What Grade Do You Need to Pass a College Class? (2024)

FAQs

What Grade Do You Need to Pass a College Class? ›

While most colleges consider a D a passing grade for pass/fail courses, some require a C.

Most colleges and universities generally consider a "D" (or a 60% to 69% score) as a passing grade. It's important to note that this minimum or lowest passing grade standard can significantly vary depending on the institution or major. For instance, some universities may require a "C" or better to pass.

Many college grading systems consider a D, or 65 percent, to be the lowest passing grade. Note that different schools, programs, or classes may have different cutoff points for what they consider a passing grade.

In order to pass a class, you may require at least a letter grade of D, or between 60 and 69%. Anything below that is considered a failing grade, or in this case, an F.

Many people wonder, “What is a passing grade in college?” Coming from high school, the grading system doesn't really change. In fact, a “D” is considered passing in both high school and college, as it's above 60%. While a passing grade may be as low as 60%, you will want to aim higher for many reasons.

While many institutions consider anything below 70% as failing, others may set the threshold at 60%. Additionally, some universities use alternative grading systems like pass/fail or narrative evaluations.

Numerical and letter grades

However, there are some schools that consider a C the lowest passing grade, so the general standard is that anything below a 60% or 70% is failing, depending on the grading scale. In college and universities, a D is considered to be an unsatisfactory passing grade.

Making a D is not ideal but it happens. Your major concern is if you made a D and it will need to be explained to a future school or an employer. Yes of course but most schools let you retake the class for a better grade . If you do better , they will often replace your D with the new grade for GPA calculations .

For your high school, a D is passing. You can graduate with Ds, but you cannot go to college with Ds. Colleges will give you ZERO credit for the class, just like you got an F. This is true no matter what the class is, even if it is not a required class.

Most high school students know that a D in an academic class is a passing grade. That means they get 5 credits towards high school graduation and the course has satisfied the particular category (English, math, etc.).

Is a GPA of 1.5 good? ›

The answer is No. The national average for a GPA is around 3.0 and a 1.5 GPA puts you below that average. A 1.5 GPA means that you've gotten only C-s and D+s in your high school classes so far. Since this GPA is significantly below a 2.0, it will make things very difficult for you in the college application process.

Failing a class can be frustrating and upsetting, but try not to be too hard on yourself. Failure is a part of academic life and can happen for any number of reasons. It doesn't reflect on your overall intelligence or competence in a particular subject.

C - this is a grade that rests right in the middle. C is anywhere between 70% and 79% D - this is still a passing grade, and it's between 59% and 69% F - this is a failing grade.

If your 'F' was in a nonessential class and your GPA is above the requirement, then you will graduate. Remember to file for graduation if you haven't already.

At most schools, a D is the lowest passing grade. That means students who earn a D or higher receive credit for the course. However, some schools set special policies around D grades. For example, at Lehigh, a D counts as a passing grade but does not meet prerequisite requirements.

One B won't ruin your GPA if it's weighted. Weighted GPA takes into account on the difficulty of the classes you take.

Distinction: much like a First at undergraduate level, a Distinction is awarded when you achieve a percentage grade of 70% and above. Merit: you'll be awarded a Merit if you achieve a grade average between 60-69%. Pass: a pass is awarded when you receive a grade average between 50-59%.

B = 80-90% C = 70-79% D = 60-69% F = below 60%

Why? Because mathematically, with a 0-to-100 scale, failing a class is more likely than passing a class. Think about it. Each letter grade is 10 points — an A is 90-100, a B is 80- 89, a C is 70-79, and a D is 60-69 — but the scale's one failing grade, an F, spans not 10 points, but 60 (0 to 59).