How GPA is calculated
GPA is a credit-weighted average of your grade points. Each course contributes in proportion to how many credit hours it carries, so a four-credit course affects your GPA twice as much as a two-credit one.
- Grade points
- The numeric value of the letter grade — A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on
- Credits
- Credit hours for that course
The numerator is often called quality points. Multiply each course's grade points by its credits, add them all up, then divide by total credits.
| Letter | Percentage | Grade points |
|---|---|---|
| A / A+ | 93–100 | 4.0 |
| A− | 90–92 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87–89 | 3.3 |
| B | 83–86 | 3.0 |
| B− | 80–82 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77–79 | 2.3 |
| C | 73–76 | 2.0 |
| C− | 70–72 | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67–69 | 1.3 |
| D | 63–66 | 1.0 |
| D− | 60–62 | 0.7 |
| F | Below 60 | 0.0 |
A worked example
49.0 ÷ 14 = 3.50. Note that the two four-credit courses pull the average more than the three-credit ones.
Weighted versus unweighted
An unweighted GPA treats every course the same — an A is 4.0 whether it was remedial algebra or AP Calculus. It caps at 4.0.
A weighted GPA adds a bonus for harder courses, typically 1.0 for AP and IB and 0.5 for honours. This lets a GPA exceed 4.0, and a student taking a full AP load can reach 4.5 or higher.
| Course | Grade | Unweighted | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus | A | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Honours English | A | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Standard Biology | A | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| AP History | B | 3.0 | 4.0 |
Cumulative GPA and raising it
Cumulative GPA combines every semester, again weighted by credits:
The arithmetic here is discouraging and worth understanding early. If you have 60 credits at a 2.8 GPA, a perfect 4.0 semester of 15 credits moves you to only 3.04. The more credits you have accumulated, the more inertia your GPA carries.
Use the advanced options above to enter your previous GPA and credits and see the cumulative effect. For individual course grades and what you need on a final, see the grade calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my GPA?
Multiply each course's grade points by its credit hours, add those products together, then divide by the total credit hours.
A 4-credit A (4.0) and a 3-credit B (3.0) gives (16 + 9) ÷ 7 = 3.57.
What is a good GPA?
Above 3.5 is generally considered strong, 3.0 to 3.5 is solid, and below 2.0 typically triggers academic probation at most institutions.
Context matters more than the number. A 3.4 in engineering with a heavy course load reads differently from a 3.8 in a light schedule.
How is a weighted GPA different?
Weighted GPAs add points for advanced courses — usually 1.0 for AP and IB, 0.5 for honours — so the scale runs to 5.0 rather than 4.0.
Since schools weight differently, most universities recalculate applicants onto a common unweighted scale.
How much can one semester change my cumulative GPA?
Less than you would hope, once you have accumulated credits. With 60 credits at 2.8, a perfect 15-credit semester raises you only to 3.04.
This is why early semesters matter disproportionately — they set the base that everything afterwards has to move.
Do pass/fail courses count?
Usually not toward GPA. A pass typically earns the credit without grade points, so it is excluded from the calculation entirely. A fail may or may not count as 0.0 depending on the institution.
Check your registrar's policy, as it varies.