How to use the GPA calculator
- Pick your scale. Most schools count an A+ the same as an A, 4.0. A few give an A+ 4.33. If you are not sure, leave it on A+ = 4.0.
- Add one row per class with its letter grade and its credits or credit hours. The class name is optional. Your transcript or course catalog lists the credits for each class.
- Weighting (optional). If your high school gives extra points for harder classes, tick Honors and AP/IB weighting and set each class's type. You then see both your weighted and unweighted GPA.
- Cumulative GPA (optional). Open Cumulative GPA and enter the GPA on your transcript so far and the credits it covers. The calculator combines it with this semester.
The GPA updates as you type. Grade points used under the result shows the exact table, and Copy result gives you a plain text summary of your classes and GPA.
How GPA is calculated
The US National Center for Education Statistics puts it simply: "Dividing a student's total grade points earned by the total course credits attempted determines a student's GPA." In steps:
- Turn each letter grade into grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0).
- Multiply the grade points by the class's credits. A B+ (3.3) in a 4-credit class is 13.2 grade points.
- Add up the grade points and the credits, and divide.
Here is a 14-credit college semester:
| Class | Grade | Points | Credits | Points × credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | A | 4.0 | 3 | 12 |
| Biology | B+ | 3.3 | 4 | 13.2 |
| History | A- | 3.7 | 3 | 11.1 |
| Spanish | B | 3.0 | 3 | 9 |
| PE | A | 4.0 | 1 | 4 |
| Total | 14 | 49.3 |
49.3 ÷ 14 = 3.5214, a 3.52 GPA. When every class has the same credits, this is just the average of the grade points, which is how College Board's BigFuture explains it: "add up all the GPA points from your courses and divide them by the number of classes you've taken."
The 4.0 scale, and why A+ is 4.0 or 4.33
Most US schools use plus and minus grades on a 4.0 scale. Schools differ in the details. As BigFuture notes, "Some schools don't use pluses and minuses, and others have different grade cutoffs." The calculator offers the two most common versions:
| Grade | A+ = 4.0 scale | A+ = 4.33 scale |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 | 4.33 |
| A | 4.0 | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.7 | 3.67 |
| B+ | 3.3 | 3.33 |
| B | 3.0 | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.7 | 2.67 |
| C+ | 2.3 | 2.33 |
| C | 2.0 | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.7 | 1.67 |
| D+ | 1.3 | 1.33 |
| D | 1.0 | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.7 | 0.67 |
| F | 0.0 | 0.00 |
- A+ = 4.0 is the usual one. Indiana University Kokomo's bulletin, for example, lists "A+ or A=4.0", with an A- at 3.7 and a B+ at 3.3.
- A+ = 4.33 follows the rule that a plus adds a third of a point and a minus takes one off. Washington and Lee University's registrar describes it: "for every unit of minus, .33 is subtracted from the grade points". Columbia University's School of Professional Studies lists an A+ at 4.33. Washington and Lee itself now counts an A+ as 4.00; its table notes it "Was 4.33 until Spring 2009".
The two scales give almost the same GPA unless you have A+ grades. The semester above is 3.52 on both. An A+ and a B, 3 credits each, is 3.50 on the first scale and 3.67 on the second.
Weighted GPA: honors, AP and IB
Many high schools reward harder classes. BigFuture: "Some schools also use a weighted GPA system, where courses like AP and honors classes are assigned higher GPA points." A common pattern is half a point extra for honors and a full point for AP and IB. St. Johns County School District in Florida, for example, gives "additional weight for honors (0.5 weight)" and a 1.0 weight for AP, dual enrollment, AICE and "International Baccalaureate (IB) courses". This calculator uses those weights, adds nothing to an F, and shows the unweighted GPA alongside.
| Class | Type | Grade | Unweighted | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus | AP | A- | 3.7 | 4.7 |
| English | Honors | B+ | 3.3 | 3.8 |
| Chemistry | Regular | A | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| US History | AP | B | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Spanish | Regular | A | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| GPA (1 credit each) | 3.60 | 4.10 |
Weighting rules vary a lot between districts: some use other amounts and some do not weight at all. Use your school's own rule when it differs, and keep the unweighted GPA handy too.
Cumulative GPA
Your cumulative GPA covers every semester so far. You cannot simply average two GPAs, because a semester with more credits counts for more. Turn your GPA so far back into grade points first:
Cumulative GPA = (GPA so far × credits so far + this semester's grade points) ÷ (credits so far + this semester's credits)
With a 3.40 GPA over 30 credits and the 14-credit semester above: 3.40 × 30 = 102 grade points, plus 49.3, makes 151.3 over 44 credits, a cumulative GPA of 3.44. Averaging 3.40 and 3.52 would wrongly give 3.46. Enter your previous GPA on the same basis you want out: an unweighted GPA so far for an unweighted cumulative GPA.
Pass/fail classes, retakes and rounding
- Pass/fail and audited classes carry no grade points and are left out of the GPA, as NCES notes. Withdrawn classes are usually left out too, but check your school's rules. Do not add them here.
- Credits attempted. A failed class still counts its credits. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for example, divides "by the total number of credit hours attempted". Enter an F with its credits.
- Retakes are handled differently from school to school: some replace the old grade, some keep both. Enter the classes the way your school counts them.
- Rounding. The calculator shows two decimal places. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for example, rounds GPA to two decimal places too.
- Percentages instead of letters? If your grades are percentages, the weighted grade calculator averages them by credits. UK university students can use the degree classification calculator instead.
Questions and answers
How do I calculate my GPA?
Multiply each class's grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0) by its credits, add them up, and divide by the total credits. Plus and minus grades add or take off about a third of a point.
Is an A+ worth 4.0 or 4.33?
At most schools an A+ is 4.0, the same as an A. Some colleges count it as 4.33. Choose the scale at the top of the calculator, and check your school's grading policy if you are not sure.
What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?
An unweighted GPA uses the plain 4.0 scale for every class. A weighted GPA adds extra points for harder classes, often 0.5 for honors and 1.0 for AP or IB, so it can go above 4.0. The exact rule depends on the school.
How do I calculate my cumulative GPA?
Multiply your GPA so far by the credits it covers, add this semester's grade points, and divide by the total credits. A 3.40 over 30 credits plus 49.3 points from 14 credits gives 151.3 / 44 = 3.44.
Do pass/fail classes count toward GPA?
Usually not. Classes without a letter grade, such as pass/fail or audited classes, normally carry no grade points and are left out. A failed graded class does count, with 0 points.
Is a 3.5 GPA good?
A 3.5 on a 4.0 scale is a B+ to A- average. What counts as good depends on the school, the program and whether the GPA is weighted.
Sources
Checked on 22 October 2026. If a rule has changed, please tell us.
- College Board BigFuture: How to Calculate Your GPA on a 4.0 Scale
- NCES High School Transcript Study: How grade point average is calculated
- Indiana University Kokomo Bulletin 2025-2026: Grading policies
- Washington and Lee University Registrar: GPA calculations
- Columbia University School of Professional Studies: Grades
- St. Johns County School District: GPAs explained
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville One Stop: Grades, GPA and levels of distinction