College GPA Calculator

The GPA (Grade Point Average) is a number used throughout college but it's really not that complicated once you understand its components. This calculator allows you to convert credits and grades for up to eight classes into a semester GPA (on a 4.0 scale), add them together to get an overall GPA, or even calculate the required grade to meet your goals if you enable the weighted 5.0 scale to account for Honors and AP courses. The results are updated in real time based on the data entered.

What is a GPA?

Your GPA is the average of your performance, with each subject weighted by its number of credits. It's not just an average of grades. A course with four credits has twice as much impact on your GPA than a course with two credits. That's why the combination of credits and grades are used in the calculation.

There are two commonly used types of GPAs. The semester GPA only reflects one single semester's worth of grades. The cumulative GPA includes all semesters completed and is the actual indicator that universities use to evaluate your academic progress, eligibility for honors or degrees, and graduation requirements.

How is the GPA calculated?

There are four steps to a manual calculation but when you enter the values into the appropriate fields the calculator will perform those four steps for you.

• Each grade is converted into a point value. An A is worth 4.0, an A- is worth 3.7, a B+ is worth 3.3, and so on down to an F which is worth 0.0.

• The number of credits for each subject is multiplied by the corresponding grade points to obtain the quality grade points for that subject.

• All quality performance points of all subjects are added.

• The sum of quality performance points is divided by the sum of credits.

Formula for calculating your GPA:

Calculating your GPA can ultimately be reduced to a ratio.

Quality points are a bridge between grades and numerical values. For an individual subject, the quality points correspond to the grade points multiplied by the number of credits. A four-credit course with a B (3.0) corresponds to twelve quality points.

The following is an example of calculating a full semester. The number of credits and grades for different subjects can vary in a standard system (4.0).

The sum of the quality points is 40.9 and the number of credits is 12. So to calculate your GPA you divide 40.9 by 12 which equals 3.41 rounded.

The performance review for 4.0.

Many U.S. universities convert letter grades to grade points as follows. Percentages usually follow the same pattern but the exact boundaries are set by each university so you should check your course catalog.

Some universities add a "A+" worth 4.3 or use a scale up to 4.33. This tool treats both "A+" and "A" as 4.0. This is also the most common practice at many universities.

Weighted and Unweighted GPA

The unweighted GPA uses the standard 4.0 system and grades all classes on an equal basis. The weighted GPA adds bonus points to grade points to reflect the difficulty of individual courses. Honors or dual credit courses usually get half a point added, while AP or IB courses get one full point added. So an A in an AP course would be calculated as 5.0, which is different from standard 4.0. If you enable the weighted GPA option on the calculator and specify the type of each class, then you can compare both values side by side. With a pass-fail grade there are no grade points to add, so no bonus points will be awarded.

GPA per semester and cumulative GPA

The Semester Grade Point Average (GPA) measures performance in the current semester while Cumulative GPA provides an overall picture. The university uses these values to determine if students are eligible for dean's list, scholarships and admission into graduate school. To combine both values, the calculator tool integrates the quality and grade points of the current semester with all previous entries as listed on your transcript.

If you enable the 'previous GPAs' option and enter your current cumulative GPA as well as the corresponding credit hours, then you can see what the combination will result in.

What the GPA says:

The grading scale can vary between universities and programs but the following ranges are a good benchmark for university GPAs.

Grades that do not fall into these categories:

There are some cases that aren't taken into account when calculating the basic average and policies can differ from university to university so you should ultimately check your course handbook.

• Pass or fail. A pass generally increases the number of credits required to graduate but has no effect on your grade point average (GPA). A fail is graded as a "0.0."

• Withdrawal from a course. A regular 'W' grade usually does not affect the GPA while a withdrawal which is considered as a failure may be graded as an 'F'.

• Incomplete. An 'I' grade will not generate credits until a final grade is submitted.

• Repeat of a course. Some universities replace old grades with new ones while others average both grades.

• Credit for study achievements is usually applied to meet the requirements of a degree but does not affect the student's GPA at their own university.

How to raise your GPA:

The most effective way is to get good grades in classes with a lot of credits. This is because these classes have the biggest impact on your average. If the university replaces and doesn't average, it can be helpful to retake classes you got bad grades in. A GPA calculator helps set goals and remaining credits and shows what grade average you need to achieve those goals. This allows for realistic planning with time available.

This calculator is for planning and learning purposes only. As grade scales, rounding rules, repeat policies, and credit hour policies vary from university to university, you should check with your official institution (e.g., academic advisor or registrar's office) about your GPA.