How this GPA calculator works
This page figures out your GPA from courses you list. Each course needs a letter grade or a percent and a credit value. The calculator converts every grade to grade points, multiplies by credits, adds the results, and divides by total credits. That is the whole formula: GPA = sum(grade points x credits) / sum(credits).
This is the general calculator. It handles one term or many. It also handles a 4.0 scale or a 4.3 scale. If you are in high school and your school adds extra points for honors, AP, or IB classes, the high school GPA calculator is the right page. If you are in college and want to track your major GPA or term GPA, try the college GPA calculator.
Grade points and credit weighting
Grade points are the number a letter grade is worth. On the 4.0 scale used here, an A is 4.0, a B is 3.0, and a C is 2.0. A minus grade drops the points by 0.3. A plus grade raises them by 0.3, except for A+. On the 4.0 scale, an A+ is still 4.0. On the 4.3 scale, an A+ is 4.3.
Credits are the weight of a course. A 4-credit class counts more than a 1-credit class. That is why the formula multiplies grade points by credits before adding. A B+ in a 4-credit course pulls your GPA more than an A in a 1-credit course.
Here is a worked example. Suppose you took three courses:
- A in a 3-credit course: 4.0 x 3 = 12.0
- B+ in a 4-credit course: 3.3 x 4 = 13.2
- C in a 3-credit course: 2.0 x 3 = 6.0
Add the points: 12.0 + 13.2 + 6.0 = 31.2. Add the credits: 3 + 4 + 3 = 10. Divide: 31.2 / 10 = 3.12. Your GPA for the term is 3.12.
The letter scale this site uses
Every calculator on this site uses the same letter scale. It is the most common US scale, but schools differ. Check your own school's scale before you rely on the result.
| Letter | Percent | 4.0 points | 4.3 points |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97-100 | 4.0 | 4.3 |
| A | 93-96 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| A- | 90-92 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87-89 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| B | 83-86 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| B- | 80-82 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77-79 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| C | 73-76 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| C- | 70-72 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67-69 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| D | 63-66 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| D- | 60-62 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| F | below 60 | 0 | 0 |
Semester GPA vs cumulative GPA
Your semester GPA covers one term. Your cumulative GPA covers every term you have taken. The calculator can do both. If you leave the prior GPA and prior credits fields blank, you get your term GPA. If you fill them in, you get your cumulative GPA.
The cumulative formula is: (prior GPA x prior credits + this term's points) / (prior credits + this term's credits).
Here is an example. Your prior GPA is 3.0 over 45 credits. This term you earn a 4.0 over 15 credits. Prior points: 3.0 x 45 = 135. This term's points: 4.0 x 15 = 60. Total points: 135 + 60 = 195. Total credits: 45 + 15 = 60. Cumulative GPA: 195 / 60 = 3.25.
Notice how the prior record carries more weight. You had 45 credits before, so one strong term moves your cumulative GPA by only 0.25. That is normal. The more credits you have, the slower your cumulative GPA changes.
Why a 4.0 A+ and a 4.3 A+ differ
Some schools cap the top grade at 4.0. Others use a 4.3 scale, where an A+ is worth 4.3. The difference matters if you earn A+ grades. On the 4.0 scale, an A+ and an A give the same points. On the 4.3 scale, the A+ gives you 0.3 more per credit. Over several courses, that can lift your GPA above 4.0. Pick the scale your school uses before you read the result.
What your GPA means
A GPA is a single number that sums up your grades across courses. It is not a percentage. A 3.0 is a B average. A 4.0 is an A average on the 4.0 scale. A 2.0 is often the line for good standing at a college. A 3.5 is common for many honors lists. Those are common thresholds, not rules. Your school sets its own.
If you want to see how letter grades map to points on different scales, the GPA scale page has the full chart. If you need to find the grade on a final exam that gets you to a target GPA, the final grade calculator handles that. Every formula used here is published at how we calculate.
Nothing you type is sent anywhere. The calculator runs in your browser, so your grades stay on your device.