GPA Calculator — Weighted & Cumulative GPA

Calculate weighted or unweighted GPA by course, or combine a prior GPA with a new semester. 4.0-scale grade points with Honors/AP bonuses.

July 3, 2026

Weighted GPA (adds +0.5 for Honors, +1.0 for AP/IB courses)

CourseCreditsGrade

Unweighted GPA (11 credit hours)

3.64

GPA = Σ(Grade Points × Credit Hours) ÷ Σ(Credit Hours). Weighted mode adds a bonus to each course's grade point before averaging — +0.5 for Honors, +1.0 for AP/IB — which is why a weighted GPA can exceed 4.0. Grading scales vary slightly by school; check your registrar's official scale for transcript-exact numbers.

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Reference Values

Last verified: Jul 2, 2026

Category	Range	What It Means	Status
A / A+ ★	4.0 grade points	Top of the standard 4.0 scale. Some schools give A+ a 4.3, but the vast majority cap it at 4.0 — check your school's registrar policy if it matters for transcript accuracy.	★ Best
A- ★	3.7 grade points	Common +/- scale value.	★ Best
B+ / B / B-	3.3 / 3.0 / 2.7 grade points	Standard B-range grade points.	Good
C+ / C / C-	2.3 / 2.0 / 1.7 grade points	Standard C-range grade points.	Okay
D+ / D / D-	1.3 / 1.0 / 0.7 grade points	Standard D-range grade points, usually the lowest passing grade.	Poor
F	0.0 grade points	Failing grade — still counts toward attempted credit hours in most cumulative GPA formulas, which is why a single F can be hard to recover from.	Poor
Honors weighting bonus	+0.5 grade points	Most common weighting bonus for Honors-level courses, added to the unweighted grade point before averaging.	Good
AP / IB weighting bonus	+1.0 grade points	Most common weighting bonus for AP or IB-level courses — this is why a weighted GPA can exceed 4.0.	Good

Source: Grade-point scale and Honors/AP weighting conventions aggregated from standard US high school and college registrar practice (BigFuture/College Board GPA guidance; individual school policies vary slightly — always confirm against your own school's official scale).

Worked Examples

Unweighted Semester GPA

Courses: English (A, 3cr), Algebra II (B+, 4cr), Biology (A-, 4cr), History (B, 3cr)

3.44 GPA

(4.0×3 + 3.3×4 + 3.7×4 + 3.0×3) ÷ 14 = 48.2 ÷ 14 = 3.44.

Weighted Semester GPA (Same Courses, AP Biology Instead)

Courses: English (A, 3cr, Regular), Algebra II (B+, 4cr, Regular), AP Biology (A-, 4cr, AP/IB), History (B, 3cr, Honors)

3.73 GPA

AP Biology grade point becomes 3.7+1.0=4.7, History becomes 3.0+0.5=3.5: (4.0×3 + 3.3×4 + 4.7×4 + 3.5×3) ÷ 14 = 52.3 ÷ 14 = 3.74 (rounding).

Cumulative GPA After a New Semester

Prior GPA: 3.5
Prior Credits: 60
New Semester GPA: 3.8
New Semester Credits: 15

3.56 cumulative GPA

(3.5×60 + 3.8×15) ÷ 75 = (210 + 57) ÷ 75 = 3.56.

One Failing Grade's Impact

Courses: Chemistry (A, 4cr), Calculus (F, 4cr), English (B, 3cr)

2.27 GPA

(4.0×4 + 0.0×4 + 3.0×3) ÷ 11 = 25.0 ÷ 11 = 2.27 — a single F pulls the average down sharply because the failed course's credit hours still count in the denominator.

How to Use This Calculator

1

Choose a mode

"By Course" builds a GPA from scratch entering each course; "Combine Cumulative GPA" merges an existing GPA with a new semester.
2

Enter your courses

Course name (optional, for your reference), credit hours, and letter grade for each course.
3

Toggle Weighted GPA if needed

Turns on Honors (+0.5) and AP/IB (+1.0) bonuses and lets you tag each course's level.
4

Read your GPA

Updates instantly as you edit — the total credit hours used in the calculation are shown alongside the result.

What Each Value Means

Unweighted GPA (GPA points): Grade point average using a flat 0.0–4.0 scale for every course, regardless of course difficulty.
Weighted GPA (GPA points): Grade point average where Honors and AP/IB courses earn bonus grade points (+0.5 and +1.0 respectively) before averaging, rewarding students for taking more challenging coursework.
Cumulative GPA (GPA points): The credit-hour-weighted average GPA across every semester or term completed so far, as opposed to a single semester's GPA.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?

Unweighted GPA caps every course at 4.0 regardless of difficulty. Weighted GPA adds a bonus to the grade point for harder courses before averaging — typically +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for AP or IB — which is why a strong student's weighted GPA can go above 4.0 (sometimes up to 5.0). Colleges often recalculate your GPA using their own weighting rules anyway, so both numbers matter.

How do I calculate my cumulative GPA?

Multiply each course's grade point by its credit hours, add those up across every semester you've completed, then divide by the total credit hours attempted. The "Combine Cumulative GPA" mode on this calculator does this for you without re-entering every past course — just enter your existing GPA and credit hours alongside your new semester's numbers.

Does a Pass/Fail or Withdrawal grade affect GPA?

It depends on your school. Most schools exclude Pass/Fail courses (graded P or NP) from the GPA calculation entirely — the credit hours don't count in the denominator. A Withdrawal (W) usually doesn't affect GPA either, but a Withdrawal-Failing (WF) often counts as an F. Check your registrar's policy since this varies.

Why does one F hurt my GPA more than one A helps it?

GPA is a weighted average, not a simple point total, so the math isn't symmetric once your GPA is already above the midpoint of the scale. An F contributes 0 grade points but its credit hours still count in the denominator, pulling the average down by more than a single A pulls it up when your existing GPA is already high. This is also why retaking a failed course (where policy allows grade replacement) can recover GPA faster than taking an extra elective.

What grade point does an A+ get?

It depends on the school. Most US high schools and colleges cap A+ at the same 4.0 as a regular A, treating the plus as a transcript distinction without extra GPA value. A minority of schools use a 4.3 (or even 4.33) scale where A+ genuinely earns more than A. This calculator uses the more common 4.0-cap convention — check your school's official scale if the distinction matters for you.