What is a GPA?
Your grade point average (GPA) is a single number that summarizes your academic performance. In the United States, most high schools and colleges use a 4.0 scale: every letter grade is worth a set number of points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on), and your GPA is the credit-weighted average of those points. Scholarships, graduate school admissions, and many employers all look at GPA, so knowing your exact number — not a rough guess — matters.
This calculator handles both semester GPA (this term’s courses only) and cumulative GPA (everything folded together). Type in your courses and it does the arithmetic instantly.
The 4.0 grade scale
The standard U.S. 4.0 scale with plus/minus grades, exactly as this calculator uses it:
| 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 |
Some schools use variations — for example, no plus/minus grades, or A+ worth 4.3. Check your school’s official policy if your transcript’s number differs slightly.
The GPA formula
Semester GPA = Σ(grade points × credit hours) ÷ Σ(credit hours)
In words: multiply each course’s grade points by its credit hours to get that course’s quality points, add up all the quality points, then divide by the total credit hours. Courses with more credits carry more weight — a 4-credit B+ moves your GPA more than a 1-credit A.
Cumulative GPA = (prior GPA × prior credits + semester quality points) ÷ (prior credits + semester credits)
This folds your previous record together with the current term, weighted by credits, which is exactly how schools combine semesters.
Worked example
Suppose you took three courses this semester: an A in a 3-credit course, a B+ in a 4-credit course, and an A− in a 3-credit course.
- A: 4.0 × 3 = 12.0 quality points
- B+: 3.3 × 4 = 13.2 quality points
- A−: 3.7 × 3 = 11.1 quality points
- Total: 36.3 quality points ÷ 10 credits = 3.63 GPA
Try it in the calculator above — add three courses with those grades and credits and you will see 3.63.
Weighted vs. unweighted GPA
A weighted GPA gives extra points for harder courses (for example, AP or honors classes counting on a 5.0 scale). An unweighted GPA caps every course at 4.0 regardless of difficulty. This calculator produces an unweighted-on-4.0-scale GPA weighted by credit hours — the standard figure most colleges expect on applications. If your school weights honors courses, ask your counselor for their scale before comparing numbers.
How to use this calculator
- Click + Add course for each class you are taking.
- Type the course name (optional), choose the letter grade, and enter the credit hours.
- Your semester GPA and total credits update instantly as you type.
- For a cumulative GPA, enter your prior cumulative GPA and prior total credits.
- Remove a course with the ✕ button if you added one by mistake.
Raising your GPA: what the math rewards
If you're trying to lift your GPA, the single most important thing to understand is that not all A's are equal. Because GPA is credit-weighted, an A in a 4-credit course earns 16 grade points (4.0 × 4) while an A in a 1-credit lab earns just 4. The same effort applied to a high-credit course moves your GPA roughly four times as far — so when you're deciding where to focus your study hours, credit hours are the multiplier that matters.
Here's what that looks like in practice. Say you have 30 completed credits at a 3.00 GPA — that's 90 grade points banked. Earn an A in a 4-credit course next term and your new GPA is (90 + 16) ÷ 34 = 3.12. Earn that same A in a 1-credit course and it's (90 + 4) ÷ 31 = 3.03. Identical grade, very different payoff.
Two more honest realities. First, early semesters carry enormous weight: with 90 credits already banked at 3.00 (270 points), even a perfect 15-credit semester at 4.00 (60 points) only moves you to 330 ÷ 105 ≈ 3.14. Climbing takes sustained semesters, not one heroic term — which is also why protecting your GPA early is so valuable. Second, retake policies vary by school: some colleges replace the old grade when you retake a course, others average both attempts into your GPA. Retaking an F can be the fastest mathematical path upward, but check your school's catalog or ask an advisor before assuming the old grade disappears. Use this calculator to model scenarios — “what if I get B+ in everything next semester?” — and you'll see exactly which path pays off most.
Frequently asked questions
What is a weighted GPA?
A weighted GPA multiplies each grade’s point value by the course’s credit hours before averaging, so a 4-credit B+ affects your GPA more than a 1-credit A. This calculator is weighted by credit hours; an unweighted GPA treats every course equally regardless of credits.
What grade point is an A− or B+?
On the standard U.S. 4.0 scale, A− is 3.7 and B+ is 3.3. The full scale used here is 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, and F 0.
How do I calculate my cumulative GPA across semesters?
Enter your prior cumulative GPA and prior total credits in the cumulative section. The calculator adds this semester’s quality points to your prior points and divides by your total credits.
Do failed courses (F) count in my GPA?
Yes, if the credits were attempted. An F earns 0 quality points but its credit hours still count in the divisor, which pulls the GPA down. Withdrawn courses that your school excludes should simply be left out of the list.
Why does my school’s GPA differ slightly from this calculator?
Some schools use different scales (no plus/minus, or A+ worth 4.3), round differently, or exclude certain courses. Always check your school’s official grading policy for the GPA of record.
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