Students are to be graded in courses according to the traditional system of letter grades (A, B, C, D and F) or may opt to take some courses for Pass/No Credit (P/NC). For the latter option, see the Pass/No Credit Policy for Undergraduate Courses for more information.
For the complete grading policy, review Grading Policies in the Hunter College Catalog. Hunter's pre-2000 grading structure is also available below.
CUNY mandates uniform student retention standards for all CUNY colleges. Decisions about whether or not students may continue in a CUNY college are made on the basis of a student’s grade point average (GPA). To determine GPA, course grades are assigned quality points (which count toward the GPA), as shown in the following table:
| Grade | Definition | Quality Points (GPA Index) |
| A+ | 97.5 – 100% | 4.0 |
| A | 92.5 – 97.4% | 4.0 |
| A- | 90.0 – 92.4% | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87.5 – 89.9% | 3.3 |
| B | 82.5 – 87.4% | 3.0 |
| B- | 80.0 – 82.4% | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77.5 – 79.9% | 2.3 |
| C | 70.0 – 77.4% | 2.0 |
| D | 60.0 - 69.9% | 1.0 |
| F | 0 – 59.9% | 0 |
| WU | Unofficial withdrawal (assigned by instructor; counts zero quality points) | |
| P | Credit Earned (equivalent to A, B, C, D) | |
| NC | No credit granted (equivalent to F) | |
| INC | Term’s work incomplete. This may include absence from final examination. See explanation after chart. | |
Note: When entering the final course grade, the instructor shall enter the underlying letter grade the student would have received had the student not chosen the P/NC option. The Office of the Registrar will convert the underlying letter grade to a P/NC grade unless the student’s request for P/NC is in violation of college-wide or program-specific restrictions on the use of the P/NC grade option.
| Grade | Definition |
| FIN | F from incomplete; an administrative grade used when INC reverts to F; this occurs if grade is not made up by the end of the following semester. |
| AUD | Auditor – No Credit (Undergraduate students only) |
| PEN | A placeholder grade submitted by the Office of Student Conduct when a student is alleged to have committed a violation of the Policy on Academic Integrity and the student denies the allegation. The PEN grade is a placeholder during the pending resolution of the allegation and will be changed by the instructor following such resolution. |
| W | Official withdrawal. Student initiated. See explanation after chart. |
| WA | Administrative withdrawal. Proof of immunization not provided. |
| WD | Withdraw Drop (Dropped after Financial Aid Certification date during the second or third week of classes. Indicates that student has attended at least one class session. |
| Y | Year’s course of study – must complete entire year of study. Students cannot graduate with a Y grade on record. See the instructor for department chair for a change of grade. |
| Z | No grade submitted by instructor (an administrative grade which cannot be assigned by the instructor). Students cannot graduate with a Z grade on record. See the instructor or department chair for a change of grade. |
W
A grade of “W” is assigned to students who officially drop a class after the refund period and prior to or on the last day to officially withdraw for the term/session. Students who have participated in an academically related activity and officially withdraw after the official refund period, but prior to the end of the designated withdrawal period will have a grade of “W” (Withdrew Officially) recorded. After that period, however, with special permission to withdraw by faculty and/or appropriate college committee, a grade of “W” may be recorded.
WU
A grade of “WU” is to be assigned to students who participated in an academically related activity at least once, completely stopped attending at any time before the culminating academic experience of the course, i.e., final exam, final paper, etc., and did not officially withdraw.
F
A grade of "F" is a failure grade given to a student who completed the culminating academic experience of the course and failed. A student who completed a course unsuccessfully should be granted the grade of “F” with the culminating academic experience of the course, i.e., final exam, final paper, etc. This grade can also be assigned if the student has completed most of the course and documentation of failing course work is available.
INC
The grade of “INC” (Incomplete) should only be given by the instructor in consultation with the student with the following guidelines:
The following grades and designations may appear on old transcripts.
| Grade | Definition |
| * | (preceding a letter grade): unauthorized course was repeated (discontinued spring 2013) |
| & | (preceding a letter grade): authorized course was repeated (discontinued) |
| AB | Absent from the final exam, discontinued fall 1988 #F, #FIN, #WU failing grade course repeated (discontinued spring 2013) |
| WN | Never attended. (equivalent to F grade; fall 2008 through summer 2009 ONLY) |
| *WN | Unofficial withdrawal (Student never attended) discontinued spring 2013) |
Review information about Hunter's grading structure prior to the year 2000.
| Undergraduate | Graduate | |
| Grade | Spring 96-Fall 99 | Fall 96-Present |
| A+ | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| A | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| A- | 4.0 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.0 | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| B- | 3.0 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.0 | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| C- | 2.0 | N/A |
| D+ | 1.0 | N/A |
| D | 1.0 | N/A |
| F | 0 | 0 |
| WU | 0 | 0 |
| WN | 0 | 0 |
| FIN | 0 | N/A |
| FAB | 0 | N/A |
Undergraduate
| AB | Absent from final exam, discontinued Fall 1988 | R | No credit; must repeat |
| AU | Auditor (No credit) | W | Withdrew without prejudice |
| CR | Credit earned (equivalent to A, B, C) | WA | Immunization not proven; implemented Fall 1995 |
| *F | Course retaken; not included in both semester and cum. GPA; discontinued Fall 1999 | WU | Unofficial withdrawal; failure/attended at least one class session |
| #F | Course retaken; not included in cum. GPA, included in semester GPA | *WU | Course retaken; not included in both semester and cum GPA; discontinued Fall 1999 |
| *FA | Course retaken; former FAB not included in both semester and cum. GPA; discontinued Fall 1999 | #WU | Course retaken; not included in cum GPA, included in semester GPA |
| #FA | Course retaken; former FAB not included in cum GPA, included in semester GPA | Y | Year course |
| *FI | Course retaken, former FIN, not included in both semester and cum GPA, discontinued Fall 1999 | Z | No grade submitted |
| #FI | Course retaken, former FIN, not included in cum GPA, included in semester GPA | WN | Unofficial withdrawal; failure/never attended |
| IN | Incomplete | *WN | Unofficial withdrawal without penalty/never attended |
| NC | No credit granted (equivalent to D, F) | #WN | Course retaken; not included in cum GPA, included in semester GPA |
Graduate
| P | Satisfactory completion, used only for thesis research or equivalent course where required in the particular graduate program | H | Honors |
| IN | Incomplete | CR | Credit (equivalent to A, B) |
| W | Withdrawal without prejudice | NC | No Credit (equivalent to C, F) |
| WA | Immunization not proven; implemented Fall 1995 | Z | No grade submitted |
Incomplete/Absence Rule
A student who receives an "IN" grade in an undergraduate course must complete the work by the end of the semester following the one in which the course was taken whether or not the student is in attendance. If the work is not completed, the "IN" becomes a "FIN" grade. Exception: An "IN" grade received in Fall"76, Spring '77, Summer '77 or Fall '77 ONLY will remain a permanent "IN", provided course work was not completed by the eighth week of the following semester. A permanent "IN" cannot be made up and cannot become a "F".
As of Fall 1988 the "AB" grade was discontinued. Students who received this grade prior to that date were expected to take a make-up examination. If the examination was not taken, the "AB" became a "FAB".
CUNY Attendance Policy
Faculty are required to indicate each semester or term either affirmatively that the student has attended or is otherwise active and participating in the course (e.g. by submitting assignments, attending a required study group, academic conference or tutorial) or negatively that the student has never attended any of the classes since the beginning of the term.
Hunter High School Credit
Course numbers which are followed by the letter "HS" or which appear under the heading "Hunter High School", are fully credited college level courses which are taken by Hunter High School students while they are still in high school.
School of Social Work
In the School of Social Work the H, CR, NC grading system is mandatory. These grades carry no quality points. The assignment of traditional letter grades in the School of Social Work may be arranged by consultation with the instructor at the beginning of each semester. A grade of credit includes acceptable graduate level work equivalent to a B or A. The grade of Honor, rarely given, signifies unusual or outstanding work, well above the A level.
If a student feels that a grade has been assigned in error, the student may appeal the grading decision. All grade appeals should begin with a conversation with the course instructor, preferably within the first three weeks of the semester following the one when the grade was given. Learn more about Grade Appeals in the Hunter College Catalog.