Louisiana public schools use a 10-point grading scale for all students in grades K–12: an A is 90–100, a B is 80–89, a C is 70–79, a D is 60–69, and anything below 60 is an F. This scale replaced the state’s older seven-point system effective in the 2024–2025 school year and now governs report card letter grades, GPA calculations, and TOPS scholarship eligibility across every public district.
The Current Letter Grade Cutoffs
Louisiana’s uniform grading policy is set by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education under R.S. 17:7(31)(A) and codified in the Louisiana Administrative Code. The current version took effect January 1, 2025.1Legal Information Institute. Louisiana Admin Code Title 28 CXV-2302 – Uniform Grading Policy Every local district must use it in any grade K–12 where letter grades are assigned:
- A: 90–100
- B: 80–89
- C: 70–79
- D: 60–69
- F: 0–59
Districts and individual schools cannot substitute a different scale for assigning letter grades. They still control classroom assessment design and course rigor, but the cutoffs themselves are fixed statewide.
What Changed From the Seven-Point Scale
For years, Louisiana was one of a small number of states using a seven-point scale with noticeably higher cutoffs:
- A: 93–100
- B: 85–92
- C: 77–84
- D: 70–76
- F: Below 70
Under the old rules, a 91 was a B. It is now an A. A 76 used to be a D and is now a C. The scores that shifted a full letter grade upward fall in four bands: 90–92, 80–84, 70–76, and 60–69. Because letter grades feed directly into GPA calculations, many students saw their grade point averages rise without any change in the underlying coursework. Critics have said the shift could inflate GPAs and blur meaningful differences in student performance; supporters have said it puts Louisiana students on equal footing with peers in roughly 40 states already using a 10-point scale.
How Letter Grades Convert to GPA
Louisiana uses a standard 4.0 GPA scale. Each letter grade carries a set number of quality points:
- A: 4 quality points
- B: 3 quality points
- C: 2 quality points
- D: 1 quality point
- F: 0 quality points
Plus and minus designations don’t change quality points. A school that awards an A-minus still counts it as 4 points for GPA purposes, and an A-plus doesn’t earn more than 4.2Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance. Calculation of TOPS Grade Point Average
Weighted Courses
Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, honors, gifted and talented, dual enrollment, and articulated college-credit courses are graded on a 5-point scale instead of the standard 4-point scale. Under the weighted system, an A is worth 5 quality points, a B is worth 4, a C is worth 3, and a D is worth 2.3Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes RS 17:5024 That means a student who earns straight A’s in weighted courses can finish above a 4.0 cumulative GPA. The Board of Regents and BESE jointly approve which specific courses qualify for the extra weight.
Impact on TOPS Eligibility
The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, Louisiana’s main merit-based college aid program, depends directly on the grading scale. Beginning in 2024–2025, every school must use the 10-point scale when calculating the minimum cumulative GPA required for TOPS awards, even if the school somehow uses a different scale for other purposes.3Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes RS 17:5024 The legislature codified that requirement in Act No. 356 of the 2025 Regular Session so TOPS GPA calculations align with the new scale statewide.4Louisiana State Legislature. Act No. 356, 2025 Regular Session
Because the 10-point scale produces higher letter grades for the same numerical scores, some students who would have fallen short of a TOPS GPA cutoff under the seven-point system now qualify. The three main TOPS award levels (Opportunity, Performance, and Honors) each carry their own minimum GPA and ACT/SAT score requirements, and the 5-point weighting for advanced courses is factored into the calculation.
School Letter Grades Use Different Cutoffs
One point worth clearing up: Louisiana also assigns letter grades to schools themselves, and those letters do not use the same cutoffs as student grades. Under R.S. 17:10.1, every public school receives a School Performance Score on a 0–150 scale as part of the state’s accountability system.5Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 17 RS 17:10.1 – School and District Accountability System6Legal Information Institute. Louisiana Admin Code Title 28 LXXXIII-301 – School Performance Score Goal Starting in 2024–2025, the SPS converts to a school letter grade this way:
- A: 100–150
- B: 85–99.9
- C: 70–84.9
- D: 50–69.9
- F: 0–49.9
Those ranges come from Bulletin 111, the regulation governing Louisiana’s accountability framework.7Louisiana Department of Education. Bulletin 111 – The Louisiana School, District, and State Accountability System A school in decline receives a “declining” label; schools with exceptional improvement can earn a “top gains” designation.8Legal Information Institute. Louisiana Admin Code Title 28 XI-1101 – Letter Grades So when a parent sees the school’s report card and a student’s report card side by side, the same letter can reflect very different underlying numbers.
Putting It Together
For a Louisiana student today, the practical picture is straightforward. A numerical average of 90 or above earns an A on the report card and 4 quality points toward GPA (5 if the course is weighted). The same score counts toward the TOPS GPA calculation on the same 10-point basis. Students whose transcripts span the transition between the old and new scales may find that older grades were recorded under the seven-point cutoffs; when TOPS eligibility is calculated, the 10-point scale controls going forward. Anyone checking whether their GPA meets a specific TOPS award threshold should confirm the current minimum with the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance, since award tiers each carry their own requirements alongside the GPA floor.