Career · Education
GPA Calculator
Calculate your college GPA on the US 4.0 scale. Enter each course's letter grade and credit hours for an instant weighted grade point average — free and no sign-up.
How the GPA calculator works
Your grade point average (GPA) is a credit-weighted average of your grades. The formula is simple:
- Step 1 — Convert each letter grade to grade points on the 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on).
- Step 2 — Multiply each course's grade points by its credit hours. This gives that course's quality points.
- Step 3 — Add up all quality points, then add up all credit hours.
- Step 4 — Divide total quality points by total credit hours.
In short: GPA = Σ(grade points × credit hours) ÷ Σ(credit hours). Courses worth more credit hours pull your GPA more strongly, which is why a strong grade in a 4-credit class matters more than the same grade in a 1-credit class.
US 4.0 grade scale
| Letter grade | Grade points |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| F | 0.0 |
Things to keep in mind
Credit hours matter as much as grades
Because GPA is weighted by credit hours, a low grade in a heavy course (4 credits) can drag your average down far more than a low grade in a light course (1 credit). Always enter the correct credit hours for each class.
Weighted high school scales differ
This tool uses the standard unweighted 4.0 scale. Many US high schools use a 5.0 weighted scale for honors, AP and IB courses, which adds bonus points. If your school weights advanced classes, your official GPA may be slightly higher than this estimate.
Frequently asked questions
How is GPA calculated?
GPA is the sum of (grade points × credit hours) for every course, divided by total credit hours. On the 4.0 scale, A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0. Heavier courses weigh more.
What is a weighted GPA?
A weighted GPA gives more value to courses worth more credit hours. Each course is multiplied by its credit hours before averaging, so a 4-credit class affects your GPA twice as much as a 2-credit class.
What are quality points?
Quality points are grade points times credit hours. An A (4.0) in a 3-credit course earns 12 quality points. Your GPA equals total quality points divided by total credit hours.
Does this work for high school and college?
Yes. It uses the unweighted US 4.0 scale, which works for college and standard high school GPAs. Honors/AP courses on a 5.0 weighted scale may add extra points this tool doesn't include.
What grade points map to each letter?
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, F = 0. Check your school's official policy for variations like D-.
How the 4.0 scale works
The US grade point average is built on a 4.0 scale, where each letter grade maps to a fixed number of grade points. An A is the top value at 4.0, and an F is worth 0. Most US colleges add plus and minus modifiers, so an A− is 3.7 and a B+ is 3.3, giving a finer measure of performance than whole letters alone. Your GPA is simply a credit-weighted average of these grade points across all the courses you have taken. Because the scale tops out at 4.0, a standard (unweighted) GPA cannot exceed 4.0 no matter how strong your grades are.
It helps to think in terms of quality points. The quality points for one course equal its grade points multiplied by its credit hours. Add up the quality points from every course, divide by the total credit hours, and you have your GPA. This is exactly the calculation the tool above performs each time you change a grade or credit value.
Weighted vs. unweighted GPA
There are two common meanings of "weighted," and it is easy to confuse them.
Credit-hour weighting
Every standard GPA is "weighted" by credit hours, meaning a course worth more credits counts more toward your average. A 4-credit course influences your GPA twice as much as a 2-credit course with the same grade. This calculator uses credit-hour weighting, which is the method used by virtually all US colleges.
Course-difficulty weighting
Many US high schools also use a separate weighted scale that adds bonus points for harder courses. On a common 5.0 weighted scale, an A in an honors, Advanced Placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB) class might be worth 5.0 instead of 4.0, rewarding students who take a tougher course load. An unweighted GPA ignores course difficulty and caps every A at 4.0. This tool calculates an unweighted GPA, so if your school applies difficulty bonuses, your official GPA may be higher than the figure shown here.
Letter grade to GPA conversion
The table below shows the standard conversion used by most US institutions, along with a worked example so you can see how the quality-point math comes together.
| Letter | Grade points | Typical percentage |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | 93–100 |
| 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 |
| D | 1.0 | 60–69 |
| F | 0.0 | Below 60 |
Percentage ranges vary by school, so treat them as a general guide rather than a fixed rule.
Worked example
Suppose you took four courses in one semester:
| Course | Grade | Credits | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | A (4.0) | 4 | 16.0 |
| Calculus | B+ (3.3) | 3 | 9.9 |
| History | B (3.0) | 3 | 9.0 |
| Seminar | A- (3.7) | 2 | 7.4 |
Total quality points are 16.0 + 9.9 + 9.0 + 7.4 = 42.3, and total credit hours are 4 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 12. Dividing gives 42.3 ÷ 12 = 3.53, so the semester GPA is 3.53. Notice that the 4-credit A pulls the average up strongly because it carries the most weight.
Cumulative GPA across semesters
Your cumulative GPA is the same calculation applied to every graded course you have completed, not just one term. To combine semesters, add up the quality points from all terms and divide by the total credit hours from all terms. A simple shortcut for two semesters is to multiply each semester's GPA by its credit hours, add the two products, and divide by the combined credits. For instance, a 3.53 GPA over 12 credits combined with a 3.80 GPA over 15 credits gives (3.53 × 12 + 3.80 × 15) ÷ 27 ≈ 3.68 cumulative. A strong later semester moves your cumulative GPA gradually, not instantly, because earlier credits still count.
How colleges read your GPA
Admissions offices rarely look at GPA in isolation. They typically consider the rigor of your course load, grade trends over time, and how your GPA compares with your school's grading norms. Many universities recalculate applicant GPAs using their own method, sometimes counting only core academic subjects or stripping out weighting. This is one reason the GPA on your transcript can differ from the number a college reports for you. Standardized context, such as class rank or your school profile, often matters as much as the raw average.
Practical ways to raise your GPA
- Prioritize high-credit courses. Because heavy courses carry more weight, focusing your effort where the credit hours are largest has the biggest effect on your average.
- Target borderline grades. Moving a course from a B− to a B, or a B+ to an A−, can lift your GPA more efficiently than chasing perfection in a class you are already passing well.
- Retake low grades where allowed. Some schools replace the original grade in the GPA when you retake a course; check your registrar's policy before assuming a retake helps.
- Balance your schedule. Overloading on difficult courses in one term can drag several grades down at once. Spreading rigor across semesters protects your average.
- Use academic support early. Tutoring, office hours, and study groups tend to help most when used before grades slip, not after.
More frequently asked questions
What counts as a good GPA?
It depends on context, but on the 4.0 scale a GPA above 3.5 is generally considered strong, 3.0–3.5 is solid, and below 2.0 often risks academic probation. Standards differ by school and program.
Do pass/fail courses affect my GPA?
Usually not. Pass/fail and credit/no-credit courses typically earn credit hours but do not contribute grade points, so they are excluded from the GPA calculation. Check your school's policy.
How do I include a withdrawal or incomplete?
A withdrawal (W) generally does not count toward GPA, and an incomplete (I) is excluded until a final grade is assigned. Do not enter these as courses in the calculator until they convert to a letter grade.
Can my GPA go above 4.0?
Not on an unweighted scale. A GPA above 4.0 only appears on weighted scales that add bonus points for honors, AP, or IB courses. This tool produces an unweighted GPA capped at 4.0.
Why is my calculated GPA different from my transcript?
Common reasons include weighted scales, pass/fail courses, grade-replacement policies on retakes, and rounding rules. Your registrar's official calculation is the authoritative one.
How many credits is a typical course?
Most US college courses are worth 3 or 4 credit hours, while labs, seminars, and short courses may be 1 or 2. Always enter the exact credits listed on your transcript for accuracy.