How GPA Is Calculated

The idea in one sentence

Every letter grade is converted into grade points; each course’s grade points are multiplied by its credits to get quality points; and the quality points are divided by the total credits.

The formula

GPA = Σ (grade points × credits) ÷ Σ credits

This is the most common US table. Some schools use another one (an A+ worth 4.3, or no plus/minus grades) — your transcript key is the authority.

Step-by-step example

31.2 ÷ 10 = 3.12. Try your own numbers in the GPA calculator.

Weighted and unweighted GPA

An unweighted GPA ignores how hard a course is. A weighted GPA adds bonus points — commonly +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP or IB — to passing grades, so it can exceed 4.0. The high school GPA calculator shows both side by side.

Semester GPA and cumulative GPA

Your semester GPA covers one term. Your cumulative GPA covers everything, weighted by credits. To update it after a term:

New cumulative GPA = (old GPA × old credits + quality points this term) ÷ (old credits + credits this term)

Example: a 3.20 GPA over 60 credits, and a term of 14 credits with 48.7 quality points (a 3.48 term GPA): (3.20 × 60 + 48.7) ÷ 74 = 240.7 ÷ 74 = 3.25. The cumulative GPA calculator does this for you.

Planning the GPA you need

Turn the formula around to find the GPA you must earn in your remaining credits:

Needed GPA = (target × total credits − current GPA × credits done) ÷ credits remaining

A student with a 3.00 over 60 credits who wants a 3.40 after 120 credits needs (3.40 × 120 − 3.00 × 60) ÷ 60 = 3.80 in the next 60 credits. The target GPA calculator also tells you when a goal is out of reach.

GPA scales around the world

• United States: 4.0 scale with letter grades, sometimes 4.3 for an A+ — the GPA calculator.
• India: SGPA and CGPA on a 10-point scale — the SGPA to CGPA calculator.
• Nigeria: a 5.0 scale — the Nigeria CGPA calculator.
• Australia: a 7-point scale next to the WAM — the WAM and GPA calculator.
• China and others: percentages that are converted with a table or formula — the percentage to GPA converter.

The arithmetic is always the same weighted average. What changes is the table that turns grades into points and the maximum value, so a 3.5 in one system is not a 3.5 in another.

Reading your transcript

Transcripts list several credit numbers, and only one of them belongs in your GPA. “Credits attempted” or “GPA hours” include every graded course, including failures; “credits earned” counts only the ones you passed; transfer credits usually appear separately and are normally left out of the GPA. When you enter an existing GPA into the cumulative calculator, use the credits that the GPA is based on.

Quick sanity checks

• Your GPA must lie between your lowest and highest grade points.
• If every course has the same grade, the GPA equals that grade.
• A course with more credits moves the GPA more than a lighter one.
• Adding an A can never lower your GPA when it is above your current average — and a grade below your average always does.

Common pitfalls

• Forgetting credits. A plain average of grade points is wrong when courses carry different credits.
• Counting pass/fail or withdrawn courses. Most schools leave them out of the GPA.
• Repeated courses. Some schools replace the old grade, others average both attempts.
• Rounding too early. Keep full precision until the end, then round to two decimals.

Frequently asked questions