GPA Calculator

Credits and term GPA

A grade point average is a weighted average. Each course turns its letter grade into grade points, the points are multiplied by the course's credits to give quality points, and the total quality points are divided by the total credits. A course with more credits therefore moves the average more than a short one. In a term with a 4-credit course graded A, a 2-credit course graded B and a 3-credit course graded A−, the quality points are 4 × 4.0 + 2 × 3.0 + 3 × 3.7 = 33.100 over 9 credits, so the term GPA is 3.678. The calculator shows every row in a credit ledger, so you can see exactly which course is helping or hurting.

The starting example, courses of 3, 3 and 2 credits graded A, B+ and A−, comes to 3.663. Figures are kept at full precision inside the calculation and rounded to three decimals only for display, using ordinary half-up rounding.

Grade scales and policies

There is no single national scale. Many US schools use letters worth 4.0 for an A down to 0 for an F, with plus and minus grades in between, but some give an A+ a 4.3, some have no A+, and some use whole letters only. The default here is an example scale, not a rule: A+ and A are 4.0, A− is 3.7, B+ is 3.3, and so on. You can edit every row, switch to the common alternative with A+ at 4.3, or enter grade points directly with a declared highest value. Your school's published policy always decides your official GPA.

If your marks are percentages, the calculator needs a map from percentage to letter. Enter the lowest percentage for each grade, from the highest band to the lowest, ending at 0. The example bands are 90, 80, 70, 60 and 0 for A to F, and they are only an example. With them, scores of 95, 85 and 59.99 in three equal courses become A, B and F, which averages 2.333. The map is checked for order and coverage, so a score can never fall between two bands, and nothing is converted by dividing a percentage by a fixed number.

Weighted and unweighted GPA

A weighted GPA adds a bonus for harder courses, usually honors or Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes. You choose the bonus for each level, a cap on the weighted points, and whether the bonus applies only above a passing threshold. In the default policy honors adds 0.5, AP or IB adds 1.0, the cap is 5.0 and the bonus applies to any grade above 0 points, so an F earns no bonus. An AP course graded A is worth 5.0 weighted points. Next to a regular B in a course of equal credits, the unweighted GPA is 3.500 and the weighted GPA is 4.000.

The cap matters. With a cap of 4.5, the same AP A counts as 4.500 instead of 5.0, and without a cap the average could climb above any scale you intended. The two figures are always shown side by side and labelled, because colleges and scholarships may ask for either one. This calculator never mixes them: the weighted figure uses your bonus rules, and the unweighted figure ignores them.

Cumulative GPA across semesters

To combine terms, add up the quality points and the credits from every term and divide once. Do not average the semester GPAs, because a 3-credit summer course would count as much as an 18-credit semester. You can add up to ten semesters, and each term's GPA is shown alongside the overall figure. If you already have a GPA from earlier study, enter that GPA and its credits as the prior record. With a prior GPA of 3.2 over 30 credits and a new term of two 3-credit courses graded A and B, the cumulative GPA is (3.2 × 30 + 21) ÷ 36 = 3.250, over 36 credits.

For a cumulative weighted figure the calculator also needs a prior weighted GPA. If it is missing, the weighted cumulative result is withheld with an explanation rather than combining two different bases. Use the weighted grade calculator when the question is how category scores turn into a single course grade, and come back here to combine courses into a GPA.

Target GPA planning

The planning mode answers a common question: what do I need on my remaining credits to reach a target? The required average is the target times the total credits, minus the quality points you already hold, divided by the new credits. For a current GPA of 2.8 over 25 credits and a target of 3.0 with 15 more credits, you need 3.333 on those 15 credits. The result is a credit-weighted average, so it can be met in different ways across courses.

Sometimes the answer is not reachable. With a 2.0 over 90 credits and a 3.9 goal across 10 more, the algebra asks for 21.000, far above a 4.0 maximum, so the calculator says the target cannot be reached with those credits instead of showing an impossible grade. At the other end, a 4.0 over 90 credits and a 3.0 target is already secured: the raw algebra gives -6.000, and the tool states that even a 0.000 average on the next credits keeps you above 3.0. Enter your own maximum GPA if your scale differs. For a single exam, the final grade calculator is the better tool.

Exclusions and retakes

This preset leaves P (pass), NP (no pass), I (incomplete) and W (withdrawn) out of both the credits and the quality points. An F is different: it counts as zero points and does lower the average. With one passed course and one failed 3-credit course, only the failed one is counted, so the GPA is 0.000 over 3 credits. If every course is excluded the GPA is undefined, not 0, and the calculator says so. Schools differ on these rules, so use your own transcript policy where it is stricter.

Retakes are the largest gap. Some schools replace an old grade, some average both attempts, and some keep both. The calculator does not replace grades automatically. It warns when two courses share a name and counts both rows, so remove the earlier attempt yourself if your school replaces it. Nothing here forecasts admission, eligibility or honors status.

Worked examples and questions

Planning the cost of a degree is a separate question, which the college cost calculator helps with.

How is GPA calculated?

Multiply each course's grade points by its credits, add the results, and divide by the total credits that count. The credit ledger above shows each step.

Can I average my semester GPAs?

Only when every semester has the same number of credits. Otherwise combine the quality points and credits, as the cumulative mode does.

Can a GPA be higher than 4.0?

Yes, under a weighted policy. With an AP bonus of 1.0 an A is worth 5.0, so a weighted average can pass 4.0 up to the cap you set. The unweighted GPA stays on the base scale.

How do pass/fail courses count?

In this preset P and NP are excluded from the average. Your school may treat them differently, so check its policy.

What grades do I need next term to reach a target GPA?

Use the target mode. For a current 2.8 over 25 credits and a goal of 3.0 with 15 more credits, the needed average is 3.333.

Do retakes replace the old grade?

Not automatically. This calculator counts every row you enter, so remove an old attempt if your school replaces it, and follow your school's policy.