GPA Calculator

How GPA is calculated

GPA is a credit-weighted average of grade points. Each course contributes its grade points multiplied by its credits, and the total is divided by the credits that count.

GPA = total quality points ÷ total GPA credits

In words: multiply each course's credits by its grade points, add those results together, then divide by the sum of the credits that count toward GPA.

Grade points

The value your scale gives a letter grade, such as 4.0 for an A on the default scale.

Credits (credit hours)

How much a course counts. A 4-credit course moves your GPA more than a 1-credit course with the same grade.

Quality points

Credits × grade points for one course. A 3-credit B is 3 × 3.0 = 9 quality points.

GPA credits

The credits of courses that count. In this calculator, grades P, NP, W and I are left out of both the quality points and the credits.

Worked example

Three graded courses on the default 4.0 scale, plus a pass/no-credit seminar that does not count:

A plain average of the three grades (4.0, 3.0 and 2.0) would be 3.00. The result is higher because the A is in the largest course: Biology is 40% of the counted credits but 52% of the quality points. The seminar's credit is left out completely.

Why credit hours matter

Take two courses and raise a B to an A in each. The grade improves by the same 1 grade point, but it is multiplied by each course's credits, so it adds more quality points where there are more credits.

Grade scales and your school's policy

The calculator has two ready-made 4.0 tables and a custom table. They are general-purpose conventions, not any one institution's official scale.

A+ is worth 4.0 in the plus/minus table here. Some schools give A+ a higher value, such as 4.33, and others give it the same value as A. If your school's table differs, choose Custom and enter its grades and the points each is worth.

Institutions also differ on repeated courses, transfer credits, pass/fail grades and rounding. This calculator counts every row you enter as a separate course, so to follow a replacement or transfer policy, remove or include rows to match it. Your institution's own record is the authority.

Grades that are not counted

This calculator treats P (pass), NP (no pass), W (withdrawn) and I (incomplete) as excluded: they add no credits and no quality points, so they do not change your GPA. An F is counted at the points your scale gives it, which is 0 on the built-in scales. Some institutions handle these grades differently, for example a withdrawal that counts or an F in a pass/fail course, so check your institution's policy.

Cumulative GPA

To include earlier terms, open Add a previous GPA and enter your previous GPA and the credits it covers. You then see two figures: the GPA of the courses you entered, and a cumulative GPA that combines both records, weighted by credits.

Cumulative GPA = (previous GPA × previous credits + new quality points) ÷ (previous credits + new credits)

This uses your previous GPA as you enter it, so a previous GPA that was already rounded can make the last digit differ slightly from your official cumulative GPA. Use the most precise previous GPA you have.

Using the GPA Planner

The planner starts from your result above and answers one question: what GPA do I need on my upcoming credits to reach a target? Enter a target GPA and the upcoming credits you expect to take, and optionally the GPA you expect to earn.

Required GPA

The average you need on the upcoming credits to finish at your target. It is rounded up to two decimals, so the number never understates what you need.

Best possible GPA

Your GPA if every upcoming credit earns the highest grade on the scale.

Lowest possible GPA

Your GPA if every upcoming credit earns the lowest grade on the scale.

Projected GPA

Your overall GPA if you earn your expected GPA on the upcoming credits. It appears only when you enter an expected GPA, and it is not the same thing as the required GPA.

Plan B

Shown when the target cannot be reached with the credits you entered. It says how many credits at the highest grade it would take. A target equal to the scale maximum can only be approached, and one above it cannot be reached.

Using the example above (3.10 over 10 credits), a 3.30 target with 6 upcoming credits needs an average of at least 3.64: (3.30 × 16 − 31) ÷ 6 = 3.633…, rounded up. That is the grade you need. If you instead expect a 3.50 on those 6 credits, your projected GPA is (31 + 3.50 × 6) ÷ 16 =3.25.

Using Course Impact

Course Impact shows which of your counted courses could raise your GPA the most. For each course it calculates the GPA you would have if only that course earned the highest grade on your scale, then ranks the courses by the improvement. The improvement depends on both a course's credits and how far its grade is from the top.

In the example, raising Statistics from a C to an A would lift the GPA from 3.10 to 3.70 (+0.60), while raising English from a B to an A would give 3.40 (+0.30).

This is a what-if calculation. It does not change any official grade and does not apply retake or grade-replacement rules, which vary by institution. Courses graded P, NP, W or I are not shown as opportunities because they are not counted in GPA, and a course already at the highest grade is listed with no improvement available.

How results are calculated, and their limits

• Everything is calculated in your browser from the grades, credits and scale you enter. Nothing is uploaded or saved.
• Results show two decimal places, rounded half away from zero. The calculation itself is not rounded; the planner's required GPA is the one figure rounded up.
• Copy result, Share and Download PDF produce a summary of what is on screen. The Share message leaves out course names.
• This is a general calculation, not an official figure. It does not determine academic standing, honours, scholarships or eligibility, and retake, repeat and transfer policies are set by each institution.