What is a passing grade in California?
Most high school students know that a D in an academic class is a passing grade. That means they get 5 credits towards high school graduation and the course has satisfied the particular category (English, math, etc.).
But while a student can eek by with a D for graduation purposes, in California, the UCs and the CSUs will not accept Ds for their core academic courses (known as A-G courses). Yup. For UCs and CSUs, you need to receive a C- or better to get credit for these courses and to be eligible for enrollment in the largest public university systems in the country.
This can be very confusing for students who are not familiar with college admissions requirements, and especially so for students from homes where parents did not attend college. A recent survey found that only 37% of Black and Hispanic students understood what A-G eligibility meant.
To address these concerns, some California schools are considering “dumping the D” and moving a passing grade to a C and giving “incompletes” for Ds. Either way, students should have the same passing grade requirements for high school graduation and for college admissions. Let’s close that gap!