On This Page
- What GPA means
- GPA formula and grade scale
- College and semester GPA
- High school GPA, weighted, unweighted, and middle school
- Cumulative GPA
- GPA from percentage
- Science GPA (BCPM)
- Law school GPA (LSAC)
- UC GPA
- Worked examples
- Frequently asked questions
What GPA Means
A GPA converts letter grades into grade points and averages them, but it is a weighted average, not a simple one. Most US schools use a 4.0 scale: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0. Plus and minus grades add intermediate steps (A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, and so on).
College GPA weights by credit hours, so a 4-credit course has three times the impact of a 1-credit course with the same grade. High school GPA typically uses equal weighting (no credits) but may add honor points for AP or IB courses. Cumulative GPA combines all semesters by credits, which is why it does not change as fast as a single strong semester suggests. Do not average semester GPAs directly; a 15-credit semester should outweigh a 9-credit one.
GPA Formula and Grade Scale
If your school does not use credits, treat every class as 1 credit, the formula becomes a simple average of grade points. The Standard US scale uses plus and minus grades with 0.3/0.4 steps; the International scale uses only plus and whole letter grades with clean 0.5 increments. If your school uses A+ as a grade, check whether it maps to 4.0 or 4.3, policy varies by institution.
| Letter Grade | Standard US | International |
|---|---|---|
| A+ / A | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| A− | 3.7 | — |
| B+ | 3.3 | 3.5 |
| B | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| B− | 2.7 | — |
| C+ | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| C | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| C− | 1.7 | — |
| D+ | 1.3 | 1.5 |
| D | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| D− | 0.7 | — |
| F | 0.0 | 0.0 |
College and Semester GPA
College courses carry different credit hours, a lab, lecture, seminar, and major course do not all affect GPA equally. Use College GPA with credits mode and enter the credit value alongside each grade. For major GPA (required for some graduate applications and honors programs), enter only the courses within your declared major and leave all general education and elective courses out.
A semester GPA covers only that term's courses and is calculated the same way.
Most transcripts show semester GPA and running cumulative GPA side by side. Semester GPA is easier to move than cumulative GPA because it reflects only one term. A 3.0 cumulative can produce a 3.8 semester GPA, but that will not immediately bring the cumulative to 3.8, it nudges the overall figure upward. Use cumulative mode to see the combined effect before the term begins.
High School GPA, Weighted, Unweighted, and Middle School
High school GPA most often comes in two versions: unweighted (standard 4.0 scale regardless of course difficulty) and weighted (extra points for honors, AP, or IB classes).
Unweighted GPA
An unweighted GPA ignores course difficulty, an A in AP Calculus and an A in a standard elective both equal 4.0. Many college admissions offices recalculate applicants' GPAs on an unweighted scale, which is why a 4.4 weighted GPA is not automatically stronger than a 3.9 unweighted GPA from a more rigorous course load. Choose Unweighted 4.0 scale and High school / no credits mode for this calculation.
Weighted GPA
Weighted GPA adds bonus grade points for harder courses. A common scale adds 0.5 for honors and 1.0 for AP or IB classes, so an A in an AP class counts as 5.0 instead of 4.0. Weighted GPA often exceeds 4.0. Because schools set their own weighting rules, use your school's official scale for transcript and application decisions, the calculator's weighted mode uses the most common convention but may not match your specific school's policy.
Middle school and junior high
Middle school and junior high schools typically do not award credit hours, every class counts equally. Use High school / no credits mode: enter each subject as a course, select the letter grade, and the calculator divides total grade points by the number of courses. If your school reports percentage grades instead of letters, convert them first using the percentage table in the next section. For quick arithmetic on any percentage calculation, the Percentage Calculator handles X out of Y conversions directly.
Cumulative GPA
Cumulative GPA combines your previous GPA with new courses by credit weighting, not by averaging old and new GPA directly.
Enter your current GPA and completed credits in Cumulative GPA mode, then add this semester's courses. You can also use it before the semester starts: enter expected grades to see what cumulative GPA you would land at, or work backwards to find what average grade is needed to reach a target. The more credits you already have, the smaller a fraction any single semester represents, see what GPA you need this semester to hit a target for the exact reverse formula and why the effect shrinks as credits pile up.
GPA From Percentage
Some schools, including many international schools and some US universities, report percentage grades rather than letter grades. Convert each percentage to the nearest letter grade using the table below, then enter the letter grades in the calculator.
| Percentage | Letter Grade | Grade Points (Standard US) |
|---|---|---|
| 93–100% | A / A+ | 4.0 |
| 90–92% | A− | 3.7 |
| 87–89% | B+ | 3.3 |
| 83–86% | B | 3.0 |
| 80–82% | B− | 2.7 |
| 77–79% | C+ | 2.3 |
| 73–76% | C | 2.0 |
| 70–72% | C− | 1.7 |
| 67–69% | D+ | 1.3 |
| 63–66% | D | 1.0 |
| 60–62% | D− | 0.7 |
| Below 60% | F | 0.0 |
These cutoffs follow a common US standard. Individual schools may set slightly different boundaries, check your school's official grading policy for an exact match.
Science GPA (BCPM)
Medical school applicants report a separate science GPA, called BCPM GPA, calculated only from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics courses. Every BCPM course ever taken at any undergraduate institution is included, including retaken courses and low grades. Grade forgiveness policies from your home institution do not apply.
The formula is identical to standard GPA, only the course selection changes. To estimate your science GPA with this tool, enter only your BCPM courses and ignore all others. AMCAS (the AAMC application service) calculates BCPM GPA automatically from your verified transcript, use this calculator for estimates while you are still building your coursework. See Example 3 below for a full BCPM worked calculation.
Law School GPA (LSAC)
Law school applications go through LSAC (Law School Admission Council), which recalculates your GPA using its own rules. Key differences from a standard GPA calculation:
- All undergraduate institutions included: LSAC pulls every course from every undergraduate school attended, including community college transfer credits your home institution may have excluded.
- All attempts counted: Both the original grade and any retake are included, grade forgiveness from your school is ignored.
- Pass/fail excluded: Pass/fail and credit/no-credit courses are generally excluded unless the school assigned a letter grade equivalent.
- Graduate courses excluded: LSAC excludes graduate-level coursework from the undergraduate GPA it calculates.
This calculator cannot replicate the LSAC calculation exactly because it does not have access to your full transcript history. Use it to estimate GPA from individual course grades, then compare with your official LSAC report once you apply.
UC GPA
The University of California system uses a specific GPA for admissions that differs from a standard high school GPA:
- Only A-G courses count: UC GPA uses only UC-approved courses (the A-G subject list) taken in grades 10 and 11. Grade 9 and grade 12 courses are excluded from the main calculation.
- Honors cap: A maximum of eight semesters of honors-level courses (AP, IB, or UC-approved honors) can receive the extra grade-point boost.
- Two versions: UC calculates both an unweighted GPA (standard 4.0) and a capped weighted GPA (with the honors bonus, capped at 4.0 for UC purposes).
For the unweighted portion: enter your 10th and 11th grade A-G courses in High school / no credits mode on the standard 4.0 scale. For the capped weighted GPA, switch to Weighted mode and apply honors bonuses, but note the calculator does not enforce the 8-semester cap automatically. Check that limit yourself after calculating.
Worked Examples
Example 1, College semester GPA
English 3 credits A, Biology 4 credits B+, History 3 credits A−, Art 2 credits B.
- English: 4.0 × 3 = 12.0 quality points
- Biology: 3.3 × 4 = 13.2 quality points
- History: 3.7 × 3 = 11.1 quality points
- Art: 3.0 × 2 = 6.0 quality points
- Total quality points = 42.3 | total credits = 12
- GPA = 42.3 ÷ 12 = 3.53
Example 2, Cumulative GPA planning
Current GPA 3.20 after 45 credits. This semester: 48 quality points across 15 credits.
- Old quality points = 3.20 × 45 = 144
- Total quality points = 144 + 48 = 192
- Total credits = 45 + 15 = 60
- Cumulative GPA = 192 ÷ 60 = 3.20
Example 3, Science GPA (BCPM) for medical school
- General Biology I, 4 cr, A: 4.0 × 4 = 16.0
- General Chemistry I, 4 cr, B+: 3.3 × 4 = 13.2
- General Chemistry II, 4 cr, B: 3.0 × 4 = 12.0
- Organic Chemistry I, 3 cr, A−: 3.7 × 3 = 11.1
- Physics I, 4 cr, B+: 3.3 × 4 = 13.2
- Calculus I, 3 cr, A: 4.0 × 3 = 12.0
- Total quality points = 77.5 | total credits = 22
- Science GPA = 77.5 ÷ 22 = 3.52
Example 4, How much can one semester move cumulative GPA?
Current GPA 3.10 after 60 credits. A perfect 4.0 in a 15-credit semester.
- Current quality points = 3.10 × 60 = 186.0
- New quality points = 4.0 × 15 = 60.0
- Total quality points = 246.0 | total credits = 75
- New cumulative GPA = 246 ÷ 75 = 3.28
A perfect semester moved the GPA from 3.10 to 3.28, not to 3.55. To express that move as a percentage change rather than raw GPA points, the Percentage Increase Calculator (or the Percentage Decrease Calculator for a semester that pulls your average down) does the conversion directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate GPA?
Multiply each letter grade's point value (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0, plus minus grades in between) by the course's credit hours to get quality points. Sum all quality points, divide by total credits. Without credits, divide total grade points by the number of courses. The calculator does this automatically with step-by-step working shown.
How do you calculate cumulative GPA?
Multiply your existing GPA by completed credits to recover the old quality points. Add the new semester's quality points. Divide by the new total credit count: (old GPA × old credits + new quality points) ÷ (old credits + new credits). Do not average semester GPAs directly, semesters carry different credit totals and should not be treated equally.
How do you calculate high school GPA?
Use High school / no credits mode if your school treats all courses equally. Convert each letter grade to grade points, add them, divide by number of courses. For AP or honors weighting, switch to Weighted mode. Check your school's official scale before using weighted results on applications, weighting rules vary by school and district.
How do you calculate weighted GPA?
Add bonus grade points for harder courses before averaging, typically +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP or IB. An A in an AP class counts as 5.0 instead of 4.0 on a common weighted scale. Sum the boosted grade points across all courses (with credit weighting if used) and divide by the total. Weighted GPA often exceeds 4.0.
How do you calculate unweighted GPA?
Use the standard 4.0 scale for every course regardless of difficulty, an A in AP and an A in a regular class both equal 4.0. Most college admissions offices recalculate applicants on an unweighted basis, so a 4.4 weighted GPA is not automatically stronger than a 3.9 unweighted GPA from a rigorous course load.
How do you calculate science GPA (BCPM)?
Include only Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math courses. Multiply each grade point by credit hours, sum all BCPM quality points, divide by total BCPM credits. The formula is identical to standard GPA, only the course selection changes. AMCAS calculates this automatically from your verified transcript; use this calculator for estimates while still in school.
Why can't I just average my semester GPAs?
Semesters carry different credit totals. A 15-credit semester outweighs a 9-credit semester, but simple averaging treats them equally. The correct method: convert each semester back to quality points (GPA × credits), sum across all semesters, divide by total credits. That is what cumulative mode does here.
How much can one semester realistically move my GPA?
Much less than most students expect, and it shrinks the more credits you've already completed. See Example 4 above for the full calculation, or what GPA you need this semester to hit a target for the reverse formula and a full ceiling table by credits completed.
If I retake a course, does the original grade get replaced?
Depends on your school's policy. Grade forgiveness replaces the original grade for your school's GPA. Other schools average both attempts. LSAC includes every attempt regardless of your school's forgiveness policy. Check your registrar before assuming a retake will move your GPA the way you expect.
Does pass/fail count toward GPA?
Usually not, a pass earns credits without grade points and does not affect GPA. A fail may earn neither credits nor grade points, though some schools record it as a 0. LSAC excludes most pass/fail coursework from its calculation. Pass/fail courses still appear on transcripts visible to graduate programs.
References
- College Board BigFuture: college admissions guidance including how admissions offices interpret weighted and unweighted GPA across different high schools.
- AAMC AMCAS, Medical School Application: official source for how BCPM science GPA is calculated and verified for medical school applications.
- LSAC, Law School Admission Council: official source for how LSAC recalculates undergraduate GPA, including all-attempts policy and institutional coverage rules.