Is D passing in college?

Asked by: Dr. Cristopher Crooks III  |  Last update: June 4, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (47 votes)

In fact, a “D” is considered passing in both high school and college, as it's above 60%. While a passing grade may be as low as 60%, you will want to aim higher for many reasons. As a college student, you don't want to aim to barely pass a class.

Do colleges accept D?

Some colleges may be more lenient and accept a D grade if the rest of your application is strong. However, more selective colleges typically expect applicants to have mostly A's and B's, with few C's or below. In that case, a D grade in a core class could be particularly concerning.

Can I graduate with one D in college?

Someone could graduate with some 'D' grades, as long as there were enough A's and B's to keep the GPA above water.

Will one D ruin my GPA in college?

GPA Impact: One D will indeed lower your GPA, but the effect depends on the number of classes you've taken and the grades you've received in the other courses. You can calculate your updated GPA to see how significantly it has been impacted.

Does D count as passing in college?

Most colleges and universities generally consider a "D" (or a 60% to 69% score) as a passing grade. It's important to note that this minimum or lowest passing grade standard can significantly vary depending on the institution or major. For instance, some universities may require a "C" or better to pass.

Is a D+ still passing?

38 related questions found

What happens if you get D's in college?

Is a D a Passing Grade? A letter grade of a D is technically considered passing because it not a failure. A D is any percentage between 60-69%, whereas a failure occurs below 60%. Even though a D is a passing grade, it's barely passing.

What grade is not passing in college?

A grade of C or better is required to earn a Passed; a C- or below will earn a Not Passed grade. A grade of C- may satisfy many requirements (e.g., General Education, elective) but a Not Passed grade will not earn any credit or satisfy requirements.

Is a D in college bad?

Many college grading systems consider a D, or 65 percent, to be the lowest passing grade. Note that different schools, programs, or classes may have different cutoff points for what they consider a passing grade.

Can you pass a semester with one D?

Definition of Grades

Minimum passing grades are D- for undergraduate credit and C for graduate credit.

What does status D mean on transcript?

If you have D's it means you know about 60–70 percent of the info from your class. The “F” means anything below a 59 means shows you have not grasped the knowledge of that class and you failed.

Can you get into college with two D's?

They will look at your grades in community college when transferring, so the Ds will be irrelavant. Depending on your other grades, you may also be able to directly enter your local state university. There are also private colleges that will accept you, but they are likely not worth the high tuition.

Is D pass or fail?

The grades of A, B, C, D and P are passing grades. Grades of F and U are failing grades. R and I are interim grades. Grades of W and X are final grades carrying no credit.

What is the lowest grade in college?

Most colleges, universities, particularly public institutions, follow the grade point system scale of 5.00 - 1.00, in which 1.00 is the highest grade and 5.00 is the lowest possible grade.

What happens if you fail a class in college?

Failing one or more classes could result in academic probation or suspension, depending on your school's policy or the requirements for your major. Most schools place students on academic probation if they fall below a minimum 2.0 GPA at the end of any semester.

Can you still go to college with one D?

Yes. Most colleges will forgive a bad grade if: 1) the rest of your grades fall within their usual GPA, 2) your SAT/ACT grades are reasonable, and 3) you offer some kind of explanation for your poor performance. Even with multiple D's, you could always go to a community college to start out with and then transfer.

Do colleges accept D grades?

You can graduate with Ds, but you cannot go to college with Ds. Colleges will give you ZERO credit for the class, just like you got an F. This is true no matter what the class is, even if it is not a required class.

Can you graduate with one failed class in college?

When you fail a class, you can still graduate and your prospects are not over. Also, you've probably learned a lot from the experience. Not only will you understand how to study better and perform better the next time, but you will also learn a lesson in perseverance.

What can I do with a 3.8 GPA?

The most important thing for freshmen and sophomores to do at this point is to recognize that a 3.8 GPA means you can submit a competitive application to just about every college. Because of this, set a goal to continue doing the work to maintain it.

Does retaking classes look bad on transcripts?

Although your college might offer grade forgiveness on transcripts for any classes you failed and repeated, AMCAS does not and will calculate all grades for such courses. Even though the failing grade will negatively affect your GPA, not retaking the course and earning a passing grade would be worse.

What letter grade is failing in college?

However, there are some schools that consider a C the lowest passing grade, so the general standard is that anything below a 60% or 70% is failing, depending on the grading scale. In post-secondary schools, such as college and universities, a D is considered to be an unsatisfactory passing grade.

What grade passes you in college?

The specific percentage for a passing grade can vary by institution, but it generally falls between 60% and 69%.

Can you go to college if you fail a grade?

If I fail a class in high school, can I still go to college? Yes. Of course you have to consider how you can make up for that bad grade (retake the course, or perhaps take something else that is similar). And you have to think about how you'll explain that big, fat F on your transcript.