How to use the GPA calculator
Pick the grade scale your school publishes, then add one row per course with its name, grade and credit hours. Only enter credits that count toward GPA. Pass/fail and credit/no-credit classes usually don't.
To see your cumulative GPA, enter your current GPA and the credits behind it. Leave both at zero if this is your first term. The target section then tells you what you'd need to average over the credits you still plan to take.
- Choose the common 4.0 scale, the 4.33 scale (A+ = 4.33) or custom numeric points from 0 to 5.
- Add each course with a name, a letter grade (or grade points on the custom scale) and its credits.
- Optional: enter your current cumulative GPA and the GPA credits it covers.
- Set a target cumulative GPA and how many credits you'll take after this term.
- Calculate, then check the quality-point table against your transcript.
GPA formula with credit hours
Your GPA is a credit-weighted average. Each course's grade points times its credits gives quality points. A 4-credit B counts for more than a 2-credit B, which is why averaging your letter grades usually gives the wrong answer.
For a cumulative GPA, the calculator turns your old GPA back into quality points by multiplying it by your old credits. It adds this term's points and credits and divides again. You can't average two GPAs directly unless they cover the same number of credits.
Quality points = grade points x credit hoursSemester GPA = total quality points / total GPA creditsCumulative GPA = (old GPA x old credits + term quality points) / (old credits + term credits)GPA needed = (target x (all credits so far + future credits) - quality points so far) / future credits
Worked example: semester and cumulative GPA
Three courses worth 3, 4 and 3 credits with grades of A, B+ and A- on the 4.0 scale give a 3.630 semester GPA. Now add a student who came in with a 3.20 over 60 credits.
That 3.20 is 192 quality points. Add the term's 36.3 and you get 228.3 points over 70 credits, or about 3.261. A 3.50 after 30 more credits would need a 4.06 average, which isn't possible on a 4.0 scale. The best this student can reach in that window is about 3.483. A 3.40 target needs a 3.72 average, which is doable.
| Stage | Quality points | GPA credits | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus, A | 4.0 x 3 = 12.0 | 3 | 4.000 |
| Chemistry, B+ | 3.3 x 4 = 13.2 | 4 | 3.300 |
| Writing, A- | 3.7 x 3 = 11.1 | 3 | 3.700 |
| This semester | 36.3 | 10 | 3.630 |
| Earlier record | 3.20 x 60 = 192.0 | 60 | 3.200 |
| New cumulative GPA | 228.3 | 70 | 3.261 |
High school GPA calculator: weighted vs unweighted
An unweighted GPA uses the same 4.0 scale for every class. A weighted GPA adds a bonus for harder classes such as honors, AP or IB, so it can go above 4.0. Each school sets its own bonus. The University of California, for example, adds one point per semester of a UC-approved honors course, capped at 8 points.
To get a weighted GPA here, choose the custom numeric scale and type the grade points your school assigns each class. Say your school adds 1.0 for AP and 0.5 for honors. Four 1-credit classes with an A in AP Chemistry, a B+ in Honors English, an A- and a B give an unweighted 3.50 and a weighted 3.875.
| Class | Grade | Unweighted points | Weighted points |
|---|---|---|---|
| AP Chemistry | A | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Honors English | B+ | 3.3 | 3.8 |
| Algebra II | A- | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| U.S. History | B | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| GPA (1 credit each) | 3.50 | 3.875 |
Which grade scale to pick
Letters don't have one universal value. The 4.0 preset gives A and A+ both 4.0, A- 3.7 and B+ 3.3. The 4.33 preset gives A+ 4.33, A- 3.67 and B+ 3.33. Cornell, for one, documents a 4.3 scale, while Illinois uses 4.0.
If your school's table doesn't match either preset, use custom numeric points and type each course's exact value from 0 to 5. That's also the scale to use for weighted high school GPAs.
| Letter | 4.0 preset | 4.33 preset |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.00 | 4.33 |
| A | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.70 | 3.67 |
| B+ | 3.30 | 3.33 |
| B | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| D- | 0.70 | 0.67 |
| F | 0.00 | 0.00 |
When your transcript will show a different GPA
Schools decide which courses count. Illinois leaves credit/no-credit classes out of GPA, and Cornell gives satisfactory/unsatisfactory grades no numeric value. Repeated courses, transfer credit, withdrawals and incompletes all follow local rules, so apply them before you enter your courses.
Precision matters too. Illinois says its transcript GPA is cut off at two decimals rather than rounded, so a 3.4999 shows as 3.49. Use this result to plan. Your registrar's number is the one that counts for honors, aid, probation and admissions.
- Enter GPA credits, not every credit on your transcript.
- Take your current GPA and its credits from the same record.
- Apply repeat or grade replacement rules first.
- Major GPA and admissions GPA can use different courses than your overall GPA.
Sources
These registrar and admissions pages document the grade scales, exclusions and weighting rules described above.