How many ECTS equal one US credit hour?

The common range is 1.5 to 2 ECTS per US semester credit hour. Many US institutions use 2 ECTS = 1 US credit, while some use 1.5, so always confirm with the receiving institution.

Why is the ratio a range and not exact?

ECTS measures total student workload (about 25-30 hours each), while US credits measure contact hours plus expected study. The systems are structurally different, so institutions adopt slightly different ratios.

How many US credits is a full European year?

A full academic year is 60 ECTS. At 2 ECTS per US credit that equals 30 US credits, which matches a typical full US academic year of two 15-credit semesters.

Which ratio should I use for credit transfer?

Use the ratio your receiving university publishes. This tool lets you try 1.5, 1.75, and 2 so you can see the range, but the official figure is set by the institution awarding the credit.

Does this work for both directions?

Yes. Select ECTS-to-US or US-to-ECTS and the converter applies the chosen ratio in the correct direction with rounding to one decimal place.

ECTS Credit Hour Converter

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Convert between ECTS and US credit hours

The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and the US semester credit hour measure study differently, so transferring credits between them needs a conversion ratio. A full academic year is 60 ECTS or about 30 US credits, giving a working ratio of roughly 2 ECTS per US credit, though some institutions use 1.5. This converter applies your chosen ratio in either direction.

How it works

The conversion is a single multiplication or division by the chosen ratio R (ECTS per US credit):

US credits = ECTS / R
ECTS       = US credits * R

With R = 2, 60 ECTS becomes 60 / 2 = 30 US credits, and 30 US credits becomes 30 * 2 = 60 ECTS. The tool rounds results to one decimal place and lets you compare R = 1.5, 1.75, and 2 because institutions differ.

Tips and example

If you completed a 30 ECTS exchange semester and your home US university uses R = 2, that converts to 30 / 2 = 15 US credits — a full semester load. Under R = 1.5 the same 30 ECTS would be 30 / 1.5 = 20 US credits. Because the ratio drives the whole result, always confirm which value the awarding institution uses before assuming a transfer count; this tool is for planning, not an official transcript evaluation.