Skip to content
Calcenta

GPA Calculator

Calculate your semester and cumulative grade point average, weighted by credit hours, with support for honors and AP courses.

GPA Calculator

Courses

Cumulative GPA (optional)

Add your record so far to fold this semester into it.

Semester GPA

3.48

4 courses · 13 credit hours

Credit hours

13

Grade points

45.3

Weighted

3.48

With honors bonus

Cumulative

-

Add prior record

Course by course

CourseGradeCreditsPoints
Course 1A34.0
Course 2B+43.3
Course 3A-33.7
Course 4B33.0

Rows without a grade are skipped rather than counted as an F. Check your institution’s scale — some cap A+ at 4.0, others award 4.3.

The link carries the values you entered, so whoever opens it sees the same result. Nothing is stored on our side — the numbers travel in the link itself.

How the gpa calculation works

Grade point average is a credit-weighted average, not a plain one — and that distinction is the whole calculation. Averaging your letter grades and ignoring the credit hours produces a number that can be off by half a point.

How it works

Each letter converts to grade points on the 4.0 scale, multiplied by the credit hours of the course:

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

The standard US scale runs A = 4.0, A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, and so on down to F = 0.

Worked through a four-course semester:

Course Grade Points Credits Contribution
Biology A 4.0 3 12.0
Calculus B+ 3.3 4 13.2
History B 3.0 3 9.0
Writing A− 3.7 3 11.1

45.3 grade points ÷ 13 credits = 3.48 GPA. Note the four-credit calculus course pulls harder than the three-credit ones — a 4.0 in a one-credit seminar does not offset a 2.0 in a four-credit core course, though a plain average would say otherwise.

Cumulative GPA is not the average of two GPAs

This is the most common error. To fold a semester into an existing record, sum the points and credits, never average the two GPAs:

cumulative = (old GPA × old credits + new points) ÷ (old credits + new credits)

A 3.0 across 60 credits plus a 4.0 semester of 15 credits gives (180 + 60) ÷ 75 = 3.20, not the 3.50 that averaging suggests. The larger your existing record, the less any single semester can move it — which is why an early bad semester is easier to recover from than a late one.

Weighted scales

Many US high schools add points for harder courses: typically +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP or IB, producing weighted GPAs above 4.0. Colleges usually recalculate using their own method anyway, so both figures are shown above.

One rule the calculator applies: a bonus never rescues a failing grade. An F in an AP class is still a 0.0, not a 1.0.

What this cannot know

Institutions vary more than people expect. Some award A+ = 4.3; most cap at 4.0. Pass/fail courses usually carry credit without grade points. Repeated courses may replace the original grade or average with it. Withdrawals may or may not appear. Check your registrar's published policy — this calculator uses the most common conventions, which is not the same as yours.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate my GPA?

Convert each letter grade to points on the 4.0 scale, multiply each by that course’s credit hours, add the results, and divide by the total credit hours. The credit weighting is essential: a 4.0 in a one-credit course does not offset a 2.0 in a four-credit one, though a simple average of the letters would suggest it does.

How do I calculate cumulative GPA across semesters?

Multiply your existing GPA by your existing credit hours to recover the grade points, add this semester’s points and credits, then divide the totals. Do not average the two GPAs - that only gives the right answer when the credit loads happen to match. A 3.0 over 60 credits plus a 4.0 over 15 credits is 3.20, not 3.50.

What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?

Unweighted GPA caps at 4.0 and treats every course identically. Weighted GPA adds points for harder courses - typically 0.5 for honors and 1.0 for AP or IB - so it can exceed 4.0. Both are shown above. Many colleges recalculate using their own formula regardless of what your school reports, so it is worth knowing both numbers.

Is an A+ worth 4.0 or 4.3?

It depends on the institution, and both exist. Most cap the unweighted scale at 4.0, which is what this calculator uses, but some award 4.3 for an A+. Check your registrar’s published scale - if yours awards 4.3, add the difference manually, or use the weighted mode to approximate it.

Do pass/fail courses affect my GPA?

Usually not. A pass typically earns credit hours toward graduation without contributing grade points, so it is excluded from the average entirely. A fail may or may not count as an F depending on the institution. Leave pass/fail courses out of the calculator above, or enter them with zero credits - either way they will not move the result.

How much can one bad semester hurt my GPA?

Far less if you have already accumulated credits. With 90 credits at 3.5, a 2.0 semester of 15 credits pulls you to about 3.29. With only 15 credits behind you, the same semester takes 3.5 down to 2.75. The arithmetic is why recovering from an early setback is straightforward and a late one is not - there are fewer remaining credits to dilute it.

Related everyday calculators