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How to Calculate GPA: The Step-by-Step Guide

By Taylor Annanders, M.Ed.

Quick answer. To calculate GPA: (1) convert each letter grade to its point value (A=4.0, B=3.0, etc.), (2) multiply each course's points by its credit hours, (3) sum all those products, (4) divide by the total credit hours. That's the entire formula. Everything else is edge cases.

The formula

GPA = sum(grade_points × credit_hours) / sum(credit_hours)

Every GPA, on every scale, in every system, uses this formula. What changes between schools is the grade-to-point mapping and which grades count. The math doesn't change.

Skip the math. Use our GPA calculator — paste your courses, get your GPA in seconds.

Step 1 — Convert grades to grade points

Most US colleges use the 4.0 plus-minus scale:

| Letter | Points | |---|---| | A+ / 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+ | 1.3 | | D | 1.0 | | D- | 0.7 | | F | 0.0 |

A handful of schools (Cornell, MIT, BU) cap A+ at 4.3. LSAC's law-school recalculation uses A+ = 4.33. AMCAS treats A+ as 4.0 like everyone else. See our GPA scale comparison guide for the full breakdown.

High schools using the unweighted 4.0 scale ignore the plus and minus — A is 4.0, B is 3.0, period. Schools using the weighted 5.0 scale add bonuses for harder courses: +1.0 for AP, +1.0 for IB, +0.5 for honors. So an A in AP Calculus is worth 5.0; an A in honors English is 4.5; an A in regular Spanish is 4.0.

Step 2 — Multiply grade points by credit hours

Each course has a credit value — usually 3 or 4 in college, 1 in high school. Multiply each course's grade points by its credits:

Course        Grade   Points   Credits   Quality Points
Biology       A       4.0      4         16.0
Calculus      B+      3.3      3          9.9
Spanish       A-      3.7      3         11.1
Art History   B       3.0      3          9.0

The "quality points" column is grade points × credits. This is the number that actually goes into the GPA calculation.

Step 3 — Sum the quality points and credits

Total quality points: 16.0 + 9.9 + 11.1 + 9.0 = 46.0 Total credits: 4 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 13

Step 4 — Divide

GPA = 46.0 / 13 = 3.538, usually displayed as 3.54.

That's the entire calculation. Now the edge cases that trip people up.

High school GPA: unweighted vs weighted

If your school uses the unweighted scale, every course gets the same maximum (A = 4.0). If your school uses the weighted scale, AP and IB courses can earn up to 5.0 and honors courses up to 4.5.

The same transcript can produce two different GPAs:

| Course | Grade | Unweighted | Weighted | |---|---|---|---| | AP US History | A | 4.0 | 5.0 | | Honors English | B+ | 3.3 | 3.8 | | Regular Spanish | A | 4.0 | 4.0 | | AP Calculus | A- | 3.7 | 4.7 | | Regular Gym | A | 4.0 | 4.0 |

Assuming each course is 1 credit:

Colleges that practice "holistic" admissions often recalculate using their own internal scale and ignore your school's weighting entirely. UC reports three different GPAs for the same applicant (unweighted, weighted, capped weighted). See our weighted vs unweighted guide for which one each school uses.

Which grades don't count

These appear on your transcript but don't enter the GPA math:

The rule is simple: only courses with a numerical or letter grade that maps to a point value count. Everything else is excluded from both the numerator and the denominator.

Worked example: a full semester

Five courses, mixed credits, plus-minus scale:

| Course | Grade | Points | Credits | Quality Points | |---|---|---|---|---| | Organic Chemistry | A- | 3.7 | 4 | 14.8 | | English Composition | B+ | 3.3 | 3 | 9.9 | | Statistics | A | 4.0 | 3 | 12.0 | | History 101 | B | 3.0 | 3 | 9.0 | | Yoga (P/NP) | P | — | 1 | excluded |

Totals: 45.7 quality points, 13 credits (yoga excluded). Semester GPA = 45.7 / 13 = 3.515 → 3.52

The Pass grade doesn't affect the GPA either way. A passing course doesn't help; a failed P/NP course doesn't hurt (though some schools convert NP to F if you fail the threshold).

Cumulative GPA: combining semesters

Your cumulative GPA is the same formula applied to every course you've ever taken. Don't average your semester GPAs — that gives the wrong answer when semesters have different credit loads.

Right way: Sum all quality points across all semesters. Sum all credit hours. Divide.

Wrong way: Take semester GPAs and average them. A 4.0 semester (12 credits) and a 3.0 semester (18 credits) is not a 3.5 cumulative. It's:

(4.0 × 12) + (3.0 × 18) = 48 + 54 = 102 quality points 12 + 18 = 30 credits 102 / 30 = 3.40 cumulative

Off by 0.10. Always recalculate from the underlying credits. See our cumulative GPA guide for the dilution math.

Repeats and retakes

Schools handle repeated courses three ways:

  1. Replacement (most undergrad institutions) — the higher grade replaces the lower in the GPA. The lower grade may still appear on the transcript.
  2. Average — both grades count, averaged together for that course.
  3. Both count (AMCAS, LSAC, AACOMAS partial) — every attempt enters the GPA separately. A retake helps less.

A C in calculus replaced by an A on retake produces a 4.0 contribution at most undergrad schools. At AMCAS, the same student carries a 2.0 + 4.0 = 6.0 / 8 credits = 3.0 contribution. Two very different numbers from the same transcript.

If you're applying to medical or law school, this difference matters a lot. See our AMCAS BCPM guide and LSAC calculator for the full math.

Quarter credits vs semester credits

If your school operates on quarters (UCLA, U Chicago, Northwestern, Stanford, much of the UC system), each course is usually 4 or 5 quarter credits. The math is identical — your school reports your GPA on the quarter system and the same formula applies.

Converting to semester credits: quarter credits × 0.667 = semester credits. AMCAS does this automatically during verification. Most other applications expect you to leave the credits in their native system.

What if my school's reported GPA differs from my calculation?

Five reasons your calculation might disagree with the registrar's number:

  1. Different plus-minus mapping. Some schools use slightly different values (B+ = 3.5 instead of 3.3, for example). Always check the school's published table.
  2. Excluded courses. Some schools exclude courses below 100-level or remedial courses from the GPA.
  3. Repeat handling. You might be calculating with both grades; your school might use replacement.
  4. Truncation vs rounding. Schools display 2 decimals but the underlying value has more. A 3.6649 may show as 3.66 (truncated) or 3.67 (rounded).
  5. Transfer credits. Transfer credits show on the transcript but most schools exclude them from the institutional GPA.

If you're off by 0.05 or less, it's almost certainly one of these. If you're off by more, look for a wrong credit value or a missing course in one of the calculations.

Common questions

How do I calculate GPA without the credits?

You can't, exactly — but if every course is the same credit value (typical for high school, where every course is 1 credit), you can just average the grade points. (3.7 + 4.0 + 3.3 + 4.0) / 4 = 3.75.

What's a good GPA in college?

3.0 is the standard "good standing" threshold and the cutoff for most scholarships. 3.5+ qualifies for dean's list at most schools. 3.7+ is competitive for med school, top-tier law school, and Ivy League grad programs. See our good GPA for medical school guide and what GPA do you need guide for thresholds.

Does a B+ count as 3.3 or 3.5?

3.3 at the vast majority of US schools. A few use 3.5 — check your registrar's published scale.

How is GPA calculated in graduate school?

Same formula. Most grad programs use the 4.0 scale and require a 3.0 minimum to remain in good standing.

Can my GPA go above 4.0?

In college, no (with the rare A+ = 4.3 exception). In high school using the weighted 5.0 scale, yes — up to 5.0. See our GPA scale comparison for what each scale tops out at.

Sources

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