🇮🇪 Ireland GPA Converter

Ireland operates two grading systems in active use across its higher education sector. The new GPA-based system, introduced from 2014 onwards following a recommendation by the Irish Universities Association , uses grade descriptors (A+, A, B+, B, C+, C, D+, D, E, F) with specific percentage boundaries and numerical GPA values of 0 to 4.0 assigned to each descriptor. This system was designed to bring Irish higher education into closer alignment with international norms and to make Irish transcripts more easily interpretable by international employers and graduate programmes. The older percentage-based classification system, used for decades before the 2014 reform, remains reflected on the transcripts of graduates from before the reform period and is still used at some institutions.

The new Irish GPA system has now been adopted by all seven Irish universities and most institutes of technology and technological universities. The grade descriptor system assigns each descriptor a precise percentage range: A+ covers 90–100% with a GPA value of 4.00, A covers 85–89% with a GPA value of 3.68, and so on down to F for grades below 50%. This means that the same numerical 0–4.0 scale is used in Ireland and the US, but the grade boundaries and descriptors differ significantly — a student with an Irish GPA of 3.0 does not hold the equivalent of a US 3.0, and direct numerical comparisons without conversion are misleading. Use our GPA Calculator if you need to compute your Irish GPA from module results.

The degree classification system used in Ireland mirrors the British tradition. Irish undergraduate degrees are classified as First Class Honours (the highest classification, broadly equivalent to a US GPA of 3.7 and above), Second Class Honours Grade One (2:1, broadly equivalent to 3.3–3.6), Second Class Honours Grade Two (2:2, broadly equivalent to 2.7–3.2), Third Class Honours (broadly equivalent to 2.0–2.6), Pass (broadly equivalent to 1.0–1.9), and Fail. The Degree Classification Predictor can help you model your final classification based on your module results. Irish degrees also commonly involve ECTS credits — see our ECTS Credit Calculator for credit conversion guidance.

Ireland's higher education landscape includes two main institutional types. The seven traditional universities — Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC), University of Galway (formerly NUI Galway), University of Limerick (UL), Dublin City University (DCU), and Maynooth University — are well-established research institutions with strong international recognition. Alongside these, a network of Technological Universities — TU Dublin, Munster Technological University (MTU), Atlantic Technological University (ATU), South East Technological University (SETU), and Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) — was created between 2019 and 2022 from mergers of the former Institutes of Technology. Credential evaluation services including WES distinguish between these institution types, which is important context for applicants to US and UK graduate programmes.

The seven traditional Irish universities — Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, University College Cork, University of Galway, University of Limerick, Dublin City University, and Maynooth University — are well-established research institutions with strong international recognition. Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin in particular are consistently ranked among the top 200 universities globally and carry strong name recognition with US admissions committees at leading graduate schools. Degrees from these institutions are well understood by WES evaluators and by international employers.

The Technological Universities — TU Dublin, Munster Technological University (MTU), Atlantic Technological University (ATU), South East Technological University (SETU), and Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) — were created between 2019 and 2022 from mergers of the former Institutes of Technology. While these institutions offer quality applied and academic programmes and have been granted degree-awarding university status by the Irish state, their international recognition profile is still developing. WES and other credential evaluation services evaluate both university and technological university degrees, but the institutional distinction may be noted in the evaluation report.

Graduates of technological universities applying to US graduate programmes are advised to include documentation of their institution's accreditation status — specifically its recognition under the Higher Education Authority of Ireland and QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland) — and to contact their target programme's admissions office if there is any uncertainty about how their credential will be evaluated. In the UK, both institution types are straightforwardly recognised, and the degree classification is self-explanatory to UK admissions committees.

WES (World Education Services) is the most widely used credential evaluation service for Irish graduates applying to US and Canadian universities and for Canadian immigration purposes. WES requires official transcripts sent directly from the Irish institution — for Irish universities this means the transcript must be sent from the university registrar's office, not submitted by the student. This is an important procedural requirement that students should arrange well in advance of their application deadlines, as Irish university registrar offices can take several weeks to process official transcript requests. Use our WES Grade Conversion Estimator for a preview of how WES may evaluate your Irish grades.

WES is familiar with both the old and new Irish grading systems. Its evaluators apply the appropriate conversion methodology based on the graduation year and institution, using the grade descriptors and GPA values from the new system for post-2014 graduates and the percentage classification thresholds for pre-2014 graduates. The course-by-course WES evaluation is recommended for Irish students applying to US graduate programmes as it provides a subject-by-subject breakdown that most US graduate admissions offices require. A document-by-document evaluation is less detailed and may not satisfy the requirements of all programmes. QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland) is the national awarding body that oversees qualification standards in Ireland, and WES recognises QQI-certified qualifications.

WES processing timelines vary but students should allow at least two months from the date of requesting their official transcript from their Irish institution to receiving their completed WES evaluation report. Students are strongly advised to start the WES process at least three months before their earliest application deadline to allow for delays in transcript delivery and evaluation processing. Current WES fees for an evaluation are approximately USD 205 for a document-by-document evaluation and USD 100 for each additional course-by-course report. These fees are subject to change and students should consult the WES website for current pricing.

Most US graduate programmes require a minimum equivalent GPA of 3.0 for admission consideration. For Irish students on the new GPA system, this corresponds to approximately a high 2:2 to low 2:1 result (around Irish GPA 2.7–3.1). On the old percentage system, this corresponds to approximately 55–62% depending on the conversion applied by the evaluator. Students with results near this boundary should use our University Match Calculator to identify programmes that are a strong fit for their academic profile, and our College Admission Chance Calculator to estimate their competitiveness at specific institutions.

Irish students with a First Class Honours degree or a strong 2:1 from a recognised Irish university are competitive for a wide range of US graduate programmes, including research-focused programmes at leading universities. Trinity College Dublin and UCD graduates in particular are well-regarded by US admissions committees and their academic credentials carry strong name recognition at leading US universities, including the Ivy League and leading public research universities. Students with a 2:2 or Third Class Honours should consider ways to strengthen their application with relevant work experience, research output, or professional qualifications.

Irish students benefit from an important advantage in the US admissions process: as native English speakers from an officially English-speaking country, TOEFL or IELTS requirements are typically waived for Irish graduates at most US institutions. This removes one of the most common barriers and costs for international applicants. Consult our English Language Test Guide for a list of programmes that require English proficiency documentation regardless of the applicant's nationality.

Irish degree classifications map directly to UK degree classifications — First Class Honours in Ireland is equivalent to First Class Honours in the UK, 2:1 to 2:1, and 2:2 to 2:2. This is because both systems derive from the same British academic tradition and use the same classification names and broadly the same percentage boundaries under the pre-2014 Irish system. UK universities therefore evaluate Irish degrees from the seven traditional universities very straightforwardly, and Irish graduates applying to UK postgraduate programmes should have no difficulty with credential recognition — their classification is self-explanatory to UK admissions committees. Use our UK University Grade Calculator to understand how UK degree classifications compare with your Irish result.

Graduates of the newer Technological Universities applying to UK institutions may find that some UK universities are less familiar with the recent Irish structural changes — the creation of the Technological Universities from the former Institutes of Technology between 2019 and 2022. In these cases, a UK ENIC (formerly UK NARIC) statement of comparability may be useful as supplementary documentation alongside the official Irish transcript. UK ENIC is the designated national agency in the UK for recognising international qualifications and is widely accepted by UK universities and employers as authoritative credential confirmation.