Saudi Arabia GPA Calculator: 5.0 Scale with US Conversion

How GPA Is Calculated at Saudi Arabian Universities

Saudi Arabian universities follow the same credit-weighted GPA formula used at universities worldwide, applied to their distinctive 5.0 scale. Each course earns quality points equal to the grade points multiplied by the credit hours. Divide the total quality points by the total credit hours and you have the GPA.

A worked example for a KSU engineering student in one semester: Engineering Mathematics (3 credit hours, B+ = 4.50), Physics I (3 credit hours, A = 4.75), English Communication (2 credit hours, B = 4.00), Islamic Studies (2 credit hours, A+ = 5.00), Engineering Drawing (1 credit hour, C+ = 3.50). Quality points: (4.50 x 3) + (4.75 x 3) + (4.00 x 2) + (5.00 x 2) + (3.50 x 1) = 13.50 + 14.25 + 8.00 + 10.00 + 3.50 = 49.25. Total credits: 11. Semester GPA = 49.25 / 11 = 4.48 (Jayyid Jiddan, Very Good). US 4.0 equivalent: 4.48 x 0.8 = 3.58.

A second example for a student on a more difficult semester: Financial Accounting (3 credit hours, C+ = 3.50), Microeconomics (3 credit hours, B = 4.00), Marketing Principles (3 credit hours, C = 3.00), Statistics (3 credit hours, D+ = 2.50). Quality points: (3.50 x 3) + (4.00 x 3) + (3.00 x 3) + (2.50 x 3) = 10.50 + 12.00 + 9.00 + 7.50 = 39.00. Total credits: 12. Semester GPA = 39.00 / 12 = 3.25 (Jayyid, Good). US 4.0 equivalent: 3.25 x 0.8 = 2.60.

Saudi Arabia University Grading Scale (5.0)

The standard Saudi grading scale below applies to KSU, KFUPM, KAU, Qassim University, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU), and Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University. The percentage bands and 5.0 grade point values are set by the Saudi Ministry of Education and apply to most public universities. Two percentage thresholds carry the most practical weight: 90 percent or above earns an A (4.75) and places the student in the Mumtaz honor band; below 60 percent earns an F (0.00) with no graduation credit.

Honor Classifications in Saudi Arabia: Mumtaz, Jayyid Jiddan, Jayyid, Maqbul

Saudi university transcripts carry one of four cumulative GPA honor classifications. These Arabic names appear on degree certificates and are used in Saudi government job applications, scholarship reviews, and graduate-school admissions paperwork.

The Mumtaz threshold at 4.75 sits within the A and A+ band. A student averaging B+ (4.50) across all courses will graduate with Jayyid Jiddan, not Mumtaz, because 4.50 falls below 4.75. A single high-credit A+ course late in the degree can push a borderline 4.73 CGPA over the Mumtaz threshold, given how credit-hour weighting amplifies later courses.

Major Saudi Universities and Their GPA Scales

Six major Saudi universities account for the majority of enrolled students. Five operate on the 5.0 Ministry of Education standard scale. Two prominent exceptions (KAUST and Alfaisal University) use the US 4.0 scale. Students at those two institutions should use the standard GPA Calculator (US 4.0) rather than this 5.0 calculator.

PMU GPA Calculator: Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University

Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU) in Al-Khobar uses the US-standard 4.0 GPA scale, not the Saudi Ministry of Education 5.0 scale. PMU is an accredited private university that follows an American-style academic model with semester credit hours and the plus/minus 4.0 scale: A+ = 4.00, A = 4.00, A- = 3.70, B+ = 3.33, B = 3.00, B- = 2.67, C+ = 2.33, C = 2.00, C- = 1.67, D+ = 1.33, D = 1.00, F = 0.00. PMU students should use the standard GPA Calculator (US 4.0) for their courses, not this Saudi 5.0 calculator. The distinction matters because a B at PMU (3.00/4.0) converts to a different US equivalent than a B at KSU (4.00/5.0 = 3.20 US).

If you are applying to a US graduate program and need to present both a PMU GPA and a KSU transcript (for transfer students, for example), use the GPA Converter to align both transcripts to a common US 4.0 reference before submitting to the admissions office.

How to Convert a Saudi GPA to the US 4.0 Scale

Saudi students applying to US, UK, Canadian, or Australian universities routinely need to present their GPA on a different scale. The conversion from the Saudi 5.0 to US 4.0 is linear:

For formal graduate-school applications, a credential evaluation from World Education Services (WES) or another NACES-member evaluator produces the authoritative US-equivalent GPA from your Saudi transcript. Credential evaluators apply course-by-course conversion rather than a single multiplier on the cumulative GPA, so the evaluated result may differ by a few tenths from the linear estimate above.

For multi-scale GPA translation, including Saudi to UK, Saudi to European ECTS, or Saudi to Australian GPA, the GPA Converter handles the most common national systems in one place.

Saudi Arabia vs. Kuwait vs. UAE: How Gulf GPA Systems Compare

Saudi Arabia is the only Gulf state that standardized on a 5.0 GPA scale. Kuwait University and most UAE universities use a 4.0 scale that maps directly to the North American system. This difference creates confusion when students transfer between Gulf countries or apply to graduate programs that accept applicants from multiple GCC nations.

A Saudi student with a 4.00 GPA (Jayyid Jiddan, Very Good) is not the same as a Kuwaiti student with a 4.00 GPA (Mumtaz, Distinction) at Kuwait University. The Saudi 4.00 converts to US 3.20, while the KU 4.00 is already the maximum. When comparing Saudi and Kuwaiti graduates for the same graduate-school cohort, always convert both to a common US 4.0 equivalent first. The Kuwait GPA Calculator covers the KU 4.0 scale in detail; the UAE GPA Calculator covers the CAA-standard UAE 4.0 scale.

Academic Standing and Probation at Saudi Universities

The cumulative GPA thresholds for academic standing at most Saudi public universities follow the same Ministry of Education framework. Good academic standing requires a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above. Falling below 2.00 at the end of a regular semester triggers an academic warning. Two consecutive semesters below 2.00 move a student to academic probation, which typically caps registration at 12 credit hours per semester. A third consecutive semester below 2.00 can result in program dismissal under Ministry regulations.

Grade replacement at Saudi universities works differently from the US system. At KSU and KFUPM, when a student repeats a failed course and passes it, the new grade replaces the F in the CGPA calculation for most programs. However, both the original F and the replacement grade may appear on the transcript, and how the replacement is treated for scholarship or employment purposes can vary by the reviewing institution.

Withdrawal (W) grades carry no grade points and no credit hours in the CGPA formula at Saudi universities. An incomplete (I) grade must be resolved before the following semester or it converts to an F, which has an immediate and significant impact on the cumulative GPA given how low an F (0.00) pulls down the weighted average on a 5.0 scale.

Using a Saudi GPA for International Graduate Applications

Saudi graduates applying to US programs typically submit a WES or ECE credential evaluation alongside their transcript. Most US master's programs set a minimum of 3.00 on a US 4.0 scale, which corresponds to a Saudi CGPA of roughly 3.75 (Jayyid, Good) using the linear conversion. Competitive programs at research universities often expect 3.50 or above on the US scale, corresponding to a Saudi CGPA of approximately 4.38 (upper Jayyid Jiddan range).

For UK graduate admissions, the broadly accepted equivalence is: Saudi Mumtaz (4.75 plus / 5.00) corresponds to UK First Class Honours; Saudi Jayyid Jiddan (4.00 to 4.74) corresponds to Upper Second Class (2:1); Saudi Jayyid (3.00 to 3.99) corresponds to Lower Second Class (2:2). These are approximate; each UK institution and NARIC/Ecctis publishes its own Saudi equivalence table.

European programs using the ECTS credit framework should know that 1 Saudi credit hour equals approximately 2 ECTS credits, following the same US convention of 15 contact hours per credit. A 120-credit Saudi bachelor's degree is broadly equivalent to a 240-ECTS European degree. The cumulative GPA formula stays the same; only the credit count changes. The GPA Converter handles multi-scale translation including US, UK, European, and Gulf systems.

Semester GPA vs. Cumulative GPA at Saudi Universities

Saudi universities report two separate GPA figures after each semester. The semester GPA covers only the courses taken in that specific term. The cumulative GPA (CGPA) covers every graded course since enrollment, using the total quality points and total credit hours across the full transcript. Academic standing, honor classifications, scholarship eligibility, and the graduation classification on the degree certificate all use the cumulative GPA.

The semester GPA is useful for gauging recent performance, but its effect on the cumulative GPA depends on how many total credit hours are already in the denominator. A single strong semester of 3.50 quality points per credit hour improves a 4.20 CGPA by less than 0.10 if 80 credit hours have already been completed. Students who want to project how future semesters will affect their cumulative average can use the Cumulative GPA Calculator, which accepts a prior CGPA and credit-hour count as a seed, then adds new courses to show the projected combined average.

Last verified: May 2026. Grade-point values and academic standing thresholds follow the Saudi Ministry of Education standard grading framework, consistent with the registrar frameworks published by King Saud University (ksu.edu.sa) and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (kfupm.edu.sa). WES evaluation guidance referenced from the World Education Services country credential guide for Saudi Arabia (wes.org). NACES membership directory at naces.org. Individual universities may adjust percentage band boundaries or apply specific policies for course repetition, incomplete grades, or transfer credit. Always verify the exact grading policy in your university's academic regulations handbook or with the registrar before relying on this calculator for official purposes such as scholarship applications or graduate-school admissions.