What Is a Good GPA at Wisconsin?
A GPA of 3.5 or higher is considered strong at UW-Madison, where the average undergraduate GPA sits near 3.4. Dean's List threshold is 3.85 in L&S. Latin honors are awarded by college: L&S uses 3.85 / 3.7 / 3.5 cutoffs combined with a minimum 60 graded credits in residence.
The average undergraduate GPA at Wisconsin sits near 3.40, drawn from the Wisconsin registrar policy and aggregated reporting. Enter your courses in the calculator above to see where your cumulative GPA lands relative to that figure.
How Wisconsin Calculates GPA
University of Wisconsin-Madison (Wisconsin) uses a 4.0 grade point scale and does not use plus/minus modifiers, A, B, C, D, F only. 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.
Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin transcript
- A+ = 4.0 (same as A on the standard scale)
Wisconsin Grading Policy Notes
UW-Madison uses the standard 4.0 scale with plus and minus modifiers. The Dean's List threshold of 3.85 is one of the highest among Big Ten flagship publics. Wisconsin School of Business uses a 3.5 cutoff and competitive admission to the major.
Wisconsin Honors and Recognition
Dean's List at Wisconsin
Wisconsin lists students with a GPA of 3.50 or higher on the Dean's List. The honor is computed per-term, so a single strong semester earns recognition even if the cumulative GPA sits lower.
Academic Standing and Repeat Policy at Wisconsin
Academic Probation Threshold
Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
Under Wisconsin's repeat policy, both attempts remain on the transcript and count toward the GPA. 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 Wisconsin
No. UW-Madison does not offer grade replacement. Repeated courses count both attempts toward the GPA, though the L&S College may grant exceptions in rare circumstances.
Major GPA Requirements at Wisconsin
Most majors require 2.0 minimum cumulative GPA. Wisconsin School of Business admission requires 3.5-plus in business prerequisites with competitive review.
What Makes Wisconsin Grading Distinctive
- L&S Dean's List requires 3.85+ (very high among Big Ten)
- 60-credit residency requirement for Latin honors
- Business school is internal-transfer with competitive review
Wisconsin at a Glance
- Institution type
- public research
- Location
- Madison, WI
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 50,662
- Founded
- 1848
- Athletic conference
- Big Ten
- Average undergrad GPA
- 3.40
- Registrar source
- Wisconsin official grading policy
Related GPA Tools
To roll this Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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.