B− GPA
A B− letter grade equals a 2.7 GPA on the standard 4.0 scale and a percentage of 80–82%. It is one step below a straight B and sits just below the national average of 3.0.
GPA Scale — Letter Grade Conversions
| Letter Grade | Percentage | 4.0 GPA Scale |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97-100% | 4.0 |
| A | 93-96% | 4.0 |
| A- | 90-92% | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87-89% | 3.3 |
| B | 83-86% | 3.0 |
| B- | 80-82% | 2.7 ← You Are Here |
| C+ | 77-79% | 2.3 |
| C | 73-76% | 2.0 |
| C- | 70-72% | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67-69% | 1.3 |
| D | 65-66% | 1.0 |
| F | Below 65% | 0.0 |
What Is a B− Grade?
A B− is the sixth letter grade in the U.S. grading system, sitting between a straight B (3.0) and a C+ (2.3). It represents a score of 80–82% and earns 2.7 grade points on the standard 4.0 scale. A B− is below the national average of 3.0 — but only by 0.3 points, which makes it one of the most improvable positions on the GPA scale. The difference between a B− average and a B average is often just a few percentage points per class, which is achievable within a single semester of focused effort.
Is a B− GPA Good?
A B− is a below-average grade — it sits 0.3 points below the national average GPA of 3.0 and below the 3.0 minimum that most graduate programs and scholarships require. It is passing and keeps you enrolled, but it limits options in important ways. That said, a 2.7 GPA from consistent B− grades is only one grade step away from 3.0 — the threshold that opens most of those doors. For students at a B− average, the gap to clear is small and realistic to close within one semester.
B− Grade for High School Students
In high school, a B− average produces a 2.7 GPA — below the 3.0 national average and below the minimum most competitive four-year colleges expect. Most state universities list 2.5 as their minimum admission GPA, so a 2.7 technically clears that floor, but just barely. For a wider range of college choices, the practical target is to push your GPA above 3.0 before senior year applications go out. Even raising two or three B− grades to straight B grades per semester can move the cumulative average meaningfully, especially in sophomore or junior year when you still have time for the improvement to show on your transcript.
B− Grade for College Students
In college, a B− keeps you above the academic probation threshold (typically 2.0) and in good standing, but it falls short of the 3.0 minimum that most graduate programs and scholarships require. A cumulative 2.7 GPA also places you below the threshold many competitive employers use when screening entry-level applicants by academic record. The most actionable response to a B− average in college is to calculate exactly what semester GPA you need to push your cumulative to 3.0, then target that number deliberately rather than aiming at a vague goal to “do better.”
What Percentage Is a B−?
A B− corresponds to a percentage of 80–82% on the standard U.S. grading scale. An 80% is the lowest score that earns a B−, and 82% is the highest before the grade becomes a straight B (83%). The 79% to 80% boundary is significant: a 79% falls into the C+ range (2.3 grade points), while an 80% earns a B− (2.7 grade points). That single percentage point is worth 0.4 GPA points per course — one of the largest single-point grade boundary gaps on the entire scale.
Frequently Asked Questions — B− Grade
A B− earns 2.7 grade points on the standard 4.0 GPA scale. A student with all B− grades in equal-credit courses will have a cumulative GPA of exactly 2.7. This is 0.3 points below the national average of 3.0 and below the minimum for most graduate programs. For a complete reference on where B− sits within the full letter grade scale, this B− letter grade scale guide is a useful resource.
A B− corresponds to a percentage of 80–82%. An 80% is the lowest score that earns a B−, and 82% is the highest before the grade becomes a straight B (83%). A 79% falls into the C+ range and earns only 2.3 grade points, making the 79% to 80% boundary one of the most impactful single-point thresholds on the entire grading scale.
An 80% is a B− on the standard U.S. grading scale, which covers 80–82%. It earns 2.7 grade points on the 4.0 GPA scale. A 79% drops into the C+ range (2.3 points), and an 83% moves up to a straight B (3.0 points). The 80% is the exact boundary between the C+ and B− ranges — a score that places you just inside the B letter grade category.
A B− is a passing grade and keeps you above the academic probation threshold, but it falls below the national average of 3.0 and below the 3.0 minimum most graduate programs and scholarships require. Whether it is “good enough” depends on your goals — for staying enrolled, yes. For graduate school, scholarships, or competitive employment, a B− average is a signal to improve. The encouraging part: the gap between 2.7 and 3.0 is only 0.3 points, which is realistically closable within one or two strong semesters.
An 82% is a B− on the standard grading scale, which covers 80–82%. It earns 2.7 grade points. An 83% crosses into the straight B range (83–86%) and earns 3.0 grade points. That single percentage point — 82% to 83% — is worth 0.3 GPA points per course, making it a meaningful and commonly targeted grade improvement for students sitting at a B−.