What GPA Do You Need to Study in the UK — And How to Convert Yours

The UK is home to some of the world's most recognised universities — Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, LSE, and dozens of others that attract hundreds of thousands of international applications every year.

If you are applying to a UK university, one of the first questions you will face is whether your academic record meets their entry requirements. The challenge is that UK universities express their requirements in UK terms — typically a percentage or a degree classification — not in GPA.

This guide tells you exactly what grade you need to study in the UK and how to convert your home country GPA to find out if you qualify.

Check if your grade meets UK requirements right now at gpabridge.com.

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How UK universities express their entry requirements

UK undergraduate programmes typically express requirements as A-Level grades for school leavers, or as a degree classification equivalent for students applying with a previous degree.

UK postgraduate programmes — master's degrees and PhDs — typically require the equivalent of a UK Upper Second Class (2:1) degree as a minimum. Many competitive programmes at Russell Group universities require a First Class equivalent.

The UK degree classification system works as follows:

• First Class Honours (1st): 70% and above
• Upper Second Class (2:1): 60 to 69%
• Lower Second Class (2:2): 50 to 59%
• Third Class (3rd): 40 to 49%

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What is the equivalent of a UK 2:1 in your country?

Here is what a UK Upper Second Class (2:1) — the standard minimum for most UK postgraduate programmes — looks like in common international grading systems:

Nigeria (5.0 scale):
A UK 2:1 equivalent requires approximately 3.5 CGPA and above. A First Class equivalent requires 4.5 CGPA and above.

India (10.0 scale):
A UK 2:1 equivalent requires approximately 6.5 to 7.0 CGPA and above. A First Class equivalent requires approximately 8.5 CGPA and above.

United States (4.0 scale):
A UK 2:1 equivalent requires approximately 3.3 GPA and above. A First Class equivalent requires approximately 3.7 GPA and above.

Australia (7.0 scale):
A UK 2:1 equivalent requires approximately a Credit average of 5.0 and above. A First Class equivalent requires approximately a Distinction average of 6.0 and above.

Germany (1.0 to 5.0 scale):
A UK 2:1 equivalent requires approximately 2.5 or better on the German scale. A First Class equivalent requires approximately 1.5 or better.

Pakistan and Malaysia (4.0 scale):
A UK 2:1 equivalent requires approximately 3.3 CGPA and above. A First Class equivalent requires approximately 3.7 CGPA and above.

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How to convert your GPA to a UK classification

Use the two step NAS method:

Step 1 — Convert your grade to a NAS:

• Nigeria 5.0 scale: (CGPA divided by 5) multiplied by 100
• India 10.0 scale: CGPA multiplied by 10
• US 4.0 scale: (GPA divided by 4) multiplied by 100
• Australia 7.0 scale: (GPA divided by 7) multiplied by 100

Step 2 — Map your NAS to a UK classification:

• NAS 85 and above = First Class Honours
• NAS 70 to 84 = Upper Second Class (2:1)
• NAS 55 to 69 = Lower Second Class (2:2)
• NAS 40 to 54 = Third Class
• NAS below 40 = below honours standard

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Do UK universities require English language proficiency?

Yes. Most UK universities require IELTS Academic with an overall score of 6.5 and above, with no individual component below 6.0. Some competitive programmes require 7.0 overall. TOEFL iBT scores of 90 and above are also widely accepted.

Students from countries where English is the primary medium of instruction may be exempt — check the specific requirements of your target university.

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Important things to know about UK university applications

All undergraduate applications to UK universities go through UCAS — the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. International postgraduate applications go directly to each university.

UK universities are generally familiar with grading systems from Commonwealth countries including Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Ghana, and Kenya. For less common grading systems, providing a brief explanation of your scale alongside your converted equivalent is advisable.

Some UK universities have country-specific entry requirements pages that list the minimum grade from your specific country. Always check the individual university's international entry requirements page before applying.

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Convert your grade to UK classification equivalent

Find out exactly which UK Honours classification your grade is equivalent to at gpabridge.com. The tool covers 37 international grading systems and generates a PDF report showing the full methodology — useful to reference in your application.