What Is a Good GPA at UC San Diego?
A GPA of 3.5 or higher is considered strong at UC San Diego, where the average undergraduate GPA sits near 3.51. Provost's Honors require 3.5 term GPA with at least 12 graded units. Latin honors target approximately the top 14% of each college.
The average undergraduate GPA at UC San Diego sits near 3.51, drawn from the UC San Diego registrar policy and aggregated reporting. Enter your courses in the calculator above to see where your cumulative GPA lands relative to that figure.
How UC San Diego Calculates GPA
University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) uses a 4.0 grade point scale and uses plus/minus modifiers (A-, B+, B-, and so on). The school caps A+ at the same 4.0 value as an A, which matters when converting letter grades from a transcript that records A and A+ separately. Each course's grade points multiply by its credit hours, those quality points sum across all courses, and the total divides by total credits attempted.
UC San Diego GPA Formula
GPA = Sum(Grade Points x Credit Hours) / Sum(Credit Hours)
- Grade Points = letter-grade value on the 4.0 scale
- Credit Hours = credit value of the course on the UC San Diego transcript
- A+ = 4.0 (same as A on the standard scale)
UC San Diego Grading Policy Notes
UC San Diego operates on a quarter system across seven undergraduate colleges (Revelle, Muir, Marshall, Warren, ERC, Sixth, Seventh). Each college uses the same UC GPA scale but maintains independent general education requirements.
UC San Diego Honors and Recognition
Dean's List at UC San Diego
UC San Diego lists students with a GPA of 3.50 or higher on the Dean's List. Dean's List is based on cumulative GPA across all completed terms.
Latin Honors at UC San Diego
UC San Diego runs on the UC quarter system and divides undergraduates into seven residential colleges, each with its own general-education requirements and honors criteria. Latin honors are awarded to the top 2% (summa), next 5% (magna), and next 9% (cum laude) of each college's graduating class. Muir and Revelle colleges historically have the strictest general-ed requirements.
Academic Standing and Repeat Policy at UC San Diego
Academic Probation Threshold
UC San Diego places students on academic probation when their cumulative GPA drops below 2.0. Probation usually triggers mandatory advising, restricts course registration, and can affect financial aid or scholarships. Use the calculator to model remaining semesters and see how many A or B grades would lift the GPA back above the 2.0 floor.
Repeating a Course at UC San Diego
Under UC San Diego's repeat policy, the new grade replaces the old grade in the GPA calculation. This calculator treats every entered row as a distinct graded attempt; if your school replaces the old grade, leave off the original, and if both count, enter both lines. Always confirm the final transcript version with the registrar before relying on a projected GPA.
Grade Forgiveness at UC San Diego
Yes. UC San Diego allows course repetition with grade replacement for up to 16 units of D or F coursework. The repeat grade replaces the original in the GPA.
Major GPA Requirements at UC San Diego
Most majors require 2.0 minimum. Computer Science admission to the major requires 3.3+ in technical prerequisites. Pre-business (Rady) requires 3.0+.
What Makes UC San Diego Grading Distinctive
- Quarter system across seven undergraduate colleges
- Each college sets its own general education requirements
- Strong CS, biology, and oceanography programs
UC San Diego at a Glance
- Institution type
- public research
- Location
- La Jolla, CA
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 33,000
- Founded
- 1960
- Athletic conference
- ACC
- Average undergrad GPA
- 3.51
- Registrar source
- UC San Diego official grading policy
Related GPA Tools
To roll this UC San Diego GPA into a cumulative figure across multiple semesters, use the cumulative GPA calculator. For a semester-by-semester view with optional prior-GPA import, use the college GPA calculator. To compute individual course grades before they hit your transcript, switch to the grade calculator.
Accuracy Note
This calculator follows the grading policy published by the UC San Diego registrar as of 2026-04-18. Policies are reviewed periodically; the "Last verified" date in the footer reflects the most recent confirmation. Always cross-check your final GPA against your official transcript. The tool models the same formulas registrars use but cannot account for grade forgiveness petitions, audit decisions, or exceptions approved by the dean of students.