What is the classification of my degree in UK terms (first class, second class, etc.) for a Bachelor's?
UK Bachelor degrees with honours fall into four tiers by final weighted percentage: First-Class at 70 percent and above, Upper Second 2:1 at 60 to 69, Lower Second 2:2 at 50 to 59, and Third at 40 to 49. Below 40 percent is an unclassified or ordinary degree.
The UK honours system sorts undergraduate degrees into clear tiers based on your final weighted percentage, and knowing where you sit helps you judge your competitiveness for jobs and postgraduate study. Let me lay out the full scale and how international grades map across.
UK Degree Classification Bands
| Classification | Percentage and US GPA |
|---|---|
| First-Class Honours (First) | 70 percent and above, GPA 4.0 |
| Upper Second (2:1) | 60 to 69 percent, GPA 3.3 to 3.9 |
| Lower Second (2:2) | 50 to 59 percent, GPA 2.7 to 3.2 |
| Third-Class (Third) | 40 to 49 percent, GPA 2.0 to 2.6 |
| Fail or Ordinary | Below 40 percent |
Key Things to Know
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| The 2:1 benchmark | The common minimum for competitive jobs and postgraduate courses |
| No fixed conversion | A 65 percent in India or 3.5 GPA in the US often maps to a 2:1 |
| Final year weighting | Your final year usually counts for 60 to 70 percent of the mark |
My Advice
Aim for a 2:1 if postgraduate study or competitive graduate jobs are your goal, since that is the benchmark most UK institutions expect. Remember that UK universities assess international transcripts holistically rather than by a rigid formula, so a strong final year can lift your overall standing given how heavily it is weighted. Share your overall final grade and the country where you studied, and I can help you pin down your likely UK equivalent.
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