GPA Calculator

Your grade point average is a weighted average of your grades, where the weight is the number of credit hours each course is worth. The formula is short:

GPA = total quality points / total credit hours

To find quality points for one course, convert its letter grade to a point value on the 4.0 scale, then multiply by the credit hours. Say you took a three credit course and earned an A. An A is worth 4.0, so that course gives you 4.0 times 3, which is 12 quality points. Do that for every course, add the quality points together, and divide by the total credits.

Here is a full semester. Three courses: an A in a 3 credit class, a B in a 4 credit class, and a B plus in a 3 credit class.

• A (4.0) times 3 credits = 12 quality points
• B (3.0) times 4 credits = 12 quality points
• B+ (3.3) times 3 credits = 9.9 quality points

Total quality points are 33.9 and total credits are 10, so the semester GPA is 3.39. The calculator above does this for you the moment you type a grade.

Cumulative GPA combines every term you have finished. The easiest way is to start with the GPA and credits already on your transcript, then add your current semester. You do not need to re enter years of old courses. Switch the calculator to cumulative mode, enter your prior GPA and prior total credits, then add this term.

Here is a worked example across two semesters. Suppose you have a 3.5 GPA over 30 credits. That is 3.5 times 30, which is 105 quality points. This term you earn a 3.8 over 15 credits, which is 57 quality points. Add them: 105 plus 57 is 162 quality points, over 45 total credits. Your new cumulative GPA is 162 divided by 45, which is 3.6.

Notice how much slower a cumulative GPA moves than a single semester. The more credits you already have, the more each new term is diluted by your history. That is why raising a cumulative GPA late in college is hard, and why strong early grades matter so much.

These terms confuse a lot of students, so here is the plain version. Your semester GPA is the average for one term only. Your cumulative GPA is the average across every term you have completed. At most schools overall GPA is just another name for cumulative GPA. Some schools also track a major GPA, which averages only the courses that count toward your major. When a scholarship or graduate program asks for your GPA, they almost always mean cumulative.

Unweighted GPA puts every course on the same 4.0 scale, no matter how hard it is. Weighted GPA rewards harder courses. A common system adds 0.5 for an Honors course and 1.0 for an AP or IB course, so an A in an AP class can be worth 5.0 instead of 4.0. This is why some students report a GPA above 4.0.

Turn on the Weighted option in the calculator and set each course to Regular, Honors, or AP to see the bonus applied. If you are reporting your GPA to a college, check whether they want the weighted or unweighted number, because schools recalculate GPAs in different ways.

Numbers are easier to read with some context. A 3.0 is a solid B average and keeps most doors open. A 3.5 or higher is strong and competitive for many scholarships. A 3.7 and up often reaches the honors range, and many schools award Latin honors like cum laude near this level. If you are aiming for graduate school, medical school, or law school, plan for the higher end, since those programs are selective.

If your GPA is lower than you want, do not panic. Look at your study habits first, and if you are heading into finals, use our final grade calculator to see exactly what you need to hit your target.