How to use the GPA calculator
- For each class, pick the letter Grade and enter its Credits (credit hours or units, for example 3 or 0.5). The Course name is optional and only helps you keep track.
- Set the Type to Honors or AP / IB for weighted classes; leave it on Regular otherwise.
- Use Add course for more rows and Add semester to work out several terms at once; each semester shows its own GPA.
- Read Your GPA: the unweighted and weighted GPA, the credits counted, the quality points and the division behind them.
- For your overall GPA, fill in Previous cumulative GPA and Credits already completed under Cumulative GPA. Open What GPA do I need? to see the average you need on your remaining credits to reach a target.
- If your school counts an A+ as 4.3, change A+ counts as at the top. Reset clears everything.
How GPA is calculated
A grade point average is a credit-weighted average of grade points. Each letter grade has a point value (A = 4.0, B+ = 3.3, C = 2.0 and so on). Multiply each course’s points by its credits to get its quality points, add the quality points for all courses, and divide by the total credits:
GPA = Σ (grade points × credits) ÷ Σ credits
Worked example with three classes:
| Course | Grade | Points | Credits | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | A | 4.0 | 3 | 12.0 |
| Calculus | B+ | 3.3 | 4 | 13.2 |
| Art | C | 2.0 | 2 | 4.0 |
| Total | 9 | 29.2 | ||
GPA = 29.2 ÷ 9 = 3.244…, shown as 3.24. Notice that the four-credit B+ pulls the average more than the two-credit C: credits decide how much each grade counts. The calculator rounds to two decimal places; some schools truncate instead (3.24 either way here) or report three decimals.
The 4.0 scale
This calculator uses the most common US 4.0 scale: A and A+ 4.0, A− 3.7, B+ 3.3, B 3.0, B− 2.7, C+ 2.3, C 2.0, C− 1.7, D+ 1.3, D 1.0, D− 0.7 and F 0. The full table, with honors and AP values, is under the results. Schools do differ: some use plain letters without plus and minus, some give an A+ 4.3 (or 4.33), and a few use other point values, so check your school’s handbook or registrar if a GPA has to match your transcript exactly.
Weighted vs unweighted GPA
An unweighted GPA treats every class the same, so the maximum is 4.0. A weighted GPA adds a bonus for harder classes. This calculator uses a common convention: +0.5 for honors classes and +1.0 for AP and IB classes, so an A in an AP class counts as 5.0 and a B+ as 4.3. An F earns no bonus. In the example above, making Calculus an AP class changes its points from 3.3 to 4.3, its quality points from 13.2 to 17.2, and the weighted GPA to (12 + 17.2 + 4) ÷ 9 = 33.2 ÷ 9 = 3.69.
Weighting rules vary more than the base scale. Some high schools cap weighted GPAs at 5.0, some only weight 11th and 12th grade classes, some give honors no bonus, and many colleges recalculate an applicant’s GPA with their own rules, often unweighted. Use the unweighted figure when a form asks for a GPA on a 4.0 scale.
How to calculate cumulative GPA
Your cumulative GPA covers every graded credit so far, so you cannot simply average two semester GPAs unless both have the same number of credits. Convert the old GPA back into quality points and add the new ones:
New cumulative GPA = (previous GPA × previous credits + new quality points) ÷ (previous credits + new credits)
Example: a 3.50 GPA over 30 credits is 105 quality points. Adding this term’s 29.2 points over 9 credits gives (105 + 29.2) ÷ (30 + 9) = 134.2 ÷ 39 = 3.44. Make sure the previous GPA uses the same basis as the one you choose (unweighted or weighted); mixing them gives a meaningless number. Courses taken pass/fail, and usually withdrawals, carry no grade points and stay out of the GPA, although pass credits still count toward graduation.
Percentages, other countries and related tools
There is no universal percentage-to-letter conversion. Many US high schools use 90–100 for an A and 80–89 for a B, but others use 93 or 94 for an A, and colleges set their own cut-offs, so this calculator starts from letter grades. Other countries use different systems altogether, such as UK degree classifications (First, 2:1, 2:2) or the 10-point CGPA scale used by many Indian universities; this calculator is only for the US 4.0 scale.
For a step-by-step explanation with more examples, read How Is GPA Calculated? Weighted vs Unweighted GPA. To turn a test score into a percentage, use the percentage calculator; for other maths, the scientific calculator; to count the days to a deadline, the date calculator. More free calculators are in Everyday Tools.
Privacy
Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. Your courses, grades and the cumulative inputs are saved in your browser’s local storage on this device so they are still there when you come back; Reset deletes them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my GPA?
Multiply each class’s grade points (A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0, with plus and minus steps) by its credits, add the results, and divide by the total credits. For example, an A in a 3-credit class, a B+ in a 4-credit class and a C in a 2-credit class give 29.2 ÷ 9 = 3.24.
What is a weighted GPA?
A weighted GPA gives extra points for harder classes, commonly +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP or IB, so an A in an AP class counts as 5.0 instead of 4.0. It can therefore go above 4.0. Schools set their own weighting rules, and colleges often recalculate GPAs their own way.
How do I calculate cumulative GPA?
Multiply your previous GPA by the credits it covers, add the quality points from your new classes, and divide by the total credits. A 3.50 over 30 credits plus a 3.24 term over 9 credits gives (105 + 29.2) ÷ 39 = 3.44, not the simple average of 3.37.
Is an A+ worth more than 4.0?
At most schools, no: an A+ counts as 4.0, the same as an A, so the unweighted maximum stays 4.0. Some colleges give an A+ 4.3 or 4.33. Choose 4.3 under “A+ counts as” if your school does.
Do pass/fail classes count toward GPA?
Usually not. A pass earns credits toward graduation but no grade points, so it does not change your GPA. At many schools a failing grade in a pass/fail class also stays out of the GPA, but some count it as an F, so check your school’s policy.
What is a good GPA?
A 3.0 is a B average and is a common minimum for scholarships, honors programs and some employers, while a 3.5 or higher is generally seen as strong. What counts as good depends on your goals: selective colleges and graduate programs often expect more, so compare your GPA with the published ranges for the programs you are interested in.
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