Is there an official IB-to-GPA conversion?

No single official formula exists. The IB does not publish a GPA mapping, and each US university applies its own policy. The band table here reflects a common reference scale evaluators use when an applicant has no letter-grade GPA.

How is the IB Diploma scored out of 45?

Six subjects are each graded 1 to 7, giving up to 42 points. A further 3 points come from the Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay core. The total therefore ranges from 0 to 45, with 24 the minimum for the diploma award.

What IB total maps to a 4.0 GPA?

On the reference scale used here, a total of about 41 or above maps to the top of the 4.0 GPA range. Scores in the high 30s map to roughly 3.7 to 3.9, reflecting strong but not maximum performance.

Will a US university accept this conversion?

Use it only as a self-assessment guide. Admissions offices and credential evaluators read the actual IB transcript and predicted or final grades. They rarely require you to submit a converted GPA.

Does the conversion change for HL versus SL subjects?

This tool works from the overall diploma total, which already blends Higher and Standard Level grades. It does not separate HL and SL, so it gives a single GPA reference for the whole diploma.

IB Diploma to US GPA Converter

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Turning an IB Diploma score into a US GPA

US universities work on a 4.0 grade point average, while the International Baccalaureate Diploma is scored out of 45. There is no universal formula linking the two, but applicants often want a rough sense of where their IB total sits on the American scale. This converter takes your diploma total and places it in a reference GPA band so you have a quick point of comparison.

How it works

The IB Diploma combines six subject grades, each from 1 to 7 (up to 42 points), with up to 3 bonus points from the Theory of Knowledge essay and the Extended Essay, for a maximum of 45. This tool maps ranges of that total onto approximate US GPA values: totals around 41 and above sit at the top of the 4.0 scale, the high 30s fall near 3.7 to 3.9, the low 30s near 3.4, and 24 — the minimum for the diploma award — near the bottom of the usable range. The bands are drawn from the reference scale credential evaluators commonly apply.

Notes and tips

Treat the result as orientation, not an official figure. Most US admissions offices evaluate the IB transcript directly, looking at HL grades in relevant subjects rather than a single converted number. If a university or scholarship explicitly asks for a GPA, ask them which conversion they prefer rather than assuming this one. The diploma must reach 24 points to be awarded at all, so totals below that do not produce a meaningful GPA equivalent.