What grade is my child in?
Select your country and state, then enter your child's date of birth to find their current grade level, the school year name, and their full year-by-year timeline from kindergarten through Grade 12.
Select your country and region, then choose the child's date of birth to see their grade and school timeline.
Why grade depends on birthday, not just age
Two children the same age can be in different grades. A child born August 31 in a September 1 state started kindergarten at age 4 years and 11 months; a child born September 2 of the same year had to wait an extra year and started at nearly 6. They are the same age but in different grades. This is why a simple "age 7 = Grade 2" table is never perfectly accurate — the calculator uses your child's exact birthday and your state's cutoff date to give you the right answer.
How the current grade is calculated
The calculator determines the year your child entered kindergarten based on their birthday and the state cutoff date. It then counts the number of school years since that kindergarten year. Kindergarten = year 0, Grade 1 = year 1, Grade 2 = year 2, through Grade 12 = year 12. The school year is anchored to September: if today is September or later, the current school year started this calendar year; if it is before September, it started last year.
US grade names and school stages
US schools are organized into stages: kindergarten (around age 5), elementary school (kindergarten through Grade 5 in most districts), middle school or junior high (Grades 6–8), and high school (Grades 9–12). The high school grades also carry names — Grade 9 is freshman year, Grade 10 sophomore, Grade 11 junior, and Grade 12 senior. Some districts group grades differently, such as K–6 elementary with 7–8 junior high, or K–8 schools that keep students through Grade 8. The calculator reports the numbered grade (K and 1–12); how your district sorts those grades into buildings is a local decision.
When your child's actual grade may differ
The calculator assumes a standard, on-time progression from kindergarten. Your child's real grade can differ if they were academically redshirted (started a year later), skipped a grade, were retained (held back), attended a transitional kindergarten or extra pre-K year, or moved between states with different cutoff dates. A child who moves from a December 1 cutoff state to a September 1 state — or the reverse — is sometimes placed a grade differently than predicted, at the receiving district's discretion. Treat the result as the expected placement, and confirm with the school for any child whose history includes one of these events.
FAQ
What grade is a 7-year-old in?
A 7-year-old is typically in Grade 1 or Grade 2. A child born January–August in a September 1 state is in Grade 2; a child born September–December is in Grade 1. Enter the exact birthday in the calculator for a definitive answer.
What grade is a 5-year-old in?
A 5-year-old who met the kindergarten cutoff is in kindergarten. If they are 5 but their birthday fell just after the cutoff, they may be in their Pre-K year and will start kindergarten the following fall.
What grade is a 10-year-old in?
A 10-year-old is typically in Grade 4 or Grade 5, depending on their birthday relative to the kindergarten cutoff. Use the calculator with your state selected for an exact answer.
What grade is a 13-year-old in?
A 13-year-old is typically in Grade 7 or Grade 8 — the middle school years. In a K–5 / 6–8 system, they are in the final two years before high school.
What grade is a 16-year-old in?
A 16-year-old is typically in Grade 10 (Sophomore) or Grade 11 (Junior) of high school, depending on their birthday and state cutoff.