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GradeMate

GPA Calculator

Calculate your unweighted and weighted GPA from your course list. Pick a scale, add your courses with letter grade and credits — your GPA updates instantly. Works for high school and college courses.

Scale:

Unweighted GPA

3.50

on 4.0 scale

Weighted GPA

3.88

on 5.0 scale (Honors +0.5, AP/IB +1.0)

Courses: 4Total credits: 4

How is GPA calculated?

GPA (grade point average) converts each letter grade into a number on a fixed scale, then takes the weighted average across all your courses — weighted by how many credits each course is worth. A semester-long course typically counts 0.5 credits (high school) or 3–4 credits (college); a full-year course counts 1.0.

There are three scales widely used in the U.S.:

  • 4.0 simple

    Simple 4.0 — A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0. No plus/minus distinctions. Used by some schools for unweighted reporting.

  • 4.0 with +/–

    4.0 with +/– — A=4.0, A-=3.7, B+=3.3, B=3.0, B-=2.7, and so on down to D-=0.7 and F=0. The standard most U.S. colleges use to interpret high school transcripts.

  • 5.0 weighted

    5.0 weighted — Same as 4.0 +/– but Honors courses add 0.5 and AP/IB courses add 1.0 to the grade point. Capped at 5.0 (so a student with all A's in AP courses ends up at 5.0).

The formula

GPA = Σ (grade_points × credits) ÷ Σ (credits)

Worked example

Suppose you took 4 year-long classes (1 credit each): A in regular English, B+ in honors Math, A- in AP Science, B in regular History. Unweighted: (4.0 + 3.3 + 3.7 + 3.0) ÷ 4 = 3.50. Weighted: (4.0 + 3.8 + 4.7 + 3.0) ÷ 4 = 3.88 — Honors gets +0.5 on Math, AP gets +1.0 on Science.

When to use this calculator

Use this for your cumulative GPA across multiple semesters or for your current term's standing. Most U.S. colleges look at both your unweighted GPA (your true academic performance) and your weighted GPA (rewarding rigor). Top colleges often recalculate weighted GPA using their own formula — so the weighted number here is directional, not definitive.

GPA — questions students ask

What's a good GPA for college admissions?
Selective state universities want 3.5+ unweighted (or 4.0+ weighted). Top-25 private schools typically expect 3.7+ unweighted. Ivies' admitted class averages run 3.9+ unweighted, with most students taking 7+ AP/IB courses across high school.
Should I report my unweighted or weighted GPA?
Report both — colleges want to see both. Common App lets you enter weighted; transcripts always show unweighted. Some highly selective schools recalculate GPA themselves using only academic courses (no gym, no health) on a 4.0 scale.
Does an A+ count as more than 4.0?
Some schools use a 4.3 scale where A+ = 4.3, but the standard 4.0 scale caps at 4.0 for A+. We use 4.0 = A+ to match the most common college-admissions convention.
How do Pass/Fail courses factor into GPA?
Pass/Fail courses typically don't count toward GPA at all — they appear on the transcript but aren't averaged. Don't enter them here. If you got a Fail in a Pass/Fail course, it usually doesn't lower GPA either, just appears on the transcript.
Can I replace a bad grade by retaking the course?
Some schools (especially community colleges) replace the old grade with the new one — others average both. High school policies vary widely. Check your school's grade replacement policy; if retakes don't fully replace, the original grade still drags down your GPA.
How many credits should I enter for each course?
High school: 1.0 credit for a year-long course, 0.5 for a semester course. College: usually 3 or 4 credit-hours per course depending on lab/discussion sections. Check your transcript — the number next to each course is the credit value to use here.
What's the maximum possible weighted GPA?
On a standard 5.0 weighted scale (AP +1.0, capped at 5.0), the max is 5.0 — earned by getting an A in every AP class for the entire year. Some schools use 6.0 scales or assign +1.0 to Honors (not just AP), which can produce GPAs above 5.0. Our calculator uses the most common 5.0 / Honors +0.5 / AP +1.0 convention.