How to Use the GPA Calculator
- Choose your scale. Pick the standard 4.0 scale with plus and minus grades, the A+ = 4.33 version, a scale with no plus or minus, or the graduate preset. Your catalog says which one your school uses.
- Add each course. Enter the letter grade and the credits shown on your schedule or transcript.
- Mark ungraded courses. Set pass/no pass, withdrawn, incomplete and audited courses so they stay out of the average.
- Read your result. The calculator shows your term GPA and the total graded credits behind it, and it updates as you change a grade.
Already have a GPA from earlier terms? Switch to cumulative mode, or open the cumulative GPA calculator, which adds this term to your existing record and can work backward from a goal.
How to Calculate GPA with Credit Hours
Your GPA is an average of your grades weighted by credits. A 4-credit lab counts for more than a 2-credit seminar, so each grade is multiplied by its credit hours before you average. The formula the calculator uses is:
GPA = Σ(grade value × credits) ÷ Σ credits
- Convert each grade to its value on your school's scale. An A− is 3.7 on the standard scale.
- Multiply each value by the course's credits to get quality points.
- Add up the quality points.
- Divide by the total credits that carry a grade.
Worked Example: Four Courses
| Course | Grade | Credits | Quality Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course 1 | A− | 3 | 11.1 |
| Course 2 | B+ | 4 | 13.2 |
| Course 3 | A | 3 | 12.0 |
| Course 4 | C+ | 2 | 4.6 |
| Total | 12 | 40.9 |
40.9 ÷ 12 = 3.408, which rounds to a 3.41. The C+ pulls the average down less than you might expect because it's only 2 credits. Swap the grades so the C+ lands in the 4-credit course and the B+ in the 2-credit one, and the same four grades give a 3.24. Credits matter as much as grades.
Labs, Half Credits and Zero-Credit Courses
Enter credits exactly as your transcript lists them. A lab with its own grade and credits is a separate row; a lab graded together with the lecture is part of that course. Fractional credits such as 1.5 or 3.75 are fine, so type the decimal. Zero-credit seminars and recitations add nothing to the average, even with a grade attached, because a grade multiplied by zero credits contributes zero quality points. If your school uses quarter units, keep every course in quarter units; the result is the same as long as you don't mix systems.
GPA Scale: Letter Grades, Percentages and Grade Points
Most US colleges use a 4.0 scale with plus/minus grades. Some give an A+ 4.33 instead of 4.0, and some use only A, B, C, D and F. Here is how the three common versions compare, with the percent ranges many schools use:
| Letter | Typical Percent | Standard (A+ = 4.0) | A+ = 4.33 | No + or − |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97–100 | 4.0 | 4.33 | — |
| A | 93–96 | 4.0 | 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 | 3.0 |
| B− | 80–82 | 2.7 | 2.7 | — |
| C+ | 77–79 | 2.3 | 2.3 | — |
| C | 73–76 | 2.0 | 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 | 1.0 |
| D− | 60–62 | 0.7 | 0.7 | — |
| F | Below 60 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
On a scale without plus or minus grades, every A is worth 4, every B 3 and so on, and the percent bands are usually 90–100 for an A, 80–89 for a B, 70–79 for a C and 60–69 for a D. Percent cutoffs vary by school and even by instructor, so check your syllabus or catalog before you convert.
The A+ = 4.33 version matters beyond your own campus too. LSAC's conversion table, used for law school applications, maps an A+ to 4.33, so a law school GPA can come out slightly different from the one on your transcript.
Other GPA Scales You Might See
- A 4.3 GPA scale. This is the A+ = 4.33 version above. Only the A+ changes, so it matters most if you earned several of them.
- A 5.0 weighted scale. Some high schools add a point for honors or AP classes. College grade points normally aren't weighted this way, so leave weighting out when you calculate college work.
- Percentage or numeric scales. Schools outside the US often grade in percentages, on a 10-point scale or in degree classes. A conversion to a US GPA scale depends on the evaluator, so ask the school or program that wants the number how it converts.
Converting a Percentage to GPA
Match the percentage to a letter grade first, then read off the value. An 87% is a B+ on the typical scale, worth 3.3, so it adds 9.9 quality points in a 3-credit course. Enter the letter in the calculator once you've converted it.
Why Your GPA Calculator Result May Differ from Your Transcript
If the number above doesn't match the one your school reports, one of these is usually the reason:
- A different scale. Your school may give an A+ 4.33 or skip plus and minus grades. Pick the matching scale and recalculate.
- Rounding. Some registrars round to two decimals and some truncate, so a 3.408 can show as 3.41 or 3.40.
- Ungraded or excluded courses. Pass/no pass, withdrawals, incompletes, remedial courses and credits from another school may sit on your transcript without adding grade points.
- Repeated courses. If your school replaces an earlier grade, the first attempt drops out of the official figure.
- Unit differences. Quarter and semester credits shouldn't be mixed without converting them first.
When the gap is larger than rounding, compare your inputs line by line against your unofficial transcript. The registrar's office can explain any course it treats differently.
Semester vs Cumulative GPA
Your semester GPA covers one term. The figure that follows you to graduation combines every term at your school, weighted by credits, so you can't just average term results. A 3.60 term on top of a 3.12 over 45 credits gives a 3.24, not the 3.36 a simple average suggests. The cumulative calculator handles that math, plus retakes and goal planning.
Pass/Fail, Withdrawals and Incompletes
Only graded courses go into your GPA. Leave these out of both the quality points and the credits:
- P/NP (pass/no pass): you earn credit toward your degree but no grade value. Some schools count a failing grade in a P/NP course as an F, so check.
- W (withdrawal): no grade value and no credits in the GPA.
- I (incomplete): left out until a final grade is posted. At many schools an unfinished incomplete eventually turns into an F, and then it counts.
- AU (audit): no credit and no grade.
The calculator leaves P/NP, W, I and AU out automatically. If your transcript shows other codes, your registrar's grading page explains them.
Graduate School GPA Rules
Master's and doctoral programs grade on the same 4.0 scale, but the rules around it are stricter:
- No D grades. Many programs don't award D+, D or D−, so the scale runs from A down to C− and then F. Choose the grad preset in the calculator.
- B or better in core courses. Many programs require a B or better in core courses, so a C+ may not count toward your degree even though it counts in your GPA.
- A minimum for good standing. Programs set a GPA you must keep to stay in good standing; your program handbook gives the number.
If coursework is piling up during your thesis or dissertation years, thesis writing help and MBA assignment help are options for graduate students working against a deadline.
What Is a Good College GPA?
There's no single answer, because what counts as good depends on what the number is for. A 3.0, a B average, is a common threshold in scholarship rules, program minimums and grad admissions, while honors programs and Latin honors at many schools set the bar higher. Some employers ask for a GPA on applications, especially for internships, and many don't ask at all. Rather than chasing a general number, find the specific minimums that apply to you: your major's progression rules, any scholarship you hold, and the programs you plan to apply to. Then use the GPA calculator to see what grades this term would keep you above each one.
How to Raise Your College GPA
- Focus on high-credit courses. A one-step grade improvement in a 4-credit course moves your GPA twice as much as the same improvement in a 2-credit course.
- Use repeat policies wisely. If your school replaces an earlier grade when you repeat a course, the old grade drops out of the average.
- Protect your finals. The final exam calculator shows the score you need on each exam, so you can study where it counts.
- Fix recurring writing problems. This post on essay mistakes that can tank your GPA walks through the common ones.
- Ask for help before a grade posts. Office hours, your school's tutoring center and coursework help all work best early in the term.
Be realistic about your course load, too. Five demanding courses in a term when you're also working long hours can drag down every grade at once, while a slightly lighter load you can handle well often does more for your average. Plan the hardest prerequisites for terms when you have the most time, and check the drop deadline in case a course goes badly early.
For a slower walkthrough of how to calculate GPA by hand, with more examples, read how GPA is calculated.
