GPA Calculator
Add each course, its credit hours, and its letter grade below to calculate your college GPA — plus your new cumulative GPA if you add a prior one.
| Course | Credits | Grade | Points | Quality Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus I | 3 | A- | 3.7 | 11.1 |
| English Composition | 3 | B+ | 3.3 | 9.9 |
| Chemistry | 3 | B | 3.0 | 9.0 |
| Psychology | 3 | A | 4.0 | 12.0 |
How Semester GPA Is Calculated
This is the standard credit-weighted GPA formula used across US colleges: convert each letter grade to grade points on a 4.0 scale, multiply by that course's credit hours to get quality points, add up the quality points, then divide by total credit hours.
Worked example — Semester GPA
Calculus I: A- (3 credits), English Composition: B+ (3 credits), Chemistry: B (3 credits), Psychology: A (3 credits) — plus/minus scale.
Quality points: (3.7 × 3) + (3.3 × 3) + (3.0 × 3) + (4.0 × 3) = 11.1 + 9.9 + 9.0 + 12.0 = 42.0
Total credits: 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12
Semester GPA = 42.0 ÷ 12 = 3.500
How the New Cumulative GPA Is Calculated
Your prior cumulative GPA times your prior credit hours gives your prior quality points. Add this semester's quality points to that, then divide by your combined total credit hours.
Worked example — Combined Cumulative GPA
Prior cumulative GPA: 3.2 over 45 credit hours. This semester (from above): 42.0 quality points over 12 credit hours.
Prior quality points: 3.2 × 45 = 144.0. Combined quality points: 144.0 + 42.0 = 186.0.
Combined credits: 45 + 12 = 57
New cumulative GPA = 186.0 ÷ 57 = 3.263
Keep going
- GPA is a specific case of a weighted average, with credit hours as the weights; the weighted average calculator applies that same math to any values and weights. Weighted Average Calculator
- GPA and a single class grade are both weighted averages, just at different scales; the grade calculator handles the weighted-by-category breakdown within one class, plus what you need on a final. Grade Calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
How is college GPA calculated?
Each letter grade converts to grade points on a 4.0 scale. Multiply a course's grade points by its credit hours to get quality points, add up the quality points for every course, then divide by total credit hours.
What grade points does a plus or minus grade carry?
Most US schools use a 4.0 scale where a plus adds 0.3 and a minus subtracts 0.3 from the base letter grade — so a B+ is 3.3, a B is 3.0, and a B- is 2.7.
What's the difference between the plus/minus and whole-letter scales?
Most US colleges use a plus/minus scale where a plus adds 0.3 and a minus subtracts 0.3 from the base grade point (B+ = 3.3, B- = 2.7). Some schools skip that and grade on whole letters only (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on). Check your school's registrar page if you're not sure which one applies to you.
How does combining a prior GPA with this semester work?
Your prior GPA times your prior credit hours gives your prior quality points. Add that to this semester's quality points, then divide by your combined total credit hours — the same credit-weighted average used for a single semester, just applied across two periods at once.
Does a class with more credits count more toward GPA?
Yes. GPA is a credit-weighted average, so a 4-credit class affects your GPA more than a 1-credit class, regardless of the letter grade.
Why doesn't my transcript's GPA match exactly?
Some schools exclude certain courses (pass/fail, repeated courses, transfer credits) from the GPA calculation, or round differently. This calculator includes every course you enter at full weight.
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