Your grade point average, calculated properly
A GPA (grade point average) turns letter grades into a single number. Because courses carry different numbers of credit hours, a four-credit course affects your GPA more than a two-credit one. This calculator does the weighted arithmetic for you and shows exactly how it reached the result.
The formula
GPA = Σ(Grade points × Credit hours) ÷ Σ Credit hours
Worked example:
| Course | Credits | Grade | Points | Points × credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 3 | A | 4.0 | 12.0 |
| Physics | 4 | B+ | 3.3 | 13.2 |
| Art | 2 | C | 2.0 | 4.0 |
| Total | 9 | 29.2 |
GPA = 29.2 ÷ 9 = 3.24.
Notice that a simple average of 4.0, 3.3 and 2.0 would be 3.10. The weighted GPA is higher because the courses with better grades carried more credits.
Grade scales differ
The calculator starts with a common 4.0 letter scale used by many schools, especially in the United States. Many institutions differ: some give A+ a value above 4.0, some have no minus grades, and some use entirely different point values. Grading scales vary by school, so check your institution’s official scale.
Open “Edit grade points” to change the value of any grade. Your changes are applied immediately and kept in the page link, so a shared link shows the same scale. Press “Reset to default” to go back to the standard values.
Tips for an accurate GPA
- Use official credit hours from your course catalog or transcript.
- Leave out courses that do not count, such as pass/fail or audited courses, if your school excludes them.
- Rows that are only partly filled in are skipped, and the calculator tells you which course is missing a grade or credits when you press “Calculate”.
- Check repeated courses. Schools treat retakes differently; follow your school’s rule.
Planning with “what if” grades
The calculator is also useful before results come out. Enter the courses you are taking this term with the grades you expect, and see what GPA they would produce. Change one grade at a time to see which course has the most effect: a course with more credit hours moves your GPA further than a smaller one.
GPA and percentages are not interchangeable
Letter grades are usually awarded from percentage bands, but those bands differ between schools and even between courses. A GPA cannot be turned back into an exact percentage without your school’s own table. If an application asks for a percentage, use the figure or conversion method from your official transcript.
What to do with your GPA
- Combine terms. To get a cumulative figure across semesters, enter each term’s GPA in the CGPA Calculator.
- Convert marks. If your results are given as marks rather than grades, the Percentage Calculator turns marks into a percentage.
- Plan ahead. Add the courses you are taking now with the grades you are aiming for, to see what GPA you could reach.
Weighted and unweighted GPA
Some high schools report a “weighted” GPA that gives extra points for advanced or honors classes, and an “unweighted” GPA that does not. To calculate a weighted GPA here, open “Edit grade points” and raise the values to match your school’s weighted scale, or ask your school which figure an application needs.
Sharing and privacy
Your courses, grades and any edited grade points are kept in the page address, so you can bookmark the calculation or send it to a classmate or advisor. The calculation itself runs in your browser, and nothing is sent to a server.
Works on phones and computers
The calculator adapts to small screens: on a phone each course appears as a compact card, and on a computer as a table row. It works in any up-to-date browser with no app or sign-up.
Other useful tools for students include the Word Counter for essays and the Age Calculator for application age limits.