Enter your date of birth to see what grade you're in this school year, based on the US grade-by-age system and the usual September 1 age cutoff.
Quick answer: In the US system, your grade is roughly your age on September 1 minus 5 — so a child who is 5 starts Kindergarten, a 6-year-old is in 1st grade, and so on up to 12th grade at age 17–18. Exact cutoff dates vary by state.
Based on a September 1 cutoff. Your state's cutoff, plus holding back or skipping a grade, can shift this by a year.
In the United States, the grade a student is in is tied to their age at the start of the school year rather than a test. Most states place a child in Kindergarten the September they've turned five, and each birthday after that moves them up one grade. This calculator applies that rule to your date of birth for the current school year, and also tells you whether that grade sits in elementary, middle or high school.
How the grade is worked out
Grade = (age on September 1 of the school year) − 5 Age 5 → Kindergarten · Age 6 → Grade 1 · … · Age 17–18 → Grade 12
The tool figures out the current school year (which begins in late summer), works out how old you are on that September 1, and subtracts five. A result of 0 is Kindergarten and below that is pre-school; above Grade 12 means you've finished high school.
US grade levels by age
Age on Sept 1
Grade
Level
5
Kindergarten
Elementary
6–10
Grades 1–5
Elementary
11–13
Grades 6–8
Middle school
14–17
Grades 9–12
High school
Worked example
Someone born on 15 June 2013, for the 2026–27 school year, is 13 on 1 September 2026. Grade = 13 − 5 = 8, so they're in 8th grade — middle school. If their birthday fell after September 1, they'd be a year younger on the cutoff and a grade lower.
Frequently asked questions
What grade am I in by age?
Take your age on September 1 and subtract 5. Age 5 is Kindergarten, 6 is 1st grade, 11 is 6th grade, 14 is 9th grade, and 17–18 is 12th grade.
Why does the cutoff date matter?
Schools use an age cutoff — often September 1 — to decide the grade. If your birthday is just before or after your state's cutoff, you could be a grade higher or lower than this estimate.
Does this work for held-back or skipped grades?
No. It assumes standard progression. If you repeated or skipped a year, your actual grade will be one different from the result.
What if the result is above 12th grade?
That means you're past typical high-school age — you'd usually have graduated and be college-aged or older.
