How GPA is calculated
Your grade point average is a credit-weighted average of grade points. Each letter grade has a point value, each course has a number of credits (or hours), and bigger courses count for more.
The top part, grade points times credits, is called quality points. Pass/fail courses earn credit but no grade points, so they are left out of both the top and the bottom of the sum.
The 4.0 grade scale
Most US high schools and colleges use this scale. Some cap the A+ at 4.0 and others give 4.3; some do not use minus grades at all. The calculator follows the common version below and lets you choose the A+ value.
| Letter | Grade points | Typical percentage |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 (or 4.3) | 97–100 |
| A | 4.0 | 93–96 |
| A− | 3.7 | 90–92 |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87–89 |
| B | 3.0 | 83–86 |
| B− | 2.7 | 80–82 |
| C+ | 2.3 | 77–79 |
| C | 2.0 | 73–76 |
| C− | 1.7 | 70–72 |
| D+ | 1.3 | 67–69 |
| D | 1.0 | 63–66 |
| D− | 0.7 | 60–62 |
| F | 0.0 | below 60 |
If you enter percentages, each one is turned into a letter with this table first. Your school may draw the lines differently, for example a D starting at 65, so check your handbook if a grade sits near a boundary.
Worked example
A student takes four courses this semester:
| Course | Credits | Grade | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 3 | A (4.0) | 12.0 |
| Calculus | 4 | B+ (3.3) | 13.2 |
| Biology | 4 | A− (3.7) | 14.8 |
| History | 3 | B (3.0) | 9.0 |
Total quality points are 12 + 13.2 + 14.8 + 9 = 49, over 14 credits, so the semester GPA is 49 ÷ 14 = 3.50.
Notice that the 4-credit B+ pulls the average down more than a 3-credit B+ would. That is why a GPA is not just the average of your letter grades.
Weighted GPA
Many high schools reward harder classes with extra points:
- Honors: +0.5, so an A counts as 4.5.
- AP, IB or dual enrollment: +1.0, so an A counts as 5.0.
Tick Weighted GPA and set the type of each course. The bonus is only added to passing grades, so an F in an AP class still counts as 0. You will see both numbers: colleges often recalculate GPAs their own way, and many look at the unweighted GPA first.
Cumulative GPA and the GPA you need
Your cumulative (overall) GPA combines every term. You do not need your old transcripts, only your current GPA and the credits behind it:
Example: a 3.20 GPA over 60 credits plus a term of 15 credits with 52.5 quality points (a 3.50 term) gives (192 + 52.5) ÷ 75 = 3.26.
The What GPA do I need? box runs this in reverse. To lift a 3.0 over 60 credits to 3.2 with 15 more credits, you need (3.2 × 75 − 3.0 × 60) ÷ 15 = 4.0, a perfect term. The more credits you already have, the harder your GPA is to move, so plan early if you are aiming for a scholarship or honors cut-off.
Tips
- Use the credits printed on your transcript; lab and seminar courses may carry 1 or 2.
- Repeated courses are handled differently by each school; many replace the old grade. Enter only the grade that counts.
- On a 10-point scale, as in India and some other countries, use the CGPA calculator instead.
- To find what you need on a final exam to get a certain grade in one course, use the grade calculator. For quick test scores, the percentage calculator helps.
- For more worked examples of weighted, unweighted and credit-hour GPA, read how to calculate GPA.