GPA Calculator
Work out your term GPA from credit hours and letter grades, then see exactly where your cumulative GPA lands. Free, instant, no signup.
Your courses this term
Enter each course's credit hours and the letter grade you earned or expect.
Cumulative GPA (optional)
Add your record before this term to see your new cumulative GPA.
Term GPA
3.30
10 credit hours this term
How GPA actually works
Your GPA is a credit-weighted average, not a simple one. Each course converts your letter grade into grade points on a 4.0 scale, multiplies those points by the course's credit hours, and the total is divided by the credits you attempted. That weighting is why a 4-credit science course with a lab moves your average far more than a 1-credit seminar, and why one bad grade in a heavy course can outweigh two good grades in light ones.
It also explains why GPA gets harder to move as you go. Early on, a single term is most of your record and swings the number quickly. By the time you have 90 credits behind you, one strong term barely shifts the cumulative figure. If you are trying to raise a GPA late in a degree, the realistic lever is usually protecting the credits you are taking now rather than expecting a dramatic recovery.
Two things students routinely get wrong. First, a W (withdrawal) normally carries no grade points and stays out of your GPA, while an F counts as 0.0 and drags the average down — which is why withdrawing before the deadline is often the better move when a course is unrecoverable. Second, grade-replacement policies vary widely: some schools replace the original grade when you retake a course, others average both attempts. Check your academic catalog before you count on it.
If you are running these numbers because a course is slipping away from you, it can help to work out exactly what you need on the final exam before deciding whether to push on or withdraw.
Grade scales and the plus/minus question
Not every school uses the same scale, and the difference matters. On a straight 4.0 scale an A and an A- are both worth 4.0, but many universities use a plus/minus scale where an A- is 3.7, a B+ is 3.3, and so on. Over a full degree, that distinction quietly reshapes a transcript: a student who consistently earns A- grades finishes near 3.7 on a plus/minus scale rather than the clean 4.0 the same grades would produce elsewhere. Before you set a target, confirm which scale your institution uses, because a goal that is realistic on one scale can be arithmetically impossible on the other.
It is also worth separating your cumulative GPA from your major GPA. Many graduate programs, honor societies, and licensing boards care specifically about the grades in your major coursework, calculated on their own weighted average. A strong major GPA can offset a weaker cumulative figure dragged down by early general-education courses, or vice versa, so it is worth calculating both rather than assuming the single cumulative number tells the whole story.
Raising your GPA realistically
The uncomfortable arithmetic of GPA is that recovery gets harder the further into a degree you are, because each new term is a smaller fraction of an ever-larger record. A student with 30 credits can move their cumulative GPA meaningfully in a single strong term; a student with 100 credits cannot, no matter how well they do. This is not a reason to give up — it is a reason to be strategic. The most effective move late in a degree is usually to protect the credits in front of you rather than chase a dramatic turnaround, since every grade you bank now is worth more to the average than a hoped-for recovery later.
Where a grade-replacement policy exists, retaking a course you failed or barely passed can be one of the highest-leverage options available, because it removes a low grade point value rather than merely diluting it. But confirm the policy first: some schools replace the original grade entirely, others average both attempts, and a few only allow replacement below a certain grade. And remember that a strategic withdrawal, taken before the deadline, keeps a would-be F out of the calculation altogether — often the single most protective decision when a course is genuinely unrecoverable.
GPA calculator FAQ
How is college GPA calculated?
Multiply each course’s grade points by its credit hours, add those together, then divide by your total credit hours. A 3-credit course with a B (3.0) contributes 9 quality points. GPA is credit-weighted, so a 4-credit course moves your average more than a 1-credit one.
What are the grade points on a 4.0 scale?
A and 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, D- = 0.7, F = 0.0. Some schools cap A+ at 4.0 while others award 4.3 — check your registrar if you have A+ grades.
How do I calculate my cumulative GPA?
Enter your prior credit hours and prior GPA in the optional section. The calculator combines your previous quality points with this term’s to produce a new cumulative figure across all credits.
Do pass/fail or withdrawn courses count toward GPA?
Usually not. A P (pass) or W (withdrawal) normally carries no grade points and is excluded from GPA, though a W still appears on your transcript. An F does count and pulls your GPA down, which is why withdrawing is often better than failing.
Does retaking a course replace the old grade?
It depends on your school’s grade-replacement policy. Some institutions replace the original grade in your GPA, others average both attempts, and many only allow replacement a limited number of times. Check your academic catalog before relying on it.
Is this GPA calculator free?
Yes — completely free, no signup and no email required. Bookmark it and share it with classmates.
What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?
An unweighted GPA treats every course on the same 4.0 scale regardless of difficulty. A weighted GPA gives extra points for honors, AP, or IB courses — often on a 5.0 scale — so a B in an AP class can be worth as much as an A in a regular one. Most colleges recalculate applicants to an unweighted scale for consistency, so it is worth knowing both figures. This calculator works on the standard 4.0 scale.
What GPA do I need for graduate school or honors?
It varies, but common thresholds are useful to know: many graduate programs expect a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, competitive programs look for 3.5 or higher, and Latin honors at graduation typically begin around 3.5 (cum laude) and rise for magna and summa. Many programs also weigh your major GPA and your last 60 credits heavily, so an upward trend can matter as much as the raw number.
How much can one bad grade hurt my GPA?
It depends entirely on how far into your degree you are. Early on, when you have few credits, a single low grade swings the average sharply; later, with many credits banked, the same grade barely moves it. Use the cumulative feature above to see the real impact for your specific credit total rather than guessing — the number is often less alarming, or more, than it feels.
How do I calculate my major GPA separately?
Enter only the courses that count toward your major — using the same credit hours and grades — and the calculator gives you the weighted average for just those courses. Many graduate programs, honor societies, and licensing boards care specifically about your major GPA, so it is worth computing separately from your cumulative figure; a strong major GPA can offset weaker early general-education grades, or vice versa.
Does this calculator store or share my grades?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser as you type, nothing is saved, and no signup or email is required. Close the tab and the numbers are gone — so you can use it as often as you like, for as many what-if scenarios as you want, in complete privacy.
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