GPA Calculator
Semester and cumulative GPA on the 4.0 scale, with honors and AP weighting.
Semester GPA
How to Use This GPA Calculator
Add every course you are taking this term with its grade, credit hours, and level, and the calculator returns your semester GPA both unweighted and weighted. Switch to cumulative mode and it folds in your prior GPA and credits for the running total colleges actually look at.
Choose semester mode for one term, or cumulative mode and enter your prior GPA plus prior credit hours from earlier terms.
For each course, pick the grade from the A-plus through F dropdown, enter the credit hours, and set the level: Regular, Honors, or AP.
Add rows with the Add Course button for every class you are taking. Remove any row you do not need.
Read your unweighted and weighted semester GPA, your cumulative GPA, total credits, and an academic standing note.
The GPA Formula
A GPA is a credit-weighted average, not a simple average of grades. Each course contributes its grade points multiplied by its credit hours, so a 4-credit class moves your GPA more than a 1-credit lab. The grade point scale used here is the standard US 4.0 scale:
Weighting rewards course rigor: an A in an AP class earns 5.0 weighted points instead of 4.0, and an A in honors earns 4.5. The cap at 5.0 per course keeps the scale bounded. A B in AP (4.0 weighted) equals an A in a regular class, which is exactly the trade-off colleges want you to see: challenging yourself is rewarded even if the letter grade dips.
Worked Example
Two courses: an A in a 3-credit class and a B in a 4-credit class, both regular level. Quality points = (4.0 x 3) + (3.0 x 4) = 12 + 12 = 24. Total credits = 7. GPA = 24 / 7 = 3.43. Now add weighting: an A in a 3-credit AP class earns 5.0 x 3 = 15 points, and a B in a 3-credit regular class earns 3.0 x 3 = 9 points. Weighted GPA = 24 / 6 = 4.00, while the unweighted GPA for the same two courses is (12 + 9) / 6 = 3.50. For cumulative GPA, suppose you finished last year with a 3.00 across 30 credits and this semester you earn a 4.00 across 15 credits. Total quality points = (3.00 x 30) + (4.00 x 15) = 90 + 60 = 150. Total credits = 45. Cumulative GPA = 150 / 45 = 3.33. Notice it is closer to 3.00 than to 4.00, because the 30 prior credits outweigh the 15 new ones.
Reading Your Result and Raising Your GPA
The calculator flags an academic standing note with your semester GPA: 3.5 and above sits in Dean's List range at most schools, 3.0 and above is good standing, 2.0 and above is satisfactory, and below 2.0 risks academic probation. If your number is lower than you want, remember the math: credits are leverage. Retaking a 4-credit course you failed moves the needle far more than polishing a 1-credit elective, and grade replacement policies at many schools let the new grade overwrite the old one in the GPA calculation. Also check whether your school reports weighted or unweighted GPA on the transcript, because that decides which number to quote on applications. Finally, project before you commit: plug in the grades you expect next semester and see whether they actually get you to your target before the term starts, not after.
Frequently Asked Questions
Weighted vs unweighted GPA, what is the difference?
Unweighted GPA treats every class the same on the standard 4.0 scale: an A is 4.0 whether it was earned in regular English or AP Physics. Weighted GPA adds bonus points for harder courses, typically plus 1.0 for AP or IB classes and plus 0.5 for honors, with the total capped at 5.0. This calculator shows both side by side. Colleges often recalculate your GPA with their own weighting, so the unweighted number is the one that transfers everywhere.
What is a good GPA for college admissions?
For most US colleges, a 3.0 unweighted GPA keeps the door open, and the national average for admitted students at four-year schools sits around 3.0 to 3.2. Competitive state universities typically admit students in the 3.5 to 3.8 range, while the most selective schools admit classes averaging 3.9 or higher. GPA is weighed alongside course rigor, test scores, essays, and activities, so a 3.6 with several AP classes often beats a 4.0 earned in only regular courses.
How do plus and minus grades affect GPA?
On the common 4.0 scale, plus and minus grades move in 0.3 steps around the base letter: an A-minus is 3.7, a B-plus is 3.3, a B is 3.0, and a B-minus is 2.7. An A and an A-plus both count as 4.0 at most schools, so the plus on an A does not lift you above a perfect 4.0 unweighted. Some high schools use a coarser scale with no plus or minus grades at all, in which case every B counts as 3.0. If your school uses a different scale, translate your grades to this standard first.
What GPA do I need for scholarships?
Merit scholarships usually set their GPA floors between 3.0 and 3.5 unweighted. Many state programs, like HOPE-style scholarships, require a 3.0, while competitive private scholarships often want 3.5 or higher plus strong test scores or essays. Athletic scholarships follow NCAA eligibility rules, which use a sliding scale combining GPA and test scores with a 2.3 minimum in core courses for Division I. Always check whether a scholarship looks at weighted or unweighted GPA, since that changes which number you need to hit.
How is cumulative GPA calculated?
Cumulative GPA is not the average of your semester GPAs. It is the total quality points you have ever earned divided by the total credits you have ever attempted. Quality points for one course equal its grade points times its credit hours. Switch this calculator to cumulative mode, enter your prior GPA and prior credits, and it combines them with your current semester: (prior GPA x prior credits + semester points) / (prior credits + semester credits). That is why early bad semesters linger: they carry the same weight per credit as recent good ones.