How is GPA calculated?

Each course grade converts to a grade point (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on), which is multiplied by that course's credit hours to get its quality points. GPA is the sum of quality points across all courses, divided by the total credit hours. A 3-credit A and a 1-credit A don't count equally — the 3-credit course has three times the impact.

What's the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?

Unweighted GPA treats every course the same regardless of difficulty, capped at 4.0. Weighted GPA adds bonus points for harder courses — commonly +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for AP, IB, or college-level classes — which is why some students report GPAs above 4.0. Many colleges recalculate applicants to an unweighted scale for a fair comparison, so it's worth knowing both numbers.

Does a plus or minus grade change my GPA?

It depends on your school's scale. Some schools use whole-letter grades only (A, B, C — no plus/minus distinction). Others use a 4.0 scale with plus/minus where A- is worth 3.7 and B+ is worth 3.3. A smaller number of schools use a 4.3 scale where A+ is worth more than a plain A instead of being capped. Check your school's official scale and match it in the dropdown — this calculator supports all three.

How do I combine this semester with my overall GPA?

Enter your existing cumulative GPA and total credits earned so far in the "Prior academic history" section. The calculator converts that back into total quality points, adds this semester's quality points, and divides by your new total credits — the same math your registrar uses.

Can this handle both high school and college GPA?

Yes. The math is identical — grade points × credit hours, summed and divided by total credits — for both. High school transcripts more often use weighted GPA with Honors/AP bonuses, while college transcripts more often use a plain or plus/minus 4.0 scale, but this calculator supports either combination.

Is my grade data saved anywhere?

No. Every calculation runs locally in your browser — nothing you enter about your courses or grades is transmitted to a server, logged, or stored.

How does the "what GPA do I need" planner work?

It works backward from your target: given your current GPA and credits plus how many credits you have left, it solves for the average grade point you'd need across those remaining credits to hit your goal. If the number needed is above 4.0 (or 5.0 on a weighted scale), it tells you the target isn't mathematically reachable with the credits you have left.

AI Insights

GPA Calculator

Calculate your semester and cumulative GPA from your courses, credit hours, and grades — with weighted Honors/AP support and a target-GPA planner.

Last updated August 7, 2026

Grading scale

Weight Honors/AP courses

The most common US college scale — plus/minus grades shift the point value, but A+ is capped at 4.0 like a plain A.

Your courses save in this browser automatically.

Prior academic history (optional)

Add your existing cumulative GPA and credits to combine them with this semester.

Semester GPA

4.00

3 credits

Cumulative GPA

4.00

3 total credits

Maintaining a record in this top-tier range places you in a strong position for competitive university admissions and merit-based scholarship consideration. Because this is calculated on a standard unweighted scale, admissions committees can directly compare your academic consistency alongside applicants from different high schools. Keep focusing on challenging yourself with advanced coursework while maintaining this steady level of achievement.

AI-generated insight

What GPA do I need going forward?

How to use the GPA calculator

1
Pick the grading scale your school uses, and turn on weighted grading if you take Honors or AP/IB courses.
2
Add each course with its credit hours and grade. Use "Add another course" for as many as you need.
3
Optionally enter your prior GPA and credits to fold this semester into your overall cumulative GPA, and use the target-GPA planner to see what average you need going forward.

How GPA is calculated

Each course's grade point is multiplied by its credit hours to get quality points. GPA is the sum of quality points divided by total credit hours.

GPA is a credit-weighted average, not a simple average of your letter grades. A 4-credit class counts four times as much as a 1-credit class, which is why two students with the same letter grades can end up with different GPAs if their course loads are weighted differently.

Quality points are the bridge between letter grades and a single number: each grade converts to a point value on your chosen scale (for example A = 4.0), multiplied by that course's credit hours. Add up every course's quality points, divide by total credit hours, and the result is your GPA.

Cumulative GPA works the same way across your entire academic history — this calculator converts your prior GPA back into quality points using your prior credit total, adds this semester's quality points, and divides by the new combined credit total.

Grading scales explained

Scale	A+	A	A-	B+	B
Standard (whole letters)	4.0	4.0	4.0	3.0	3.0
4.0 with +/- (A+ capped)	4.0	4.0	3.7	3.3	3.0
4.3 with +/- (A+ = 4.3)	4.3	4.0	3.7	3.3	3.0

Your school's registrar or catalog states which scale applies — check your transcript or student handbook if you're not sure, since the difference only shows up on plus/minus grades.

Weighted vs. unweighted GPA

Unweighted GPA is the simpler, more portable number — every course counts the same regardless of difficulty, capped at 4.0. It's the version most often used to compare students across different schools.

Weighted GPA rewards harder course loads by adding bonus points — commonly +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for AP/IB/college-level classes — which is why weighted GPAs can exceed 4.0. High schools use this to reflect that an A in AP Calculus took more work than an A in a standard-level class.

Many colleges recalculate applicants' GPA to their own unweighted or partially-weighted formula during admissions, so a high weighted GPA doesn't always translate one-to-one. It's worth knowing both your weighted and unweighted numbers — toggle the checkbox in the calculator above to see each. If you only know a course's weighted category scores rather than its final letter grade, our Grade Calculator computes the letter grade and can send it straight into the course list above.

Need to convert a raw score or percentage into a grade first? Try the Percentage Calculator →

Prepping a class presentation too? Our Words to Minutes Calculator → checks whether your script fits the time you're given.

Frequently asked questions

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