Calculate your credit-weighted GPA on the standard 4.0 scale from your course grades and credit hours.
GPA is a credit-weighted average, not a simple average of your grades — a 4-credit course that earns a B pulls your overall average further than a 1-credit lab that earns the same grade, which is exactly why two students with the same letter grades but different course loads can end up with different GPAs.
The calculation converts each letter grade to a point value on the standard 4.0 scale (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, F = 0.0), multiplies each course's point value by its credit hours, adds those up across every course, and divides by the total credit hours attempted: GPA = Σ(Credits × Grade Points) ÷ Σ(Credits).
This works identically whether you're calculating a single semester or your full cumulative GPA — there's no separate "combine semesters" step. Just list every course you've taken with its credit hours and grade, and the result is your cumulative GPA directly, since a credit-weighted average doesn't care whether the courses span one term or four years.
Worked example: a 3-credit course with a B (3.0) and a 4-credit course with an A− (3.7) gives (3×3.0 + 4×3.7) ÷ (3+4) = (9.0 + 14.8) ÷ 7 = 3.40 GPA — closer to the A− than a simple average of B and A− would suggest, because the A− carries more credit weight.
Not every school uses this exact 4.0 +/− scale — some use a simpler scale without +/− grades, and some (mostly Canadian) use a 4.3 scale where an A+ is worth more than an A. Check your institution's official scale if yours seems to differ. All calculations happen instantly in your browser as you type; nothing is sent anywhere.
Each grade is converted to a point value (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, etc.), multiplied by that course’s credit hours, summed across all courses, then divided by total credit hours: GPA = Σ(Credits × Grade Points) ÷ Σ(Credits). A 4-credit course affects your GPA more than a 1-credit course with the same grade.
Yes — just enter every course from every semester you’ve completed. The credit-weighted formula gives your cumulative GPA directly; there’s no separate step needed to combine semesters.
No — this uses the plain 4.0 scale with no bonus points, which is what most colleges use for cumulative GPA. If you need a weighted GPA that adds bonus points for Honors, AP, or IB courses (common in US high schools), use the Weighted GPA Calculator instead.
Some schools use a simpler scale without +/− distinctions, and some (mostly in Canada) use a 4.3 scale where A+ exceeds 4.0. Check your institution’s official scale — the underlying credit-weighted formula stays the same either way.