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GPA Calculator

Calculate weighted and unweighted GPA from course grades and credit hours with 4.0 and 5.0 scale support.

How to Use GPA Calculator

  1. 1

    Add your courses

    Enter each course name, credit hours, and letter grade.

  2. 2

    Calculate your GPA

    Click calculate to see your cumulative grade point average.

  3. 3

    Adjust and plan

    Try different grades to see how they would affect your GPA.

Tested tool guide Tested browser tools Checked August 16, 2026

What GPA Calculator does, with a checked example

A GPA is a credit-weighted average, not the mean of your letter grades. A C in a four-credit lab course pulls the number four times harder than a C in a one-credit seminar. This calculator converts each grade to points on a 4.0 or 5.0 scale, multiplies by credit hours, divides by total credits, and returns the GPA for the course list you enter. The surprise is that weighted and unweighted answer different questions: an A in AP Calculus is worth 4.0 unweighted and 5.0 weighted, and neither number is wrong.

Worked example

A concrete input and expected output from the current implementation.

Input

Scale: unweighted 4.0. Courses: Biology, A, 4 credits (AP); English, B, 3 credits; History, C, 3 credits. Then the same list recomputed on the weighted 5.0 scale.

Expected output

Unweighted GPA: 3.10. Weighted GPA (AP Biology counted at 5.0): 3.50.

Points per credit: Biology 4 x 4.0 = 16, English 3 x 3.0 = 9, History 3 x 2.0 = 6, totaling 31 over 10 credits, so 31 / 10 = 3.10. On the weighted scale Biology becomes 4 x 5.0 = 20, totaling 35, so 35 / 10 = 3.50.

How the result is produced

1

Credit-weighted mean

Every grade becomes points on the chosen scale, and each course contributes points times credit hours to a running total. The GPA is the sum of those weighted points divided by the sum of all credit hours. That is why the arithmetic average of the letter grades almost never matches the reported GPA, and why a low grade in a high-credit course hurts far more than the same grade in a low-credit one.

2

Two scales, two numbers

The unweighted scale runs 0.0 to 4.0 with A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0. The weighted scale adds difficulty points, typically one extra point for AP, IB, or honors courses, so an A can count 5.0 and the result can exceed 4.0. The same transcript therefore yields a different number on each scale, and colleges usually recalculate their own version from the raw transcript anyway.

Good uses

  • Rebuild your transcript before college applications, entering every course and credit hour from your school's records, to confirm the cumulative GPA you plan to report matches your own count.
  • Reach analysis: enter your current GPA and the courses still ahead this semester to see how high the cumulative number could climb, or what final grade a weak course needs to avoid dragging it down.
  • Scale conversion: recompute a GPA reported on a 5.0 or other scale back onto a 4.0 scale so you can compare yourself fairly against students whose schools grade differently.

Limits and checks

  • Plus/minus mapping varies by school: some cap A+ at 4.0, others use a 4.33 top. If the tool lets you choose a mapping, pick the one your school actually uses or the result will be off by tenths.
  • A weighted GPA above 4.0 is not directly better than an unweighted 4.0; the two are on different scales. A 4.6 weighted transcript typically corresponds to roughly a 3.7 to 3.9 unweighted for the same course list.
  • Pass/fail, audit, and withdrawn courses normally carry no grade points and no credits. Entering them as letter grades dilutes or inflates the result, and mixing semester hours with quarter hours in one calculation corrupts the denominator.

Common questions

Why doesn't this match my school's official GPA?

Schools differ on plus/minus mapping, which courses earn honors points, whether repeated courses count once or twice, and whether electives and PE are included. The calculator applies the rules you select. If the numbers disagree, work out which of those choices differs, and treat your school's official figure as authoritative for applications.

Can a weighted GPA really go above 4.0?

Yes, that is normal when AP, IB, or honors courses are included, because an A in those classes is worth 5.0 points. A 4.0 weighted average means roughly all A's in regular courses, while a 5.0 weighted average means all A's in every AP course. Colleges typically convert transcripts to their own scale when evaluating applicants.

References and verification

The example and behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.

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