Free gpa calculator
Enter your letter grades and credit hours to get your grade point average on the 4.0 scale — the credit-weighted figure colleges, scholarships, and employers use to summarize your record. Each course is weighted by its credit hours (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, and so on), your total quality points are divided by your total credits, and the result is updated live, as you type.
On this page12 sections
Standard 4.0 scale. Some institutions use different grade-point scales.
Results are estimates. Consult a professional.
What a GPA calculator does
A GPA calculator turns a list of letter grades and credit hours into a single grade point average on the 4.0 scale — the number colleges, scholarships, and employers use to summarize your academic record. Type your grades and credits and this calculator computes your GPA instantly, weighting each course by how many credit hours it carries.
GPA is short for Grade Point Average. It is not a simple average of your letter grades: a 4-credit course counts more toward your GPA than a 1-credit course, because it represents more of your workload. This calculator handles that weighting for you, so an A in a heavy lab course pulls your average up more than an A in a one-credit elective.
How GPA is calculated
GPA is a credit-weighted average. You convert each letter grade to its grade points, multiply by that course's credit hours to get quality points, add up all the quality points, and divide by the total credit hours. In order:
- Convert each grade to grade points on the 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on — see the table below).
- Multiply grade points by credit hours for each course to get its quality points.
- Add up all the quality points across every course.
- Add up all the credit hours across every course.
- Divide total quality points by total credit hours. The result is your GPA.
Letter grade to grade point conversion (4.0 scale)
This calculator uses the standard U.S. 4.0 scale, where each full letter grade is worth a whole point and a plus or minus shifts it by about a third of a point. A+ and A both map to 4.0 (the scale is capped at 4.0 for an unweighted GPA). Use this table to look up the grade points for any letter.
| Letter grade | Grade points | Typical percentage |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 | 97–100% |
| A | 4.0 | 93–96% |
| A− | 3.7 | 90–92% |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87–89% |
| B | 3.0 | 83–86% |
| B− | 2.7 | 80–82% |
| C+ | 2.3 | 77–79% |
| C | 2.0 | 73–76% |
| C− | 1.7 | 70–72% |
| D+ | 1.3 | 67–69% |
| D | 1.0 | 63–66% |
| D− | 0.7 | 60–62% |
| F | 0.0 | Below 60% |
The 4.0 scale used by this calculator. Percentage bands are the most common U.S. convention but vary by school — always check your institution's official grade scale, since some cap A+ at 4.0 and others award 4.3.
A worked example, step by step
Maya finished a semester with four courses: an A in a 4-credit biology lab, an A− in a 3-credit history class, a B+ in 3-credit calculus, and a C in a 4-credit chemistry course. Here is exactly how the calculator turns that into a GPA.
Step 1 — Convert each grade to grade points
Using the 4.0 table: A = 4.0, A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, C = 2.0.
Step 2 — Multiply by credit hours to get quality points
- Biology (A, 4 credits): 4.0 × 4 = 16.0 quality points
- History (A−, 3 credits): 3.7 × 3 = 11.1 quality points
- Calculus (B+, 3 credits): 3.3 × 3 = 9.9 quality points
- Chemistry (C, 4 credits): 2.0 × 4 = 8.0 quality points
Step 3 — Add up quality points and credit hours
Step 4 — Divide to get the GPA
Weighted vs unweighted GPA
There are two common kinds of GPA. An unweighted GPA — what this calculator computes — caps every course at 4.0 no matter how hard it is. A weighted GPA adds bonus points for advanced classes, so it can climb above 4.0.
| Unweighted GPA | Weighted GPA | |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | 0 – 4.0 | 0 – 5.0 (sometimes 4.5) |
| Course difficulty | Ignored — an A is 4.0 anywhere | Honors / AP / IB get bonus points |
| Typical bonus | None | +0.5 Honors, +1.0 AP or IB |
| Can exceed 4.0? | No | Yes |
| Used by | Most colleges, this calculator | Many U.S. high schools, class rank |
This calculator produces an unweighted 4.0-scale GPA. To get a weighted GPA, add your school's bonus (commonly +0.5 or +1.0) to the grade points of each advanced course before averaging.
Example: an A in a regular class is 4.0 either way. But an A in an AP class is still 4.0 unweighted, while a weighted scale might count it as 5.0. That is why a student loaded with AP courses can report a GPA like 4.3 — it is a weighted figure, not an unweighted one.
Cumulative GPA vs semester GPA
A semester GPA covers only the courses in one term. A cumulative GPA (sometimes CGPA) covers every course you have ever taken. Both use the identical formula — total quality points divided by total credit hours — just over a different set of courses.
The most common mistake is averaging your semester GPAs to get the cumulative one. That is wrong whenever the semesters carry different numbers of credits, because it throws away the credit-weighting.
Suppose a strong 18-credit semester earns a 3.90 and a lighter 6-credit semester earns a 3.20. Averaging gives (3.90 + 3.20) ÷ 2 = 3.55. The correct credit-weighted cumulative GPA is (3.90 × 18 + 3.20 × 6) ÷ 24 = 3.73 — higher, because the strong semester carried three times the credits and should count three times as much.
Common GPA questions
What is a good GPA?
On the 4.0 scale, a 3.0 (a solid B average) is generally considered good, a 3.5+ is strong, and a 3.7+ is excellent and competitive for selective programs. What counts as "good" depends on your goals — some scholarships and graduate schools set their own minimums, often around 3.0 to 3.5.
Do failing or withdrawn courses count?
An F counts as 0.0 grade points and is included in the average, so it lowers your GPA. Courses marked P (pass), W (withdraw), or I (incomplete) are usually excluded from the GPA entirely. This calculator counts every graded course you enter; leave out anything your school treats as pass/fail or withdrawn.
How do I raise my GPA?
Because GPA is credit-weighted, the fastest way to move it is to earn high grades in high-credit courses, since those carry the most weight. Retaking a course (if your school replaces the old grade) and avoiding low grades in heavy classes both help more than improving a 1-credit elective.
How this calculator works and sources
This GPA calculator applies the standard unweighted 4.0-scale formula — GPA = Σ(grade points × credit hours) ÷ Σ(credit hours) — using the letter-to-point mapping in the reference table above. The math runs entirely in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere. Because grading policies differ between institutions, always confirm your school's official grade scale and credit rules; this tool reflects the most widely shared U.S. convention.
University of Maryland, Office of the University Registrar — GPA Calculation (quality points ÷ credits).University of South Carolina, University Registrar — Grade Point Scale (4.0 letter-to-point values).Calculator.net — GPA Calculator (weighted vs unweighted and credit-hour weighting).Frequently asked questions about the free gpa calculator
About this GPA calculator
This GPA calculator runs entirely in your browser. Every grade and credit you type stays on your device — nothing is sent to a server, logged, or shared. It applies the standard unweighted 4.0 scale, weights each course by its credit hours, and recomputes your grade point average instantly on every change.
Calculators Cloud offers 400+ free tools with no sign-up. The whole Everyday calculators shelf includes the grade calculator and the final grade calculator alongside this one. Or browse the full calculator directory.