GPA Calculator
Calculate your Grade Point Average from course grades and credit hours, for both letter-grade and percentage-based grading systems.
Written by Rahman · Last reviewed
Quick answer
GPA = Σ (grade points × credit hours) ÷ Σ credit hours. Because it is weighted by credit hours, a poor grade in a four-credit course costs considerably more than the same grade in a one-credit course. US scales normally run from 0 to 4.0, though some institutions weight honours and AP courses above 4.0.
GPA is quality points divided by credits, so a heavier course moves it more. Percentage mode uses the common US conversion (93+ = 4.0, 90 = 3.7, and so on down to a fail below 60). Institutions differ — some weight honours and AP courses above 4.0, some do not use plus and minus grades at all, and Latin honours thresholds are set by each school rather than nationally. Check your own registrar's scale before relying on this for anything official.
Results are estimates for general guidance only. Double-check any figure you rely on for an important decision.
About the GPA Calculator
Grade Point Average (GPA) is the standard measure of academic performance in US colleges and universities. Each grade earns a number of quality points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, etc.); multiply quality points by course credit hours, sum across all courses, and divide by total credit hours to get the weighted GPA.
GPA matters for academic probation, scholarship eligibility, honour society membership, graduate school admissions and some job applications. This calculator lets you enter any mix of grades and credit hours to find both your current term GPA and overall cumulative GPA.
GPA = Σ (grade points × credit hours) ÷ Σ credit hours
Grade point scale: A/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 = 1.0, F = 0.0
Credits are the reason a GPA is not an average of grades
A GPA is a weighted mean, not a simple one. Each course contributes in proportion to its credit hours, so a four-credit course counts twice as heavily as a two-credit one and averaging the letter grades directly gives the wrong answer.
Take an A in a 3-credit course, a B in a 4-credit, an A in a 3-credit and a C in a 2-credit. The grade points total 40 across 12 credits, giving a GPA of 3.33. Averaging the four grades without weighting gives 3.25, close enough to look right and wrong enough to matter at a threshold.
- A poor grade in a high-credit course damages the GPA disproportionately, which is why lab and capstone courses carry outsized influence.
- Pass/fail courses usually carry credit toward graduation but are excluded from the GPA, so they neither help nor hurt it.
- Cumulative GPA weights every credit ever taken, so later terms move it progressively less as the total credit count grows.
Weighted, unweighted, and why scales differ
An unweighted GPA caps at 4.0 and treats every course as equal. A weighted GPA adds points for course difficulty (commonly 0.5 for honours and 1.0 for AP or IB), so an A in an AP course scores 5.0 and the maximum rises above 4.0.
This is why GPAs are not comparable between schools without knowing the scale. A 4.2 from a school that weights and a 3.9 from one that does not may represent identical work, and some institutions recalculate every applicant's GPA onto their own scale precisely because the reported figures are not interchangeable.
- Scales in use include 4.0, 4.3 (distinguishing A from A+) and 5.0 weighted, alongside percentage and 10-point systems used elsewhere.
- Plus and minus grades are not recognised everywhere. Where they are not, an A− scores a full 4.0 rather than 3.7.
- When submitting a GPA, state the scale alongside it. A number without its scale carries no information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA is needed for honours / dean's list?
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Requirements vary by institution. A common threshold is 3.5 for Dean's List and 3.7–4.0 for summa cum laude. Confirm with your school's academic handbook.
Does an A+ affect GPA differently from an A?
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On a standard 4.0 scale, both A and A+ map to 4.0. Some institutions use a 4.3 scale where A+ = 4.3, but most US colleges cap at 4.0.
How much can one bad grade hurt my GPA?
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A single F (0.0) in a 3-credit course drags a 4.0 student's GPA down significantly; the exact impact depends on total credits earned. Early in a degree, each course counts more; later on, recovery takes many high-grade courses.
Can I calculate my GPA for graduate school applications?
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Yes. Use only your undergraduate coursework. Some programs weight the last 60 credits; others look at major-specific GPA. Confirm with each programme's requirements.