How to Calculate Your GPA (Weighted and Unweighted, With Examples)
Published 2026-10-27
Your grade point average turns a semester of letter grades into one number. Colleges, scholarships and employers use it, so it helps to know exactly how it’s worked out. Here’s the method, with examples you can follow by hand, or let the GPA calculator do it for you.
Step 1: convert each grade to points
Most US schools use a 4.0 scale:
| Grade | Points | Grade | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| A / A+ | 4.0 | C+ | 2.3 |
| A- | 3.7 | C | 2.0 |
| B+ | 3.3 | C- | 1.7 |
| B | 3.0 | D | 1.0 |
| B- | 2.7 | F | 0.0 |
Some schools count A+ as 4.3, and a few don’t use plus and minus grades at all. Your transcript or student handbook will say.
Step 2: multiply by credits
Classes with more credits (or hours) count more. Multiply each class’s grade points by its credits to get “quality points”.
Step 3: divide by total credits
Worked example
| Class | Grade | Credits | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | A (4.0) | 3 | 12.0 |
| Algebra II | B+ (3.3) | 3 | 9.9 |
| Biology | A- (3.7) | 4 | 14.8 |
| History | B (3.0) | 3 | 9.0 |
| Total | 13 | 45.7 |
45.7 ÷ 13 = 3.52 GPA.
Weighted GPA
A weighted GPA rewards harder classes. A common system adds 0.5 points for Honors and 1.0 for AP or IB, so an A in AP Biology counts as 5.0. In the example above, if Biology were AP and Algebra II Honors, the quality points would rise to 45.7 + 4.0 + 1.5 = 51.2, and the weighted GPA to 51.2 ÷ 13 = 3.94. Schools vary in how much weight they add and which classes qualify.
Cumulative GPA
To combine terms, don’t average the GPAs. Add up all quality points and all credits across every term, then divide. A student with a 3.40 over 30 credits who earns 3.52 over 13 more credits has (3.40 × 30 + 45.7) ÷ 43 = 3.43 overall. Enter your previous GPA and credits in the GPA calculator to see this instantly.
Converting a percentage to a GPA
If your school gives percentages, a common conversion is 93–100% = A, 90–92% = A-, 87–89% = B+, 83–86% = B, and so on down in roughly three-point steps. Check your school’s scale, since cut-offs differ. The percentage calculator helps turn points earned into a percentage first.
Common questions
- Do colleges use weighted or unweighted GPA? Many recalculate GPAs using their own method, often unweighted core classes, so it’s useful to know both.
- Can a GPA be higher than 4.0? Yes, if it’s weighted. Unweighted GPAs top out at 4.0 (or 4.3 where A+ counts extra).
- Do failed classes count? Yes. An F adds credits with zero points, pulling the average down, unless your school replaces it when you retake the class.