Unweighted GPA from course 1 grade
| Course 1 grade | B- |
|---|---|
| Course 1 credit hours | 8 |
| Course 2 grade | A- |
| Course 2 credit hours | 4 |
| Course 3 grade | B+ |
| Course 3 credit hours | 3 |
| Course 4 grade | A- |
| Course 4 credit hours | 4 |
| Course 5 grade | A- |
| Course 5 credit hours | 1 |
| Unweighted GPA | 3.2 |
| Total credit hours | 20 |
There is no single national standard: schools differ in scale, plus and minus grades, weighting and how repeated courses count. Colleges recalculate GPAs from transcripts using their own rules, and some ignore weighting. GPA does not show course rigor or trends over time.
Transfer credits may or may not count.
Enter each course's grade on a 4.0 scale, where an A is 4.0, an A- 3.7, a B+ 3.3, a B 3.0 and so on, and its credit hours. The credit hours are what make a five-credit lab count more than a one-credit seminar. Use your school's own scale, since some schools do not use plus and minus grades.
Weighted GPA adds a bonus, often half a point for honors and a full point for AP or IB courses, if your school uses one.
GPA: formula
Common error: Averaging the grades without the credit hours. A single large course can change the result by more than several small ones.
GPA: changing Course 1 credit hours
| Course 1 credit hours | Unweighted GPA | Total credit hours |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3.3 | 18 |
| 7 | 3.3 | 19 |
| 8 (example) | 3.2 | 20 |
| 9 | 3.2 | 21 |
| 10 | 3.2 | 22 |
GPA: compare input ranges
| Input | Tested from | To | Unweighted GPA: low input | Unweighted GPA: high input | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course 1 grade | A+ | F | 3.8 | 2.2 | 1.6 (16%) |
| Course 2 grade | A+ | F | 3.3 | 2.5 | 0.8 (8.0%) |
| Course 4 grade | A+ | F | 3.3 | 2.5 | 0.8 (8.0%) |
| Course 3 grade | A+ | F | 3.3 | 2.7 | 0.6 (6.0%) |
| Course 5 grade | A+ | F | 3.3 | 3.1 | 0.2 (2.0%) |
| Course 1 credit hours | 7 | 9 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 0.054 (1.7%) |
| Course 4 credit hours | 3 | 5 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 0.046 (1.4%) |
| Course 5 credit hours | 0 | 2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 0.046 (1.4%) |
| Course 2 credit hours | 3 | 5 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 0.046 (1.4%) |
| Course 3 credit hours | 2 | 4 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 0.00602 (0.2%) |
GPA: individual input comparisons
| Input | Value | Unweighted GPA | Total credit hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course 1 grade | A+ | 3.8 | 20 |
| A+ | 3.8 | 20 | |
| A- | 3.6 | 20 | |
| B+ | 3.5 | 20 | |
| B | 3.4 | 20 | |
| B- | 3.2 | 20 | |
| C+ | 3.1 | 20 | |
| C | 3 | 20 | |
| C- | 2.8 | 20 | |
| D+ | 2.7 | 20 | |
| D | 2.6 | 20 | |
| D- | 2.4 | 20 | |
| F | 2.2 | 20 | |
| Course 1 credit hours | 6 | 3.3 | 18 |
| 7 | 3.3 | 19 | |
| 8 | 3.2 | 20 | |
| 9 | 3.2 | 21 | |
| 10 | 3.2 | 22 | |
| Course 2 grade | A+ | 3.3 | 20 |
| A+ | 3.3 | 20 | |
| A- | 3.2 | 20 | |
| B+ | 3.2 | 20 | |
| B | 3.1 | 20 | |
| B- | 3 | 20 | |
| C+ | 3 | 20 | |
| C | 2.9 | 20 | |
| C- | 2.8 | 20 | |
| D+ | 2.8 | 20 | |
| D | 2.7 | 20 | |
| D- | 2.6 | 20 | |
| F | 2.5 | 20 | |
| Course 2 credit hours | 2 | 3.2 | 18 |
| 3 | 3.2 | 19 | |
| 4 | 3.2 | 20 | |
| 5 | 3.3 | 21 | |
| 6 | 3.3 | 22 | |
| Course 3 grade | A+ | 3.3 | 20 |
| A+ | 3.3 | 20 | |
| A- | 3.3 | 20 | |
| B+ | 3.2 | 20 | |
| B | 3.2 | 20 | |
| B- | 3.2 | 20 | |
| C+ | 3.1 | 20 | |
| C | 3 | 20 | |
| C- | 3 | 20 | |
| D+ | 2.9 | 20 | |
| D | 2.9 | 20 | |
| D- | 2.9 | 20 | |
| F | 2.7 | 20 | |
| Course 3 credit hours | 1 | 3.2 | 18 |
| 2 | 3.2 | 19 | |
| 3 | 3.2 | 20 | |
| 4 | 3.2 | 21 | |
| 5 | 3.2 | 22 | |
| Course 4 grade | A+ | 3.3 | 20 |
| A+ | 3.3 | 20 | |
| A- | 3.2 | 20 | |
| B+ | 3.2 | 20 | |
| B | 3.1 | 20 | |
| B- | 3 | 20 | |
| C+ | 3 | 20 | |
| C | 2.9 | 20 | |
| C- | 2.8 | 20 | |
| D+ | 2.8 | 20 | |
| D | 2.7 | 20 | |
| D- | 2.6 | 20 | |
| F | 2.5 | 20 | |
| Course 4 credit hours | 2 | 3.2 | 18 |
| 3 | 3.2 | 19 | |
| 4 | 3.2 | 20 | |
| 5 | 3.3 | 21 | |
| 6 | 3.3 | 22 | |
| Course 5 grade | A+ | 3.3 | 20 |
| A+ | 3.3 | 20 | |
| A- | 3.2 | 20 | |
| B+ | 3.2 | 20 | |
| B | 3.2 | 20 | |
| B- | 3.2 | 20 | |
| C+ | 3.2 | 20 | |
| C | 3.2 | 20 | |
| C- | 3.1 | 20 | |
| D+ | 3.1 | 20 | |
| D | 3.1 | 20 | |
| D- | 3.1 | 20 | |
| F | 3.1 | 20 | |
| Course 5 credit hours | 0 | 3.2 | 19 |
| 0 | 3.2 | 19 | |
| 1 | 3.2 | 20 | |
| 2 | 3.3 | 21 | |
| 3 | 3.3 | 22 |
Unweighted GPA: Course 1 credit hours against Course 2 credit hours
| Course 1 credit hours / Course 2 credit hours | 2 | 4 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| 7 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| 8 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| 9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| 10 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
GPA: values and definitions
| Quantity and definition | Value used |
|---|---|
| Course 1 grade — Letter grade earned in course 1. | B- |
| Course 1 credit hours — Credit hours course 1 is worth. | 8 |
| Course 2 grade — Letter grade earned in course 2. | A- |
| Course 2 credit hours — Credit hours course 2 is worth. | 4 |
| Course 3 grade — Letter grade earned in course 3. | B+ |
| Course 3 credit hours — Credit hours course 3 is worth. | 3 |
| Course 4 grade — Letter grade earned in course 4. | A- |
| Course 4 credit hours — Credit hours course 4 is worth. | 4 |
| Course 5 grade — Letter grade earned in course 5. | A- |
| Course 5 credit hours — Credit hours course 5 is worth. | 1 |
| Unweighted GPA | 3.2 |
| Total credit hours | 20 |
A grade point average weights each grade by the credit hours it carries, so a heavy course moves the average more than a light one. In the example, five courses with grades of 2.7, 3.7, 3.3, 3.7 and 3.7 have a plain average of 3.42, but the 8 credit course at 2.7 pulls the credit-weighted GPA down to about 3.24 over 20 credit hours. Weighted and unweighted GPAs use different scales, and each school sets its own.
Confirm your school's scale, including how it handles plus and minus grades and honors or advanced courses. A GPA from one system does not convert cleanly to another.
Plan the grades you need with the grade target calculator, and check individual scores with the test score percentage page. The percentage and percentage change calculators help with weights. Graduate and scholarship programs usually state the GPA calculation they use.
Understand the quantities in this calculation
How do I raise my GPA?
Earn high grades in courses with the most credit hours, retake courses if your school replaces the grade, and use the grade target tool to plan the scores you need.