GWA vs GPA: What's the Difference?
GWA to percentage to US GPA (approximate)
Percentage equivalents vary by school — this is the commonly used pattern at many Philippine universities:
| GWA | Typical % equivalent | Approx. US letter / GPA |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 96–100 | A+ / 4.0 |
| 1.25 | 94–95 | A / 4.0 |
| 1.5 | 91–93 | A− / 3.7 |
| 1.75 | 88–90 | B+ / 3.3 |
| 2.0 | 85–87 | B / 3.0 |
| 2.25 | 82–84 | B− / 2.7 |
| 2.5 | 79–81 | C+ / 2.3 |
| 2.75 | 76–78 | C / 2.0 |
| 3.0 | 75 (lowest pass) | C− / ~1.7 |
| 5.0 | Below 75 | F / 0.0 |
Note the cliff: many schools jump straight from 3.0 (pass) to 5.0 (fail), with 4.0 reserved for "conditional" status where it exists. Latin honors commonly map to GWA bands — at many universities, summa cum laude requires a GWA around 1.0–1.25, magna roughly 1.26–1.5, cum laude roughly 1.51–1.75, though each school sets its own exact cutoffs.
How to compute your GWA
GWA is a units-weighted average: multiply each course grade by its unit count, add them up, divide by total units. Example semester: a 1.5 in a 3-unit course, a 1.75 in a 3-unit course, a 2.0 in a 5-unit course, and a 1.25 in a 2-unit course.
| Course | Grade | Units | Grade × Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course A | 1.5 | 3 | 4.5 |
| Course B | 1.75 | 3 | 5.25 |
| Course C | 2.0 | 5 | 10.0 |
| Course D | 1.25 | 2 | 2.5 |
| Total | — | 13 | 22.25 |
GWA = 22.25 ÷ 13 = 1.71. The mechanics are identical to a US GPA calculation — weight by units, divide by total units — only the direction of "good" flips. High-unit courses dominate: the 5-unit 2.0 above pulls the GWA down more than the 2-unit 1.25 pulls it up.
Converting GWA for US applications
If you're applying to US graduate schools or jobs that ask for a "GPA on a 4.0 scale," do not just write your GWA — a 1.5 GWA typed into a GPA field reads as a failing student. Options, in order of reliability: use the receiving institution's own conversion instructions if published; attach your university's grading key to the transcript and report the GWA labeled as such; or use a credential evaluator (WES and similar) whose conversions admissions offices accept. As a rough sanity check, invert through percentages: GWA → your school's percentage equivalent → the standard US chart. A 1.75 GWA (~88–90%) lands near a 3.3–3.7, not a 1.75.
Try it yourself: Percentage Calculator
Working from raw scores? Convert them to percentages first — that's the input every GWA table keys off.
Frequently asked questions
Is a GWA of 1.75 good?
Yes — at many Philippine universities 1.75 corresponds to roughly 88–90% and sits at the edge of cum laude range. In US terms it's approximately a B+/A− student, around 3.3–3.7 GPA. It's a strong record, despite how low the number looks to non-Filipino readers.
What GWA do I need to pass?
At most Philippine universities, 3.0 is the lowest passing grade in a course, commonly equivalent to 75%. Individual programs often hold scholarship or retention requirements tighter — maintaining a 2.0–2.5 GWA is a common condition for scholarships.
Does GWA include all subjects, like PE and NSTP?
Policies differ by university: some include every credited course in the GWA, others exclude PE, NSTP, or non-academic units — and Latin-honors calculations often use a stricter course list than the general GWA. Check your registrar's rules before computing honors eligibility.