GPA Calculator

What is a GPA calculator?

A GPA calculator turns your letter grades and credit hours into a single grade point average on the 4.0 scale. Instead of averaging letters by hand, you add a row for each course, pick the grade, and enter how many credits the course is worth. The tool converts every grade to its point value, weights it by credits, and returns your GPA to two decimal places.

GPA (grade point average) is the standard summary of academic performance used by most U.S. high schools and colleges. Because it is credit-weighted, a heavier 4-credit course moves your GPA more than a 1-credit elective. This page tool runs entirely in your browser, so nothing you type is uploaded or stored.

How GPA is calculated

The calculator uses the standard credit-weighted formula:

GPA = Σ(grade points × credits) ÷ Σ credits

Here is what each term means:

• Grade points — the numeric value of a letter grade on the 4.0 scale (for example A = 4.0, B = 3.0).
• Credits (or credit hours) — the weight of the course, usually 1 to 5 hours per class.
• Quality points — grade points multiplied by credits for a single course; these are the numbers you sum in the numerator.
• Σ — the sum across every course you entered.

In words: multiply each course’s grade points by its credits to get quality points, add all the quality points together, then divide by the total number of credits. The result is a number from 0.00 (all F’s) to 4.00 (all A’s).

Grade to point conversion (4.0 scale)

This tool uses the most common U.S. 4.0 grading scale. Note that A and A+ both map to 4.0 — this scale is unweighted, so it does not award above a 4.0.

Letter grade	Grade 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

Examples

Each example below reproduces the calculator’s output exactly. Quality points are grade points times credits.

Example 1 — a typical semester. Three courses: A (3 credits), B+ (4 credits), A- (3 credits).

• Quality points: (4.0×3) + (3.3×4) + (3.7×3) = 12 + 13.2 + 11.1 = 36.3
• Total credits: 3 + 4 + 3 = 10
• GPA = 36.3 ÷ 10 = 3.63

Example 2 — straight A’s. Three courses all graded A, worth 3, 4 and 3 credits.

• Quality points: (4.0×3) + (4.0×4) + (4.0×3) = 12 + 16 + 12 = 40
• Total credits: 3 + 4 + 3 = 10
• GPA = 40 ÷ 10 = 4.00

A perfect set of A’s always returns 4.00, no matter the credit split, because every course earns the maximum 4.0.

Example 3 — a mixed term. Three courses: B (3 credits), C+ (4 credits), B- (2 credits).

• Quality points: (3.0×3) + (2.3×4) + (2.7×2) = 9 + 9.2 + 5.4 = 23.6
• Total credits: 3 + 4 + 2 = 9
• GPA = 23.6 ÷ 9 = 2.62

Example 4 — how one F hurts. Three courses: A (3 credits), B (3 credits), F (4 credits).

• Quality points: (4.0×3) + (3.0×3) + (0.0×4) = 12 + 9 + 0 = 21
• Total credits: 3 + 3 + 4 = 10
• GPA = 21 ÷ 10 = 2.10

The F adds zero quality points but still counts its 4 credits in the denominator, which is why it drags the average down so far.

Common uses

• Semester GPA — enter only this term’s courses to see how the current semester stands on its own.
• Cumulative GPA — list every graded course you have taken, each with its credits, for your overall average.
• What-if planning — add hypothetical grades for upcoming finals to see the GPA you need or can expect.
• Eligibility checks — confirm you clear a GPA cut-off for a scholarship, honor roll, athletics, or a major’s entry requirement.
• Applications and resumes — report an accurate, current GPA without waiting for an official transcript.

Tips and common mistakes

• Enter real credit hours. GPA is credit-weighted, so giving every course the same credit when they differ will skew the result.
• Use the right scale. This is an unweighted 4.0 scale where A and A+ are both 4.0. If your school adds points for honors or AP courses, the tool will read low for those classes.
• Include every graded course for cumulative GPA. Leaving out a low or high grade changes the average; partial lists only give a partial GPA.
• Do not skip F’s. A failed course counts as 0.0 points and still adds its credits, so omitting it inflates your real GPA.
• Round only at the end. The tool keeps full precision while summing and rounds the final figure to two decimals; rounding each course early introduces error.

Limitations and notes

This calculator uses one common 4.0 mapping, but grading scales are not universal. Some institutions place A+ above 4.0, omit minus grades, use plus/minus differently, or apply weighted scales for honors and AP/IB coursework. Pass, fail, withdrawal, incomplete, and audit marks are typically excluded from GPA and are not modeled here. The number this tool produces is an estimate for personal planning and may not match an official transcript that uses a different policy.

Always confirm your school’s exact grade-to-point mapping, credit values, and any weighting rules before using a GPA for an official purpose, and convert grades from a 10-point or percentage system first if needed.

For more study and grade tools, try the CGPA calculator for a 10-point cumulative average, or browse the full education category.