GPA Calculator (Cumulative & Weighted)
Letter grades and credits in, term GPA out — with cumulative GPA from prior terms, quality-point totals, and 4.0 / 4.3 / 5.0 scale switching.
GPA — interactive calculator, computed instantly in your browser.
How GPA Works: Quality Points, Scales, and Cumulative Averages
A · A- · B Across 10 Credits → 3.49 GPA
A GPA is a weighted average of every course on your transcript: each letter grade converts to quality points, points multiply by course credits, and the sum divides by total credits. The calculator above runs that formula live — switch scales (4.0, 4.3, 5.0), add prior terms for a cumulative figure, and watch quality points update per course.
1. The Quality-Point Formula
- Standard 4.0 scale: A = 4.0, A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B− = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, C− = 1.7, D = 1.0, F = 0
- Example: A (4 cr), B+ (3 cr), B (3 cr) → 16.0 + 9.9 + 9.0 = 34.90 ÷ 10 = 3.49
- A 4-credit A pulls harder than a 4-credit A− — credits are the weights, so heavy terms move the average more
- Pass/fail courses carry no credits into the formula; audit them separately
2. Weighted vs Unweighted, and Scale Switching
Unweighted caps every letter at 4.0 regardless of course difficulty. Weighted awards extra points for AP/IB/honors (often 5.0 for an A). Some schools run a 4.3 scale where A+ = 4.3, and a few graduate programs use 5.0. The scale only changes the point table — the formula never moves. Always report which scale produced your number: a 3.7 unweighted is not a 4.1 weighted.
3. Cumulative GPA Across Terms
- Enter your prior GPA and prior credits in the calculator to merge this term automatically
- Example: 3.20 over 60 credits, then 3.49 over 10 → (192 + 34.9) ÷ 70 = 3.24 cumulative
- Later terms carry less weight as credits accumulate — early grades move the number most
- Repeated courses: policies vary (worst grade replaced, best grade kept, both counted) — check your registrar before assuming
4. What Counts as a Good GPA
In the US system: 3.0 clears most employer screens, 3.5+ lands on dean's lists and honors tracks, 3.7+ is competitive for selective graduate programs. Context matters — a 3.2 in a curved engineering program can outweigh a 3.8 in an ungraded program. International transcripts convert differently (UK honours, Indian percentages, German 1.x), so evaluate against the local scale rather than forcing a 4.0 comparison.
🔗 Academic Math Cross-References
GPA is a weighted average wearing a cape — the same Σ(points × credits) ÷ Σcredits logic powers every tool on the 🧮 Math Hub.
Course percentages convert into letters first (see the grade calculator for the weighted-class version), then letters into quality points here.
Frequently Asked Questions (GPA)
Convert each letter to quality points (A = 4.0, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0 on the standard scale), multiply each by the course's credits, sum the results, then divide by total credits attempted. A (4 cr), B+ (3 cr), B (3 cr) gives 16.0 + 9.9 + 9.0 = 34.90 ÷ 10 = 3.49.
Unweighted GPA treats every course equally and caps at 4.0. Weighted GPA adds bonus points for AP, IB, or honors courses — often up to a 5.0 scale — so a hard course can raise the number faster. Always state which scale you used; admissions readers convert between them.
Multiply your prior GPA by prior credits, add this term's quality points, and divide by the combined credits: (3.20 × 60 + 34.9) ÷ 70 = 3.24. The calculator does this automatically — enter prior GPA and prior credits and it merges the two terms.
Target credits, not just grades: an A in a 4-credit course adds 4.0 quality points while an A in a 1-credit course adds 1.0. Front-load A's into high-credit courses, retake failed courses under your school's repeat policy if it replaces the grade, and protect the heavy terms — they move the average most.