How to Calculate GPA
By the Calculator.hair team · Updated · 6 min read
Short answer
To calculate GPA, convert each letter grade to grade points on the 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0), multiply each by the course's credit hours, add the results and divide by total graded credits. An A in a 4-credit class, a B+ in a 3-credit class and a B in a 3-credit class give 16 + 9.9 + 9 = 34.9 points over 10 credits, a 3.49 GPA.
Key takeaways
- GPA = total grade points ÷ total graded credit hours.
- On the common 4.0 scale, each plus or minus moves a grade about 0.3 points: B+ is 3.3, B is 3.0, B− is 2.7.
- Credits weight the average, so a 4-credit course counts a third more than a 3-credit one.
- Pass/fail courses usually add credits toward graduation but not to GPA.
- Weighted GPAs add points for honors, AP or IB courses, so they can exceed 4.0; unweighted GPAs cap at 4.0.
What is the formula for calculating GPA?
GPA (grade point average) = Σ(grade points × credit hours) ÷ Σ(credit hours). Grade points are the number your school assigns to each letter grade, and credit hours (or units) measure how much a course counts, usually roughly the hours it meets per week.
Three steps get you there. First, convert each letter grade to its point value. Second, multiply each point value by that course's credits to get quality points. Third, add the quality points and divide by the credits that received a letter grade. The GPA calculator does these steps for up to five courses at a time and can fold in earlier semesters.
What are the grade points on a 4.0 scale?
On the standard US 4.0 scale, an A is 4.0, a B is 3.0, a C is 2.0, a D is 1.0 and an F is 0. Plus and minus grades sit 0.3 points above or below the base letter, except that many schools cap an A+ at 4.0. Our GPA calculator uses the scale below; some colleges score an A+ as 4.3 or skip plus and minus grades, and the College Board notes that percentage cutoffs vary from school to school.
| Letter grade | Grade points | Typical percentage |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 | 97–100 |
| A | 4.0 | 93–96 |
| 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 |
| D− | 0.7 | 60–62 |
| F | 0.0 | Below 60 |
How do you calculate GPA with credit hours? A worked example
Multiply each grade's points by the course credits, add them up and divide by graded credits. Here is a typical semester with five courses, one of them pass/fail, as our GPA calculator scores it.
The four graded courses carry 13 credits and 46.0 quality points, so the semester GPA is 46.0 ÷ 13 = 3.54. The 1-credit yoga class counts toward graduation but has no grade points, so it is left out of both totals. If you averaged the four letter grades without credits, (4.0 + 3.3 + 3.0 + 3.7) ÷ 4 = 3.50, slightly lower, because the A sits in the course with the most credits.
| Course | Grade | Credits | Grade points | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | A | 4 | 4.0 | 16.0 |
| English | B+ | 3 | 3.3 | 9.9 |
| History | B | 3 | 3.0 | 9.0 |
| Statistics | A− | 3 | 3.7 | 11.1 |
| Yoga | Pass | 1 | Not counted | Not counted |
| Total | 13 graded | 46.0 |
How do you calculate cumulative GPA (CGPA)?
Cumulative GPA, often shortened to CGPA, is total quality points from every term divided by total graded credits from every term. It is not the average of your semester GPAs, because semesters with more credits count more.
Continuing the example: suppose earlier terms produced a 3.20 GPA over 30 credits. That is 3.20 × 30 = 96 quality points. Add this semester's 46.0 points and 13 credits, and the cumulative GPA is 142 ÷ 43 = 3.30. In the calculator, open Settings, tick "Add GPA of prior semesters" and enter 3.2 and 30.
Outside the US, CGPA is often reported on a 10-point scale (common in India) or other scales. The arithmetic is the same, but converting between scales depends on the institution's published rules, so use the conversion your school or the receiving school specifies.
What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?
An unweighted GPA scores every course on the same 0 to 4.0 scale, so an A is 4.0 whether the class is regular or advanced. A weighted GPA adds extra points for harder courses. Many high schools add 0.5 for honors and 1.0 for AP or IB classes, which puts an A in an AP course at 5.0, but the bonus and the courses that qualify are set by each school or district.
The table compares one high school semester of four equal 1-credit classes under a +0.5 honors and +1.0 AP policy. The unweighted GPA is 14.0 ÷ 4 = 3.50, matching our calculator. The weighted GPA is 16.5 ÷ 4 = 4.13. Our GPA calculator accepts point values up to 4.3, so for a 5.0 weighted scale, apply the same formula by hand.
Colleges see both numbers on many transcripts, and many recalculate applicants' GPAs using their own method, so neither version is universally comparable.
| Class | Grade | Unweighted points | Weighted points |
|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus | A | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Honors English | B+ | 3.3 | 3.8 |
| Spanish | A− | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| AP US History | B | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| GPA | 3.50 | 4.13 |
How do you convert a percentage grade to GPA?
Convert the percentage to a letter grade with your school's cutoffs, then use that letter's grade points. With the scale above, an 88% is a B+ worth 3.3, and a 91% is an A− worth 3.7. Our GPA calculator does this automatically when you switch the grade format to Percentage.
To get a course's percentage in the first place, weight each assignment by its share of the grade. The grade calculator finds a weighted course average and the score you need on a final exam to reach a target.
How many credits does it take to raise your GPA?
The GPA you need on new credits = (target GPA × total credits after the term − current GPA × current credits) ÷ new credits. The more credits already on your record, the harder the average is to move.
Example from the planning tool on our GPA calculator: a student with a 3.0 over 45 credits wants a 3.3. Over the next 15 credits they would need a 4.2 average, which is impossible on a 4.0 scale; straight A's would bring them to 3.25. Over 30 credits they need a 3.75, which is achievable. Planning over a longer window, and retaking courses where the school replaces the old grade, are the two levers that make a target reachable.
Calculators in this guide
Frequently asked questions
Is a 3.5 GPA good?
A 3.5 on a 4.0 scale is roughly an A−/B+ average. Whether it is competitive depends on the program or college you are applying to.
Do pass/fail classes count in GPA?
Usually not. A pass adds credits toward your degree but no grade points, so it is excluded from both the top and bottom of the GPA formula. A failing grade in a pass/fail course may count at some schools, so check your registrar's policy.
Is CGPA the same as cumulative GPA?
Yes. CGPA stands for cumulative grade point average: grade points from all terms divided by graded credits from all terms.
Can a GPA be higher than 4.0?
An unweighted GPA cannot. A weighted GPA can, because honors, AP or IB courses earn bonus points, often reaching 5.0 for an A.
Why isn't my GPA the average of my letter grades?
Because GPA weights each grade by credits. An A in a 4-credit course counts a third more than an A in a 3-credit course.