GPA Calculator
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Calculate your weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale. Add as many courses as needed with credit hours and letter grades.
GPA
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📐 Formula
GPA = Σ(Credits × Grade Points) ÷ Total Credits
How to Use the GPA Calculator
Enter your courses
Input each course name (optional), the credit hours, and the letter grade you received. Add as many courses as needed using the plus button.
Select the grade scale
Choose standard US (A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0, F=0) or your institution's custom scale. Some schools use A+=4.3 or A+=4.0 as their ceiling.
Calculate semester or cumulative GPA
For semester GPA, enter only this term's courses. For cumulative, include all courses from all terms — or enter your current cumulative GPA and credits alongside this semester's results.
Use the target GPA feature
Enter your target GPA and current standing to see the minimum grade needed in remaining courses. Useful for understanding whether your goal is mathematically achievable.
How is GPA Calculated on a 4.0 Scale?
GPA (Grade Point Average) is calculated by multiplying each course's grade points by its credit hours, summing those products, and dividing by total credit hours. This produces a weighted average that gives more weight to courses with more credit hours — a key difference from a simple average of letter grades.
Formula: GPA = Σ (Credit Hours × Grade Points) ÷ Total Credit Hours
Letter Grade to GPA Conversion Table
| Letter Grade | Percentage | GPA Points |
|---|---|---|
| A+ / A | 93–100% | 4.0 |
| A− | 90–92% | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87–89% | 3.3 |
| B | 83–86% | 3.0 |
| B− | 80–82% | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77–79% | 2.3 |
| C | 73–76% | 2.0 |
| C− | 70–72% | 1.7 |
| D | 60–69% | 1.0 |
| F | Below 60% | 0.0 |
Worked Example — Calculating GPA Manually
List each course with credits and grade points
Biology (4 credits, A = 4.0), English (3 credits, B+ = 3.3), Math (4 credits, A− = 3.7), History (3 credits, B = 3.0).
Multiply credits by grade points for each course
Biology: 4×4.0=16. English: 3×3.3=9.9. Math: 4×3.7=14.8. History: 3×3.0=9.0. Total quality points: 49.7.
Divide total quality points by total credit hours
Total credits: 4+3+4+3 = 14. GPA = 49.7 ÷ 14 = 3.55
What GPA Do You Need for Graduate School?
Most competitive graduate programs expect a minimum 3.0 GPA, with selective programs at top universities preferring 3.5 or above. Medical schools typically require 3.7+ for competitive applicants. Law schools use LSAT scores heavily alongside GPA. For employment, many large employers filter applications using a 3.0 or 3.5 GPA minimum for campus recruiting.
Cumulative vs Semester GPA
Your semester GPA reflects only the current term's courses. Your cumulative GPA reflects all courses taken throughout your academic career. To raise your cumulative GPA, focus on high-credit courses — a 4.0 in a 4-credit course raises your GPA more than a 4.0 in a 1-credit elective. Retaking failed or low-scoring courses can significantly improve cumulative GPA at many institutions.
How to Calculate GPA by Hand: Worked Example
Take a semester with four courses: A (4.0) at 3 credits, B+ (3.3) at 4 credits, A- (3.7) at 3 credits, and A (4.0) at 3 credits.
Step 1 — multiply each grade point by its credit hours. (4.0×3) + (3.3×4) + (3.7×3) + (4.0×3) = 12.0 + 13.2 + 11.1 + 12.0 = 48.3 total quality points.
Step 2 — sum the credit hours. 3 + 4 + 3 + 3 = 13 total credits.
Step 3 — divide. 48.3 ÷ 13 = 3.715 GPA.
Notice the B+ course, despite being the lowest grade, carries the most weight (4 credits) — a single B+ in a 4-credit course pulls the GPA down more than a B+ would in a 3-credit course. This is why GPA is a credit-weighted average, not a simple average of letter grades: a 3.0 average of the four raw grade points [(4.0+3.3+3.7+4.0)/4 = 3.75] would overstate the true GPA by 0.035, because it ignores that the lower grade carried extra weight.
What GPA Do You Need for Different Goals?
What GPA is typically competitive for graduate school admission?
Most graduate programs list a minimum GPA around 3.0, but competitive programs at selective institutions frequently see successful applicants averaging 3.5–3.8. A GPA calculator becomes most useful here for reverse-engineering what grades are needed going forward: a student at 3.4 with two semesters remaining can calculate exactly what average GPA those remaining semesters need to reach a 3.6 cumulative target.
How is cumulative GPA different from semester GPA?
Semester GPA uses only that term's courses and credits; cumulative GPA uses every course taken to date. A single rough semester moves cumulative GPA far less than it moves the semester GPA itself — a student with a strong 3.8 cumulative GPA across 60 credits who has a difficult 2.8 semester in 15 new credits sees their cumulative GPA drop to roughly [(3.8×60)+(2.8×15)]/75 ≈ 3.6, a meaningful but not catastrophic shift, precisely because the prior 60 credits still anchor the average.
Do all schools use the same 4.0 scale?
Most US institutions use a standard 4.0 scale, but some use a 4.3 or 4.5 scale to accommodate A+ grades, and international systems vary considerably (percentage-based, 10-point, or letter systems with different point values entirely). When comparing GPAs across institutions or converting a transcript for a transfer application, confirming the originating scale is essential — a 3.5 on a 4.3 scale is not equivalent to a 3.5 on a standard 4.0 scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & Methodology
Calculations are based on the most current publicly available data from authoritative government and industry sources: