GPA Calculator
Calculate your GPA from letter grades and credit hours — weighted or unweighted.
What this calculator does
Calculates your GPA (Grade Point Average) from a list of courses, letter grades, and credit hours — the standard weighted-by-credit-hours calculation used by most US colleges and high schools for an unweighted GPA.
Who this is for
Students checking their current GPA before it appears on an official transcript, anyone calculating what grades they'd need this semester to hit a target GPA, or students comparing how a potential grade change would affect their overall average.
How this calculator works
Each grade converts to grade points on a standard 4.0 scale, multiplied by credit hours, then divided by total credit hours — the standard unweighted GPA formula used by most US colleges.
The formula
GPA = Sum of (Grade Points × Credit Hours for each course) ÷ Total Credit Hours. Standard grade point values: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0, with plus/minus grades typically adding or subtracting 0.3-0.33.
Worked example
Three courses: an A (4.0) in a 4-credit class, a B (3.0) in a 3-credit class, and a C (2.0) in a 3-credit class. Total grade points = (4.0×4) + (3.0×3) + (2.0×3) = 16 + 9 + 6 = 31. Total credits = 4+3+3 = 10. GPA = 31 ÷ 10 = 3.1.
How each course contributes
Run the calculator above to see how much each course's grade points contribute to your overall GPA.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting this is unweighted. This calculator uses a standard 4.0 scale — if your school uses weighted GPA (extra points for Honors/AP/IB courses), your official transcript GPA may differ from this result.
- Entering credit hours instead of course count. A 4-credit course should count roughly 33% more than a 3-credit course toward your GPA — make sure credit hours reflect the actual course weight, not just "1 course = 1 credit."
- Not including a failed or withdrawn course. Depending on your institution's policy, an F or a withdrawal may still count toward your GPA even if you retake the course — check your school's specific retake policy.
- Averaging GPAs across semesters instead of recalculating from scratch. Simply averaging two semester GPAs together gives an incorrect result unless every semester had identical total credit hours — always recalculate cumulative GPA from the full list of courses and credits.
Related calculators
Related reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just average my semester GPAs to get my cumulative GPA?
Only if every semester had exactly the same number of total credit hours, which is rare. The accurate method is to recalculate from the full list of every course, grade, and credit hour across all semesters combined.
Is this weighted or unweighted GPA?
Unweighted, using a standard 4.0 scale. If your school gives extra grade points for Honors, AP, or IB courses (weighted GPA), your official transcript figure may be higher than what this calculator shows.
How do credit hours affect my GPA?
Courses with more credit hours count proportionally more toward your overall GPA — a 4-credit A contributes more grade points than a 1-credit A, since GPA is a credit-weighted average, not a simple average of grades.
Does a plus or minus grade matter?
Yes — most US institutions use a plus/minus scale (A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, etc.) rather than treating all A grades or all B grades identically. This calculator uses the standard plus/minus point values.