Your GPA (grade point average) is the single number colleges, scholarship committees and employers glance at first. This GPA calculator turns your letter grades and credit hours into a GPA on the standard 4.0 scale, shows your weighted GPA when you take Honors or AP / IB classes, and updates your cumulative GPA with this term’s grades.
Quick answer: GPA = total grade points ÷ total credits, where A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0 and F = 0. Grades of A, B+, A-, B and C+ in 3, 4, 3, 3 and 2-credit classes give a 3.33 GPA. Honors adds +0.5 and AP / IB +1.0 to a weighted GPA. A 3.5 GPA is about 88–89%, and a 3.0 is about 83%.
How to use the GPA calculator
- For each class, choose the letter grade you earned (A+ to F).
- Enter the credit hours. Leave the field blank to count every class equally (1 credit), as most high schools do.
- Set the type to Honors or AP / IB for weighted classes; leave Regular for the rest.
- Optional: enter your current cumulative GPA and the credits completed to see your new cumulative GPA.
- Press Calculate. Need more than eight classes? Press Add course (up to 12).
How is GPA calculated?
| Step | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Grade points for a class | Grade points × credits | B+ in a 4-credit class: 3.3 × 4 = 13.2 |
| Term GPA | Σ grade points ÷ Σ credits | 49.9 ÷ 15 = 3.33 |
| Weighted grade points | (Grade points + 0.5 Honors / 1.0 AP) × credits | A in AP: (4.0 + 1.0) × 1 = 5.0 |
| Cumulative GPA | (Old GPA × old credits + term points) ÷ all credits | (3.20 × 45 + 49.9) ÷ 60 = 3.23 |
The weighting bonus is not added to an F, because a failed class earns no grade points at any level.
What is my GPA on a 4.0 scale? Example calculations
Example 1: a college semester
| Class | Grade | Credits | Grade points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus I | A | 3 | 12.0 |
| Biology with lab | B+ | 4 | 13.2 |
| English Composition | A- | 3 | 11.1 |
| Psychology | B | 3 | 9.0 |
| Music Appreciation | C+ | 2 | 4.6 |
| Total | 15 | 49.9 |
GPA = 49.9 ÷ 15 = 3.33, which sits right at a B+ (about 87%).
Example 2: a high school year with Honors and AP
Five full-year classes, each worth 1 credit: A in AP Biology, B+ in Honors English, A- in Spanish, B in Geometry and B in AP U.S. History.
- Unweighted: (4.0 + 3.3 + 3.7 + 3.0 + 3.0) ÷ 5 = 3.40
- Weighted: (5.0 + 3.8 + 3.7 + 3.0 + 4.0) ÷ 5 = 3.90
Example 3: updating a cumulative GPA
You had a 3.20 GPA after 45 credits, and the semester in Example 1 adds 15 credits and 49.9 grade points. New cumulative GPA = (3.20 × 45 + 49.9) ÷ 60 = 193.9 ÷ 60 = 3.23. One strong term moves a cumulative GPA only a little once you have many credits behind you.
Weighted vs unweighted GPA: which one counts?
Both appear on many high school transcripts. Colleges see the unweighted GPA as the fairest way to compare students from different schools, and many recalculate GPAs with their own rules. The weighted GPA shows that you took a demanding course load, which is why it can go above 4.0. College GPAs are almost always unweighted.
What GPA do you need?
| GPA | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| 3.7 – 4.0 | A-/A average; competitive for selective colleges and honors programs |
| 3.5 – 3.69 | Dean’s List at many colleges; strong scholarship candidate |
| 3.0 – 3.49 | B average; meets most scholarship and internship minimums |
| 2.0 – 2.99 | C average; good academic standing at most colleges |
| Below 2.0 | Academic probation risk at most colleges |
Need a better final grade in one class to lift your GPA? The final grade calculator shows exactly what score you need on the exam. To turn points on a test into a percentage, use the percentage calculator.
Common mistakes
- Averaging letter grades without credits. A 4-credit B pulls your GPA down more than a 1-credit B.
- Mixing weighted and unweighted GPAs. Add a weighted term to an unweighted cumulative GPA only if your school does the same.
- Counting pass/fail or withdrawn classes. “P” and “W” usually carry credits but no grade points.
- Assuming every school uses the same scale. Some give A+ 4.3 or skip D-; your transcript’s scale is the one that counts.
- Rounding too early. Round only the final GPA, not each class.
Checking whether you are old enough for a program or how long until graduation? The age calculator counts the exact years, months and days between two dates.
Grading scales and weighting rules differ between schools. This calculator uses the common U.S. 4.0 scale; your official GPA is the one on your transcript.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate GPA?
Turn each letter grade into grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0), multiply by the course’s credit hours, add the results and divide by the total credits. A 3-credit A and a 4-credit B+ give (4.0 × 3 + 3.3 × 4) ÷ 7 = 25.2 ÷ 7 = 3.60.
What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?
An unweighted GPA uses the plain 4.0 scale for every class. A weighted GPA adds a bonus for harder classes, typically 0.5 for Honors and 1.0 for AP or IB, so an A in an AP class counts as 5.0. Five classes with grades A (AP), B+ (Honors), A-, B and B (AP) give 3.40 unweighted and 3.90 weighted.
How do I calculate my cumulative GPA?
Multiply your current GPA by the credits it covers, add this term’s grade points and divide by the new total of credits. With a 3.20 GPA over 45 credits and a 15-credit term worth 49.9 grade points: (3.20 × 45 + 49.9) ÷ 60 = 193.9 ÷ 60 = 3.23.
What is a 3.5 GPA as a percentage?
On the common College Board scale a 3.5 GPA falls between A- (3.7, 90–92%) and B+ (3.3, 87–89%), which works out to roughly 88–89%. A 3.0 is about 83% (a B) and a 4.0 is 93% or higher.
Is a 3.0 GPA good?
A 3.0 means a B average. It is the minimum many scholarships, internships and graduate programs ask for, and it keeps you well above the 2.0 most colleges require for good academic standing. Selective colleges usually look for 3.5 or higher.
Does an A+ count more than an A?
At most U.S. high schools and colleges both an A+ and an A are worth 4.0, so the plus does not raise your GPA. A few schools give an A+ 4.3; if yours does, check your handbook before relying on the result.
Do pass/fail classes count toward GPA?
Usually not. A ‘Pass’ earns credits but no grade points, so it is left out of the GPA. A ‘Fail’ in a pass/fail class may or may not count as an F depending on your school. Leave pass/fail classes out of the calculator unless your school counts them.
How many credits is a typical class?
In college most lecture courses are 3 credit hours, with lab sciences often 4 and one-credit labs or seminars. In high school every year-long class is usually worth 1 credit, so leaving the credits field blank (counted as 1) gives the right answer.
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