How GPA is calculated
Most US high schools and colleges use a 4.0 scale. Each letter grade has a grade-point value, and each course is weighted by its credit hours:
GPA = Σ (grade points × credits) ÷ Σ credits
The numerator is called quality points.
| Grade | Points | Grade | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | C | 2.0 |
| A− | 3.7 | C− | 1.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 | D+ | 1.3 |
| B | 3.0 | D | 1.0 |
| B− | 2.7 | D− | 0.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 | F | 0.0 |
Some schools give A+ a value of 4.0, others 4.3; some do not use minus grades. Check your school’s catalog.
Example
| Course | Grade | Credits | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | 3 | 12.0 |
| 2 | B+ | 4 | 13.2 |
| 3 | A− | 3 | 11.1 |
| 4 | B | 3 | 9.0 |
| 5 | A | 1 | 4.0 |
Total: 49.3 quality points over 14 credits, a semester GPA of 3.52.
Cumulative GPA
To combine with past semesters, add the old quality points (previous GPA × previous credits) to the new ones and divide by all credits. With a previous 3.20 GPA over 30 credits, the example semester raises the cumulative GPA to 3.30.
The more credits you have already earned, the less one semester moves your cumulative GPA. That is why raising a GPA late in college takes many strong semesters.
Weighted GPA
High schools often add weight for honors, AP or IB classes, typically +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP, so an A in an AP class counts as 5.0. Colleges often recalculate an unweighted GPA from your transcript. To include weighting here, enter the weighted point value as if it were the grade.
What the numbers mean
- 3.5 and above: often the dean’s list threshold, and competitive for many graduate programs.
- 3.0: a B average, a common minimum for scholarships and honors programs.
- 2.0: a C average, the usual minimum for good academic standing and graduation.
Tips
- Pass/fail courses, withdrawals (W) and audits usually do not count in GPA.
- Repeated courses may replace the earlier grade, depending on the school’s policy.
- Courses with more credits weigh more: a strong grade in a 4-credit course helps more than in a 1-credit lab.