The short answer
- Each letter grade has a value in grade points: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.
- GPA = total of (grade points × credits) ÷ total credits.
- Weighted GPA adds points for harder courses, commonly +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP.
- Score needed on a final = (target − current × (1 − weight)) ÷ weight.
What a GPA is
GPA stands for grade point average. It is used by most high schools and colleges in the United States. Each grade is turned into a number of points, and the points are averaged, with bigger courses counting for more. The result is a single figure, usually between 0 and 4, that schools, colleges and employers use to compare students.
A GPA is a weighted mean, with credits as the weights. The average calculator explains weighted means in more detail.
The 4.0 scale
| Letter | Grade points | Letter | Grade points |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 (some 4.33) | C+ | 2.3 |
| A | 4.0 | C | 2.0 |
| A− | 3.7 | C− | 1.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 | D+ | 1.3 |
| B | 3.0 | D | 1.0 |
| B− | 2.7 | D− | 0.7 |
| F | 0 |
The College Board notes that the way letter grades map to percentages and points varies between schools. The calculator uses the table above; change the A+ value under More options if your school uses 4.33.
Why credits matter
Credits (or credit hours, or units) show how big a course is. A four-credit science course with labs counts for more than a two-credit elective. An A in a four-credit course raises your GPA twice as much as an A in a two-credit course. If every course in your school has the same weight, give each one 1 credit and the GPA becomes a simple average.
A worked example
- A × 3 credits12.0
- B+ × 4 credits13.2
- A− × 3 credits11.1
- B × 3 credits9.0
- C+ × 2 credits4.6
- Quality points ÷ credits49.9 ÷ 15
These are the calculator’s starting values, so you can follow along and then change them to your own grades.
Weighted GPA: honors and AP
Many high schools reward harder courses by adding points. The College Board says weighting varies between school districts. The most common pattern is +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, so an A in an AP course counts as 5.0. Some schools add the same amount for both, or use a 5.0 or 6.0 scale. Set your school’s bonuses under More options.
No bonus on a fail
Most schools do not add the bonus to an F, and neither does this calculator. An F in an AP course still counts as 0.
The same courses, weighted
If the A was in an AP course and the B+ in an honors course:
- AP A
- 4.0 × 3 = 12.0
- Honors B+
- 3.3 × 4 = 13.2
- Quality points
- 49.9
- GPA
- 3.33
- AP A
- 5.0 × 3 = 15.0
- Honors B+
- 3.8 × 4 = 15.2
- Quality points
- 54.9
- GPA
- 3.66
Is an A+ worth more than an A?
At most schools, no: both are 4.0, the top of the scale. At schools that give an A+ 4.33, two three-credit courses with an A+ and an A average 4.165 rather than 4.0. Choose the A+ value under More options to match your transcript.
Cumulative GPA
Your cumulative GPA covers every term so far. Do not average the term GPAs: weight each one by its credits. Enter your GPA and credits so far under More options.
- 3.2 × 60192
- 3.8 × 1557
- (192 + 57) ÷ 753.32
How fast can you raise a GPA?
Each term counts for less as your credits build up. A perfect 4.0 over 15 credits, starting from 3.2:
| Credits so far | GPA so far | After a 4.0 term |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 3.2 | 3.60 |
| 30 | 3.2 | 3.47 |
| 60 | 3.2 | 3.36 |
| 90 | 3.2 | 3.31 |
The earlier you improve, the more it moves the overall figure.
The GPA you need this term
Set a target cumulative GPA under More options and the calculator shows the term GPA you need. From 3.2 over 60 credits, reaching 3.3 needs a 3.7 over a 15-credit term. Reaching 3.5 would need 4.7, which is above the scale, so it would take more than one term. From 2.8 over 90 credits, reaching 3.0 in one 15-credit term would need 4.2, which is also out of reach.
Your grade in one course
Most courses weight their parts: for example homework 20%, quizzes 20%, a midterm 25% and a final exam 35%. Your grade so far is the weighted average of the parts already marked, scaled to the weight they cover.
- 92 × 20 + 85 × 20 + 78 × 255,490
- ÷ (20 + 20 + 25)÷ 65
The score you need on the final
The marks so far fill 65% of the course and the final fills 35%. To finish on 85%:
- 84.46 × 0.6554.9
- 85 − 54.930.1
- 30.1 ÷ 0.3586
Final exam targets at a glance
| Target grade | Needed on the final |
|---|---|
| 80% | 71.7% |
| 85% | 86.0% |
| 90% | 100.3% (out of reach without extra credit) |
The weight of the final matters. With the same 84.46% so far, reaching 90% needs 95.5% if the final is worth 50% of the course. Someone on 84% with a final worth 30% would need 104% for a 90%.
Percentages and letter grades
Many US schools use 93% and above for an A, 90% for an A−, 87% for a B+, 83% for a B, 80% for a B−, and so on down to 60% for a D−. Others use plain ten-point bands. The calculator uses the first set to label your grade; your syllabus has the rules that count.
If you need to turn marks into a percentage first, such as 47 out of 55, use the percentage calculator.
Pass/fail, repeats and withdrawals
- Pass/fail courses usually carry credits but no grade points, so they are left out of the GPA.
- A withdrawal (W) usually does not count. An incomplete (I) may turn into an F if not finished.
- When you repeat a course, some schools replace the old grade and others average both.
- Transfer credits often count towards your degree but not your GPA.
Your school’s catalog or registrar has the exact rules.
How colleges read your GPA
The College Board notes that many colleges recalculate applicants’ GPAs on their own scale and may not count every course or weight. They also look at how demanding your courses were. A strong weighted GPA from AP and honors courses can carry more weight than a slightly higher unweighted GPA from easier ones.
- Grade 9–10Every grade counts
Early terms have the biggest effect on your final cumulative GPA.
- Grade 11The most watched year
Often the last full year colleges see before applying.
- Grade 12Keep it steady
Offers can depend on finishing the year well.
Paying for college is the next question: the 529 plan calculator and the student loan calculator help with that.
UK degree classifications
UK universities do not usually use a 4.0 GPA. Honours degrees are classed by an average mark, commonly:
| Class | Usual average mark |
|---|---|
| First | 70% and above |
| Upper second (2:1) | 60–69% |
| Lower second (2:2) | 50–59% |
| Third | 40–49% |
There is no official conversion between degree classes and US GPAs; universities and employers use their own tables. UK students can plan their money with the student budget calculator.
Practical tips
- Check your school’s scale: A+ value, honors and AP bonuses, and whether it rounds GPAs.
- Use the credits on your transcript, not the hours you spend in class.
- Work out the score you need before the final, so you know how much revision to plan.
- When a target is out of reach in one term, set a two- or three-term plan instead.
- Keep your own record each term; it is easier than rebuilding it from old transcripts.
Turning a percentage average into a GPA
Some schools report percentages rather than letters. To estimate a GPA, turn each course’s percentage into a letter using your school’s cut-offs, then into grade points, then average by credits. Converting your overall percentage average in one step is less accurate, because the scale is not a straight line: an 89% and a 90% are one point apart but a whole grade step apart on many scales.
- B+ (3.3) × 3 + B (3.0) × 318.9
- A− (3.7) × 3 + B (3.0) × 423.1
- 42.0 ÷ 13 credits3.23
Which GPA to report
Application forms usually say which figure they want. If a form asks for an unweighted GPA, give the 4.0 figure from your transcript, not the weighted one. If it asks for your GPA “as shown on your transcript”, give exactly that, with the scale it uses (for example “4.2 on a 5.0 weighted scale”). Never round up: colleges see your transcript and will notice.
Scholarships often set a minimum GPA, such as 3.0. Check whether they mean weighted or unweighted, and whether they use your cumulative or most recent term GPA.
Common mistakes
- Averaging term GPAs without weighting them by credits, which gives a light term as much say as a full one.
- Adding honors or AP bonuses to an unweighted GPA.
- Counting pass/fail courses as 4.0 or 0.
- Forgetting that an A+ is worth 4.0, not more, at most schools.
- Treating a needed score above 100% as a typo. It means the target cannot be reached on the final alone.
Check the syllabus weights
A course where the final counts 50% behaves very differently from one where it counts 20%. Use the weights in your syllabus, not a guess.