How to Calculate Your UK Degree Classification
UK degree classifications look confusing until you know the pattern. This guide covers the four classes, how the maths works, and how UK degrees compare internationally.
The four UK degree classifications
| Class | Percentage | What people call it |
|---|---|---|
| First-class honours | 70%+ | "a First" |
| Upper second-class | 60–69% | "a 2:1" (two-one) |
| Lower second-class | 50–59% | "a 2:2" (two-two) |
| Third-class | 40–49% | "a Third" |
What is 58% classified as?
58% is a 2:2 (Lower Second Class). It's above 50% (2:2 minimum) and below 60% (the 2:1 threshold). Some universities apply borderline discretion within 1–2% of a boundary — so 58% is unlikely to be pushed up to a 2:1, but 59% might.
What is a 2:1 in percentage terms?
A 2:1 is any weighted overall between 60% and 69%. In practice most 2:1s cluster around 63–67%.
How the overall mark is worked out
Your degree class comes from a weighted average of module marks, not a simple average. Two things drive the weighting:
- Credit value. A 30-credit module counts twice as much as a 15-credit one.
- Year weighting. Most UK universities weight the final year most heavily. Common patterns:
| Weighting | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional | 0% | 40% | 60% |
| Leeds / final-heavy | 0% | 33% | 67% |
| 20:40:40 | 20% | 40% | 40% |
Worked example
Final year (weighted 60%): 30-credit dissertation at 72; five 20-credit modules at 68, 65, 71, 60, 58. Weighted average: (72×30 + 68×20 + 65×20 + 71×20 + 60×20 + 58×20) ÷ 130 = 66.0%.
Second year (weighted 40%) at 62% average. Overall: 66×0.6 + 62×0.4 = 64.4% — comfortably a 2:1.
Borderline rules
If your weighted average is within 1–2% of a boundary (e.g. 68.5% just below a First), most universities look at the pattern of individual marks. If a majority sit in the higher class, you may be pushed up. The specific rule is published in your programme regulations.
How UK degrees compare to US GPA
| UK class | Approx US GPA |
|---|---|
| First (70%+) | 3.7–4.0 |
| 2:1 (60–69%) | 3.3–3.7 |
| 2:2 (50–59%) | 2.7–3.3 |
| 3rd (40–49%) | 2.0–2.7 |
Use our UK ↔ US GPA converter for a specific mark. For US grad-school applications, get an official WES or ECE transcript evaluation.
Master's degrees are different
UK Master's degrees use Distinction (70%+), Merit (60–69%), Pass (50–59%) instead of the honours classes. The dissertation typically counts for 33–50% of the final mark. See our UK Masters Calculator.
Try it yourself
Enter your marks in the UK Degree Classification Calculator for a weighted result. If you're at the Open University, use the OU-specific calculator — OU uses stage weighting rather than year weighting.