How GPA is calculated
Grade point average converts letter grades into numbers, weights each by the credit hours of the course, and averages them. A four-credit course therefore counts twice as much as a two-credit one. The calculator lets you enter each course's grade and credits and returns the weighted average on the standard 4.0 scale, along with total credits and quality points.
Quality points = Grade points × Credit hours
GPA = Σ Quality points ÷ Σ Credit hoursThe 4.0 letter-grade scale
| Letter | Grade points | Typical percentage |
|---|---|---|
| A / A+ | 4.0 | 93–100% (A+ sometimes 4.3) |
| A− | 3.7 | 90–92% |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87–89% |
| B | 3.0 | 83–86% |
| B− | 2.7 | 80–82% |
| C+ | 2.3 | 77–79% |
| C | 2.0 | 73–76% |
| C− | 1.7 | 70–72% |
| D+ | 1.3 | 67–69% |
| D | 1.0 | 63–66% |
| F | 0.0 | below 60% |
This is the most common US scale, but institutions differ: some do not use plus/minus grades, some award 4.3 for an A+, and percentage cutoffs vary by school and even by course. Check your own institution's grading policy if a tenth of a point matters — for scholarship thresholds it often does.
Worked example
| Course | Credits | Grade | Points | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus I | 4 | B+ | 3.3 | 13.2 |
| English Composition | 3 | A | 4.0 | 12.0 |
| Chemistry (with lab) | 4 | C+ | 2.3 | 9.2 |
| Intro to Psychology | 3 | A− | 3.7 | 11.1 |
| Physical Education | 1 | A | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Total | 15 | 49.5 |
GPA = 49.5 ÷ 15 = 3.30The unweighted average of the five grade points would be 3.46, but the two four-credit courses with lower grades pull the credit-weighted GPA down to 3.30. That difference is exactly why credit hours must be included.
Cumulative GPA across semesters
Cumulative GPA is not the average of semester GPAs. It is total quality points across all semesters divided by total credits. A 3.8 semester on 12 credits and a 3.0 semester on 18 credits give a cumulative GPA of (45.6 + 54) ÷ 30 = 3.32, not 3.4. Enter every course from every term in the calculator, or add your existing cumulative quality points and credits as a single line, to get the correct figure.
Weighted vs unweighted GPA
High schools often use a weighted scale that awards extra points for Honors, AP or IB courses — typically +0.5 or +1.0, so an A in an AP class counts as 5.0. This produces GPAs above 4.0 and is meant to reward course rigour. Colleges usually recalculate applicants' GPAs on their own scale, so both figures are worth knowing. The calculator uses the standard unweighted 4.0 scale; to approximate a weighted GPA, add the bonus to the grade points of each advanced course before entering it.
What GPA thresholds commonly matter
- 2.0 — minimum to remain in good academic standing at most US colleges; below it triggers probation.
- 3.0 — common cutoff for graduate school applications, many scholarships and some employers' screening.
- 3.5 — typical threshold for cum laude honours and competitive internships.
- 3.7–3.9 — magna and summa cum laude ranges, and the competitive band for medical, law and top graduate programmes.
Because GPA is an average, it becomes harder to move as credits accumulate. Raising a 3.0 to a 3.3 takes one strong semester in your first year, but by senior year it can require straight A's for two terms.