GPA Calculator
0.00 term GPA
| # | Grade | Credit Hours | Grade Points | Quality Points |
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How GPA Is Calculated
A Grade Point Average is a credit-weighted average, the same idea used in any weighted mean: each letter grade is converted to a numeric grade point (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0, with +/- grades typically shifting the value by 0.3), then multiplied by that course's credit hours to get its quality points. GPA is the sum of quality points across all courses divided by the sum of credit hours: GPA = Σ(grade points × credit hours) / Σ(credit hours). A 1-credit seminar and a 4-credit lab both affect your GPA, but the 4-credit course counts four times as much.
4.0 vs. 4.3 Scales, and Why Your Number Might Differ
This calculator defaults to the standard 4.0 scale, where an A and an A+ both max out at 4.0 — this is the most common convention at U.S. colleges and universities. Some schools instead use a 4.3 scale where A+ is worth 4.3, which pulls the average slightly higher for students with A+ grades. Because grade-point values and plus/minus increments are set by each individual institution rather than a single universal standard, always check your school's official grading policy if your transcript GPA doesn't match a calculator exactly — treat the 4.0/4.3 figures here as the widely used convention, not a fixed law.
Term GPA vs. Cumulative GPA
The term GPA above reflects only the courses you entered. To fold in your academic history, enter your prior cumulative GPA and prior credit hours — the calculator adds your prior quality points (prior GPA × prior credits) to this term's quality points and divides by the combined credit hours, giving your new overall cumulative GPA. If you're tracking a target average for scholarship or admissions purposes over a longer horizon, the grade calculator can help you work out what score you need on remaining assignments, and the college cost calculator can help plan the tuition side of things.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is GPA calculated?
Each letter grade is converted to a grade point value (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0, with plus/minus grades shifting by 0.3), then multiplied by that course's credit hours to get quality points. GPA is the sum of all quality points divided by the sum of all credit hours, so higher-credit courses influence the average more than lower-credit ones.
What's the difference between term GPA and cumulative GPA?
Term GPA reflects only the courses entered for the current term. Cumulative GPA folds in your academic history: it adds your prior quality points (prior GPA multiplied by prior credit hours) to the current term's quality points, then divides by the combined credit hours across both. Enter your prior GPA and prior credit hours to see the cumulative figure.