How to Calculate Your GPA, Step by Step
Updated on Sep 12, 2026By CalculatNow Editorial Team9 min read
Your GPA is an average of your grades, where each letter is worth a number of points. Add up the points, divide by the number of classes, and that is it. The whole thing takes about two minutes once you know which numbers to use.
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GPA stands for grade point average. Schools turn each letter grade into points — an A is worth 4.0, a B is worth 3.0 — and your GPA is the average of those points across your classes.
This guide walks through it one step at a time, using the same five classes all the way to the end so you can follow every number. It also covers the two things that confuse people most: credits and the difference between weighted and unweighted.
What you need before you start
- Your letter grade in each class — from a report card, transcript or online portal.
- How many credits each class is worth. In high school most classes are 1 credit. In college they are usually 3 or 4, and the number is in the course listing.
- Your school's grade scale, if it differs from the standard one below. Most US schools use the 4.0 scale, but check — a few use 4.3 or 5.0.
Key point
If your school gives percentages rather than letters, convert them to letters first using the table in the next section, then carry on.
Step 1: turn each letter into points
This is the standard 4.0 scale used by most US schools. Find each of your grades and note the points beside it.
An A and an A+ are both worth 4.0 on the standard scale — the plus does not add anything unless your school uses a 4.3 scale.
| Letter | Points | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 | 97–100% |
| A | 4.0 | 93–96% |
| A- | 3.7 | 90–92% |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87–89% |
| B | 3.0 | 83–86% |
| B- | 2.7 | 80–82% |
| C+ | 2.3 | 77–79% |
| C | 2.0 | 73–76% |
| C- | 1.7 | 70–72% |
| D+ | 1.3 | 67–69% |
| D | 1.0 | 63–66% |
| D- | 0.7 | 60–62% |
| F | 0.0 | Below 60% |
Here are the five classes we will use for the rest of the guide. It is a normal high school semester, so every class is worth 1 credit.
Write your own classes out the same way before doing any arithmetic — most mistakes happen because a grade was copied down wrong, not because the maths went wrong.
| Class | Grade | Points |
|---|---|---|
| English 11 | A- | 3.7 |
| Algebra II | B+ | 3.3 |
| Biology | A | 4.0 |
| US History | B | 3.0 |
| Spanish II | C+ | 2.3 |
Step 2: multiply points by credits
A class worth more credits counts for more. Multiply each class's points by its credits to get grade points for that class.
In our example every class is 1 credit, so the grade points are the same as the points: 3.7, 3.3, 4.0, 3.0 and 2.3. If you are in high school and every class is 1 credit, this step changes nothing and you can skip straight to step 3.
College is different. A 4-credit chemistry class with a B (3.0) earns 3.0 × 4 = 12 grade points, while a 1-credit seminar with an A (4.0) earns only 4. The chemistry grade matters three times as much, which is why one bad grade in a big class hurts more than one in a small class.
Step 3: add everything up
Add all the grade points together, and separately add all the credits together. Keep the two totals apart — mixing them up is the most common error.
Two columns, two totals: grade points on one side, credits on the other.
| Class | Points | Credits | Grade points |
|---|---|---|---|
| English 11 | 3.7 | 1 | 3.7 |
| Algebra II | 3.3 | 1 | 3.3 |
| Biology | 4.0 | 1 | 4.0 |
| US History | 3.0 | 1 | 3.0 |
| Spanish II | 2.3 | 1 | 2.3 |
| Total | 5 | 16.3 |
Step 4: divide
Divide the total grade points by the total credits. That is your GPA.
The five classes above
Total grade points divided by total credits.
- Total grade points
- 16.3
- Total credits
- 5
- 16.3 ÷ 5
- 3.26
- GPA
- 3.26
3.26 is the GPA. Round to two decimal places, which is what schools use. Check yours against the GPA calculator — enter the same classes and you should get the same number.
Weighted and unweighted, explained simply
Unweighted means every class counts the same, and the highest possible GPA is 4.0. That is what we calculated above.
Weighted means harder classes are worth extra points, so the highest possible GPA goes above 4.0 — usually to 5.0. Most schools add 0.5 for an honors class and 1.0 for an AP or IB class.
Same five classes, same grades — the only change is that two of them were harder courses.
| Class | Level | Unweighted | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| English 11 (A-) | Regular | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| Algebra II (B+) | Honors +0.5 | 3.3 | 3.8 |
| Biology (A) | AP +1.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| US History (B) | Regular | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Spanish II (C+) | Regular | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| GPA | 3.26 | 3.56 |
The same report card gives a 3.26 or a 3.56 depending on which one your school reports. Neither is wrong. When you are comparing your GPA to anything — a college's average, a friend's, a scholarship cut-off — check you are comparing the same kind. There is more on which one colleges actually use in weighted vs unweighted GPA.
Cumulative GPA: adding up the years
Your cumulative GPA covers everything you have taken so far, not just this semester. You cannot average the semester GPAs directly unless every semester had the same number of credits.
Do it the same way as before: add up all the grade points from every semester, add up all the credits, and divide once at the end.
Two semesters, five credits each
First semester 3.26, second semester 3.60. Because the credits match, averaging happens to work here — but doing it the long way is the habit that will not let you down later.
- Semester 1
- 3.26 × 5 = 16.3 points
- Semester 2
- 3.60 × 5 = 18.0 points
- Total points
- 34.3
- Total credits
- 10
- Cumulative GPA
- 3.43
Common mistakes
Averaging semester GPAs. A 3.0 over 12 credits and a 4.0 over 3 credits is not a 3.5 — it is 3.2, because the first semester carried four times the weight. Always go back to points and credits.
Forgetting credits in college. In high school it rarely matters because everything is 1 credit. In college it decides everything, and students who skip the step get a number that is out by a tenth or more.
Assuming an A+ is worth more than an A. On the standard 4.0 scale both are 4.0. Only schools using a 4.3 scale give the plus any extra value.
Comparing a weighted GPA to an unweighted average. A college saying its admitted students average 3.8 almost always means unweighted. Comparing your 4.2 weighted GPA to that number tells you nothing.
Counting pass/fail classes. A pass usually earns the credit but no grade points, so it is left out of the GPA calculation entirely. A fail, in most schools, does count — and counts as zero.
Next steps
- Check your own number with the GPA calculator below — it handles credits, weighting and multiple semesters.
- Working out what you need on an exam instead? Use the final grade calculator.
- Converting a percentage to a letter first? The percentage calculator will do it.
GPA Calculator
Enter your classes, grades and credits and get your GPA.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you calculate GPA on a 4.0 scale?
- Turn each letter grade into points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0), multiply each by the class's credits, add all those up, then divide by the total credits. Five 1-credit classes worth 3.7, 3.3, 4.0, 3.0 and 2.3 points give 16.3 ÷ 5 = a 3.26 GPA.
- What is 70% in GPA?
- 70% is a C- on the standard scale, which is worth 1.7 grade points. The band runs 70–72% for a C-, so 73% would be a full C at 2.0. Check your own school's cut-offs, because a few set them a point or two differently.
- Is 96% a 4.0 GPA?
- Yes. On the standard scale an A covers 93–96% and is worth 4.0 points. You would need 97% for an A+, but on a 4.0 scale that is still worth 4.0 — the plus only adds value at schools using a 4.3 scale.
- Is a 3.4 GPA good?
- It is a solid B+ average and it keeps most college options open, including many state universities. Highly selective schools typically admit students well above 3.8 unweighted. What counts as good depends entirely on where you are applying, so compare against the published average for your specific list.
- How do I calculate my GPA with credits?
- Multiply each class's grade points by its credits before adding anything up. A 4-credit class with a B (3.0) contributes 12 grade points; a 1-credit class with an A (4.0) contributes 4. Add all the grade points, add all the credits, divide the first by the second.
- What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?
- Unweighted treats every class the same and caps at 4.0. Weighted adds extra points for harder classes — usually 0.5 for honors and 1.0 for AP or IB — so it can go above 4.0. The same report card can produce a 3.26 unweighted and a 3.56 weighted.
