Grading System

The University uses school‐specific grading scales. Most schools at Columbia University use the standard A-F grading scale. The American Language Program, the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, the School of the Arts, the Business School, the School of Journalism, the Medical School, and the Psychoanalytic Training Program use alternate scales. For complete information on your school's grading policies, please check your school bulletin. Officers should address any questions regarding the meaning and appropriate use of grades to the dean of the relevant school.

Students always receive traditional letter grades when taking a course outside of their school of enrollment, regardless of the grading system in use in either school.

Standard Grading Scales

Alternate Grading Scales

 

Cross Registrants

All cross registrants are graded on the A-F letter scale regardless of the grading system used by the department offering the class or the student's home school. Acceptable grades in cases of cross registration are A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, F, AR, IN, P, R, UW, W, and YC. Barnard students who cross register are graded with the Barnard grading scale.