It’s easy to get confused when trying to figure out how old are you in each grade – from first graders to grade 12 (and every age in between) this guide will have you covered. (Including what happens if your birthday falls right after the beginning of the school year or right before the end.)
How old are first graders?
First graders are 6 years old for most of the school year. If a first grader’s birthday is between the start of school and December 31st, they will start grade one at 5 years old. If the first grader’s birthday is between January 1st and the end of the school year – they will finish their first grade at 7 years old.
How old are second graders?
Second graders are 7 years old for most of the school year. If the child’s birthday is between the start of the school year and December 31st, they will start the grade at 6 years old. Also, if any 2nd graders have their birthday between January 1st and the end of the school year – they will finish the 2nd grade being 8 years old.
How old are third graders
Third graders are 8 years old for most of the school year, but can start the school year at 7 or finish it at age 9 depending on their birthday.
How old are 4th graders?
Fourth graders are 9 years old for most of the school year. They can start the year at age 8 if their birthday falls between the beginning of the school year and December 31st, and can end the 4th grade at age 10 if their birthday is after January 1st but before the end of the school year.
How old is a 5th grader?
A 5th grader is 10 years old for most of the school year. However, they can be as young as 9 in 5th grade if their birthday falls after the beginning of the school year but before December 31st. And they can be as old as 11 toward the end of 5th grade if their birthday falls after January 1st but before the end of the school year.
How old are 6th graders?
Students who are 6th graders would be 11 years old. If the 6th grader’s birthday is after the first day of school but before December 31st, they would start the school year at 10 years old. Also, if their birthday is after January 1st, they would end the school year at 12 years of age.
How old are 7th graders?
A student would be 12 years old for most of the 7th grade. But they could be as young as 11 or as old as 13 depending on their birthday. If the 7th grader’s birthday is before December 31st, they would start the school year at age 11. If their birthday is after January 1st, they would end 7th grade as 13 year olds.
How old are 8th graders?
Students who are 8th graders are 13 years old. They could be as young as 12 in the beginning of 8th grade, or as old as 14 at the end of 8th grade depending on their birthday.
How old are you in grade 9?
You are 14 years old in 9th grade. (But could start the year as young as 13 and end 9th grade as old as 15 depending on when your birthday falls.)
How old are you in grade 10?
You are 15 years old in 10th grade. (But you could start 10th grade at age 14 if your birthday is in the beginning of the school year and you could end 10th grade at age 16 if it falls at the end of the school year.)
How old are you in grade 11?
You are 16 years old as an 11th grader. (But could be as young as 15 or as old as 17 if your birthday falls in the school year.)
How old are you in grade 12?
You are 17 years old as a 12th grader. (And could be as young as 16 or as old as 18 depending on whether your birthday falls before December 31st or after January 1st.)
How old are you in each grade?
| Grade | How old are you in this grade? | If your birthday is between the beginning of the school year but before December 31st you’ll start the grade as… | If your birthday is after January 1st but before the end of the school year, you’ll end this grade as… |
| 1st grade | 6 years old | 5 years old | 7 years old |
| 2nd grade | 7 years old | 6 years old | 8 years old |
| 3rd grade | 8 years old | 7 years old | 9 years old |
| 4th grade | 9 years old | 8 years old | 10 years old |
| 5th grade | 10 years old | 9 years old | 11 years old |
| 6th grade | 11 years old | 10 years old | 12 years old |
| 7th grade | 12 years old | 11 years old | 13 years old |
| 8th grade | 13 years old | 12 years old | 14 years old |
| 9th grade | 14 years old | 13 years old | 15 years old |
| 10th grade | 15 years old | 14 years old | 16 years old |
| 11th grade | 16 years old | 15 years old | 17 years old |
| 12th grade | 17 years old | 16 years old | 18 years old |
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Final Word
We hope that this post gave you some clarity about how old students are in each grade! This grade-to-age guide is for American, Canadian, and most other Western countries. Other countries may have their students start their schooling later or earlier, and many don’t finish their school years in grade twelve. (Not to mention, some school boards’ cut off for birthdays is not December 31st, but that’s pretty rare.) If you’re curious about how other regions approach school, drop us a message so we can update our guide.
