GPA Calculator
Calculate your GPA from letter grades and credit hours. Supports 4.0 and 5.0 scales.
Your Grade Point Average condenses a whole transcript into a single number that schools, scholarship committees, and sometimes employers use to gauge academic performance — so knowing exactly where you stand matters. This calculator lets you enter each course's grade and credit hours and computes your GPA on the standard 4.0 scale, including the all-important credit weighting that a simple average ignores.
It is built for students who want to track progress through a term, project what grade they need on a final to hit a target, or understand how a tough class will move their overall average. Because it accounts for credit hours, a five-credit course correctly counts for more than a one-credit elective — which is exactly why your GPA often isn't where a quick mental average would suggest. The page below explains the weighting, the grade-to-point conversion, and how to plan strategically.
Plug in some numbers —
we'll crunch.
How to use
- 1Select your GPA scale (4.0 for standard US, 5.0 for weighted/AP courses).
- 2Enter your percentage grade for each course.
- 3Enter credit hours for each course.
- 4Leave grade and credits at 0 to skip a course slot.
- 5Your weighted GPA and academic standing are shown instantly.
How it works
GPA is a credit-weighted average, not a plain one. Each letter grade converts to grade points on a 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, and so on, with pluses and minuses in between). For each course you multiply its grade points by its credit hours to get 'quality points,' add up the quality points across all courses, and divide by the total credit hours.
In formula form: GPA = (sum of grade points × credits) ÷ (total credits). This weighting is the key insight — a high-credit course pulls your GPA far harder than a low-credit one. Scoring an A in a 1-credit seminar barely moves your average, while a C in a 5-credit core class can drag it down noticeably. Some schools also use weighted scales that give honors or AP courses extra points, but the unweighted 4.0 scale is the common standard.
Worked examples
A weighted term GPA
Four courses: A (3 cr), B (4 cr), A− (3 cr), C+ (2 cr).
- Quality points: 4.0×3 + 3.0×4 + 3.7×3 + 2.3×2 = 12 + 12 + 11.1 + 4.6 = 39.7.
- Total credits: 3 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 12.
- GPA = 39.7 ÷ 12 = 3.31.
The term GPA is 3.31. A naive average of the letter grades would mislead you — the 4-credit B and the heavier courses pull the result below what the A's alone suggest.
What you need on the final
You have a 3.2 GPA across 30 credits and are taking 15 more this term; you want a 3.4 cumulative.
- Current quality points: 3.2 × 30 = 96.
- Target total: 3.4 × 45 = 153.
- Needed this term: 153 − 96 = 57 points over 15 credits = 3.8 GPA.
You'd need about a 3.8 this term to reach a 3.4 cumulative — useful to know before the term starts, so you can plan effort and course load realistically.
Tips & common mistakes
Remember that credits weight everything — this is the most-missed point. Prioritize your effort toward high-credit courses, because an extra grade step there moves your GPA far more than acing a one-credit elective. When planning a term, a single heavy core class can matter more to your average than two light ones combined.
Confirm your school's exact grade-to-point scale before trusting any GPA estimate. Conventions vary: some schools don't use A+ (capping at 4.0), some weight honors and AP courses on a 5.0 scale, and a few use plus/minus differently. This calculator uses the common US 4.0 scale, so adjust if your institution differs.
Use the calculator to plan, not just to look back. Before a term, model different grade scenarios to see what's realistically needed for your target; before a final, work out the grade required to hit your goal so you know where to focus. And know how your school treats retakes and pass/fail courses — they can affect your GPA in ways a straight calculation won't capture, so check the official policy for anything that matters to your record.
Frequently asked questions
Last reviewed: June 2026
About this calculator
Calculate your GPA from letter grades and credit hours. Supports 4.0 and 5.0 scales.