What were Albert Einstein's actual grades in mathematics?
Executive summary
Albert Einstein did not “fail” math; his surviving 1896 Matura (Aargau cantonal school) grades show top marks—sixes—in algebra, geometry, descriptive geometry and physics under the Swiss 6=best scale, and contemporaneous sources and historians confirm he excelled in mathematics from an early age [1] [2] [3]. The enduring myth that he flunked math stems from grading-scale confusion, selective retellings, and a few mediocre non-math marks during adolescence, not from poor mathematical ability [4] [5].
1. The concrete record: report card and Matura show top marks in math
Einstein’s certificate of maturity from the Cantonal School in Aarau, dated October 3, 1896, explicitly lists 6 as “excellent” in subjects tied to mathematics—algebra, geometry and descriptive geometry—and gives the highest marks in physics, demonstrating that his high-school mathematics grades were among the best possible under the Swiss system [1] [2] [6].
2. Why the “failed math” legend persists: reversed scales and selective quoting
The urban legend that Einstein “failed math” traces to confusion over different national grading conventions and a reversal of the Aargau grading scale during his last year—early reports and later retellings misread 1s and 6s across German and Swiss systems, turning evidence of excellence into an apparent failure [4] [7] [8].
3. Context: strong mathematical ability but uneven interest in other subjects
Primary and secondary sources concur that Einstein’s mathematical aptitude was evident early—he taught himself calculus before age 15 and was “far above the school requirements” in math in primary school—yet he disliked rote schooling and produced average or below-average marks in subjects that held his interest less, which created room for distortion when anecdotes were simplified [9] [5] [1].
4. Entrance exams and the nuance everyone misses
Einstein failed the general portion of the 1895 Federal Polytechnic entrance exam but performed “with distinction” in the mathematics and physics parts—this is sometimes misinterpreted as overall failure in math, when in fact it demonstrates subject-specific strength coupled with weaker results in non-scientific areas on a broader test [3] [1].
5. Scholarly and journalistic confirmations: consensus across sources
Biographers, museum archives and reputable outlets have repeatedly debunked the failing-math myth: Albrecht Folsing’s biography and institutional presentations note “exceptional grades” in math and science, and the Nobel/archival photo of the Matura certificate has been used by multiple outlets to show the 6=excellent grading, undercutting the viral claim [8] [6] [1].
6. Remaining uncertainties and limits of the record
While the Aargau Matura and later records are clear about his adolescent performance in mathematics, records from his early years at the Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich were lost or incomplete, and some anecdotes about specific elementary-school tests cannot be substantiated; therefore claims about a “fourth-grade failure” lack verifiable archival support and remain stories, not documented facts [5] [10].
7. Takeaway for the myth-savvy reader
Einstein’s documented grades in mathematics are emphatically strong: the primary surviving evidence—the Matura—gives top marks in algebra, geometry and related subjects under the contemporary Swiss scale (6=excellent), and the persistent myth of failure is the product of grading-scale confusion, selective storytelling and a tendency to romanticize genius as incompatible with school success [1] [4] [11].