In contrast with many other countries, evaluation of students in the United States occurs frequently, usually several times in a single academic course. Professors have their own methods of evaluating course work: some use fixed scales, others a formula based on comparison, commonly referred to as "grading on a curve," in which the grading scale is adjusted based on the class average.

The most frequently used grading mechanism in the United States is a letter grade, which is used at NYU. The grades A, B, C, D, and F have equivalent numeric values used in computing the grade point average (GPA). A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0. Although D is a passing grade, normally a 2.0 cumulative average is required to obtain an undergraduate degree and a 3.0 to receive a graduate degree. The average is calculated by adding the products of the value of each course and the respective numbers of credits and dividing the sum of the products by the total number of credits taken. Evaluation may be based on objective examinations, in-class essays, or original papers written outside of class. Be sure you understand at the beginning of the semester your various professors' expectations, grading criteria, and evaluation procedures.