Math

GPA Calculator

Calculate your GPA — weighted and unweighted, with an optional prior cumulative GPA rolled in, plus the course-by-course math.

Updated October 10, 2026 · 1 cited source

Your courses

Unweighted GPA

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Unweighted GPA

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Weighted GPA

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Total credits

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Show the math

GPA = Σ(grade points × credits) ÷ Σ(credits)

Estimate only — always check your school's own grading scale and weighting policy, since the honors/AP/IB bonus and letter-grade point values used here (a standard 4.0 scale) can vary between institutions. Following common practice, failing grades get no weighting bonus.

How GPA is calculated

Each letter grade maps to grade points on a 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, and so on down to F = 0.0). Multiply each course's grade points by its credit hours, add those products together, then divide by your total credits — that's your GPA. It's a weighted average, so a high grade in a high-credit course moves your GPA more than the same grade in a 1-credit course.

Weighted vs. unweighted GPA

Unweighted GPA treats every course the same regardless of difficulty, capping out at 4.0. Weighted GPA gives a bonus for tougher courses — typically +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP or IB classes — which is why a weighted high school GPA can exceed 4.0. Mark any course as "honors", "ap" or "ib" in the input above to see both versions calculated side by side; colleges often recalculate applicants' GPAs on an unweighted scale for fair comparison, so it's worth knowing both.

One exception is built in: an F earns 0.0 points even in an AP, IB or honors class. That follows the usual school policy that the bonus is for passing the harder course, not for enrolling in it. So "A, 3, ap" counts as 5.0 × 3 credits, while "F, 3, ap" counts as 0.0 × 3.

What are "credits"?

Credits (or credit hours) measure a course's size or workload, and they're what makes GPA a weighted average rather than a simple one. A typical college course is worth 3 or 4 credits; a lab, seminar, or half-semester course might be worth 1 or 2. Check your transcript or course catalog for the exact credit value of each class.

Cumulative GPA across terms

Your cumulative GPA reflects every course you've ever taken, not just the current term. Rather than re-entering your entire course history, enter your current cumulative GPA and total credits in the "Prior GPA" fields — this calculator treats that as one large weighted entry and blends it with your new courses to produce an updated cumulative GPA.

Letter grade to 4.0 scale

The table shows a common US conversion from percentage to letter grade to grade points. Percent cutoffs vary more than the points do: some schools start an A at 90, others at 93 or 94, and some don't use plus or minus grades at all. If your report card shows percentages, the grade calculator turns weighted assignment scores into a course percentage first.

Letter	Percent	Unweighted points
A+	97–100	4.0
A	93–96	4.0
A-	90–92	3.7
B+	87–89	3.3
B	83–86	3.0
B-	80–82	2.7
C+	77–79	2.3
C	73–76	2.0
C-	70–72	1.7
D+	67–69	1.3
D	63–66	1.0
D-	60–62	0.7
F	Below 60	0.0

Is a 3.5 GPA good?

A 3.5 unweighted GPA means your grades average halfway between a B+ (3.3) and an A− (3.7): mostly A's and B's. It clears the 3.0 cutoff that many scholarships, honor societies and internship programs use, and it is above the 2.0 most colleges require to stay in good academic standing. For the most selective colleges and some graduate programs it can sit below the typical admitted student, so compare it with the published profile of the specific school.

Always say which version you mean. A 3.5 weighted GPA with several AP classes could be closer to a 3.1 unweighted, and admissions offices often recalculate GPAs their own way.

How to raise your GPA

Because cumulative GPA is a credit-weighted average, each new term counts for less as your credits pile up. Say you have a 3.2 over 60 credits and take 15 credits next semester. Straight A's give (3.2 × 60 + 4.0 × 15) ÷ 75 = 252 ÷ 75 = 3.36. Reaching a 3.5 would take 36 more credits of straight A's, since 3.5 × (60 + x) = 192 + 4.0x solves to x = 36.

The practical levers are the high-credit courses, where a grade moves the average the most, and your school's repeat policy: many colleges replace or average a retaken course's grade, which can lift a GPA faster than new courses alone. Enter your current GPA and credits as "prior" above and try different grades to see what is realistic.

GPA outside the US

The 4.0 scale is mainly a US (and Canadian) system. Many countries grade differently: UK universities award degree classifications such as a First or a 2:1, India often uses a 10-point CGPA, Germany runs from 1.0 (best) to 5.0, and many countries grade in percentages (the percentage calculator turns marks out of any total into one). There is no single official formula for converting these to a 4.0 GPA, so if a US school or employer asks for one, use the conversion they specify or a credential evaluation service they accept. This calculator assumes the US 4.0 scale throughout.

Sources

The formulas on this page come from the published research below. Last updated October 10, 2026. This calculator gives estimates for general information. It isn't medical advice, so check anything important with a qualified professional.

College Board, BigFuture. How to Calculate Your GPA on a 4.0 Scale.Used for: 4.0 grade-point values (A = 4.0 … F = 0.0) and weighting for AP/honors courses

Frequently asked questions

What is my GPA, and how is it calculated?

GPA is the credit-weighted average of your grade points: multiply each course's grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on) by its credit hours, add those up, then divide by your total credits. A 3-credit A and a 3-credit C average to a 3.0 GPA — but a 4-credit A and a 1-credit C average higher, since the A carries more weight.

How much will my GPA go up or change with new grades?

Enter your current cumulative GPA and total credits in the "prior GPA" fields, then add your upcoming courses' expected grades — this calculator rolls them together to show your new cumulative GPA. The more credits you already have, the less any single new course moves the needle, which is why GPA gets harder to shift significantly in your later semesters.

How many credits is a full-time semester?

At most US colleges, 12 credits per semester is the minimum to count as a full-time undergraduate, which matters for financial aid and insurance. A 120-credit bachelor's degree finished in four years works out to 15 credits per semester, usually five 3-credit courses. Graduate programs set their own full-time thresholds, often 9 credits.

How do I make a GPA calculator in Excel or Google Sheets?

Convert each letter grade to grade points in one column, put credits in another, then use =SUMPRODUCT(gradePoints, credits) / SUM(credits) to get the weighted average. For a weighted (honors/AP) version, add a bonus column (+0.5 for honors, +1.0 for AP) before multiplying. This calculator does the same math for both weighted and unweighted GPA at once.

Does an F in an AP or IB class still get the +1.0 bonus?

Not in this calculator, and not at most schools. The weighting bonus rewards passing a harder course, so a failing grade stays at 0.0 whether the class was AP, IB, honors or regular. A few districts also withhold the bonus for D grades; if yours does, enter that course without the ap or honors tag.