegulationsTo convert US GPA → German grade:
German grade = 1 + 3 × (N_max − N_d) ÷ (N_max − N_min)
Variables: N_max = best in your system (e.g. 4.0 US), N_min = minimum pass (e.g. 2.0 US), N_d = your grade.
Example: US GPA 3.6 → 1 + 3×(4.0−3.6)/(4.0−2.0) = 1 + 0.6 = 1.6 (Gut).
Universities may provide an ECTS grading table showing your rank vs. recent graduates: A (top 10%), B (next 25%), C (next 30%), D (next 25%), E (next 10%). Used for scholarships and international comparison.
Educational estimates only • Verify with your institution