What Is a GPA Calculator?
A GPA calculator computes your Grade Point Average by weighting each course's letter grade by its credit hours — the standard method used by most US high schools and colleges on the common 4.0 scale.
How to Use the GPA Calculator
- Enter each course's letter grade and credit hours.
- Click "Add Course" to include as many courses as you need.
- Click "Calculate GPA" to see your weighted average.
GPA Formula
| Letter Grade | Grade Points |
|---|---|
| A | 4.0 |
| A− | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B− | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C− | 1.7 |
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
Worked Example
Course 1: A (4.0) × 3 credits = 12 quality points
Course 2: B+ (3.3) × 4 credits = 13.2 quality points
Course 3: C (2.0) × 3 credits = 6 quality points
GPA = (12 + 13.2 + 6) ÷ (3+4+3) = 31.2 ÷ 10 = 3.12
Understanding Your Results
GPA is your credit-weighted average grade on a 4.0 scale. Courses with more credit hours carry more weight in the final average — a 4-credit A affects your GPA more than a 1-credit A.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Averaging grade points without weighting by credit hours, which skews the result if course loads differ.
- Mixing up semester GPA with cumulative GPA — this calculator computes whatever set of courses you enter.
- Forgetting that some schools use a weighted scale (extra points for AP/honors courses) that differs from the standard 4.0 scale shown here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Multiply each course's grade points by its credit hours to get quality points, sum the quality points across all courses, then divide by the total credit hours.
Unweighted GPA uses a standard 4.0 scale regardless of course difficulty. Weighted GPA gives extra points (often up to 5.0) for honors, AP, or IB courses to reflect their added rigor.
Enter all your courses from every semester together, with their respective grades and credit hours, and calculate as usual — the formula naturally produces a cumulative average.
This varies by institution and context, but generally 3.5+ is considered strong, 3.0+ is solid, and requirements for honors, scholarships, or graduate programs vary widely.
No — while the 4.0 scale is most common in the US, some schools use different scales or +/− grade values, so check your institution's specific grading policy.