What Grade Is My Child In Calculator
Find which school grade a child belongs in from the date of birth and the school entry cutoff date, plus the first-grade year and the graduation year (class of).
How it works
Age at cutoff = full years between birth and the cutoff date of the school year · grade = age at cutoff − first-grade entry age + 1 (0 = kindergarten) · graduation year = school year + (12 − grade), + 1 when the school year spans two calendar years
Schools place children by their age on a fixed cutoff date. In most US states a child starts kindergarten at 5 and first grade at 6 by a date around September 1 (it varies by state); Spain and Mexico use December 31 of the year the school year starts, Argentina June 30 and Chile March 31 of the school year. A child born just after the cutoff goes one grade lower than a classmate born just before it. The calculator assumes 12 grades and normal progression, without skipped or repeated years.
Worked example
A child born March 10, 2019, for the 2026–2027 school year with a September 1 cutoff and first grade at 6: on September 1, 2026 the child is 7, so 7 − 6 + 1 = Grade 2. First grade was 2025–2026, grade 12 starts in 2036–2037, and the graduation year is 2037.
Sources: NCES — State kindergarten entrance age policies · Eurydice — Compulsory education in Europe
Frequently asked questions
What grade should my child be in?
Take the child’s age on your school’s cutoff date: at 5 it is kindergarten, at 6 first grade, at 7 second grade, and so on up to 17 for grade 12 (with a first-grade entry age of 6).
What is the school cutoff date?
It is the date by which a child must reach the entry age. Many US states use September 1, Spain and Mexico December 31, Argentina June 30 and Chile March 31; check your local school authority.
How do I calculate my child’s graduation year?
Add the grades left to the current school year. A second grader in 2026–2027 has 10 more years to grade 12, which starts in 2036–2037, so the child graduates in 2037.
My child was born right after the cutoff. Which grade?
Children born just after the cutoff are the oldest in the lower grade. Some schools allow early entry by testing, but by the standard rule they start one year later.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.