GPA Calculator
Calculate your semester GPA from individual course grades, or combine it with your prior GPA to find your new cumulative GPA.
How to Use the GPA Calculator
Our GPA Calculator works out your Grade Point Average from individual course grades and credit hours, using the standard 4.0 scale. Use the Semester GPA tab to calculate a single semester from scratch, or the Cumulative GPA tab to combine a new semester with your existing overall GPA.
The Standard 4.0 Grading Scale
| Letter Grade | Grade Points |
|---|---|
| A+ / 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 |
This is the most commonly used scale, but grading systems vary between institutions — some use a 4.3 scale with a boosted A+, others don’t use +/- grades at all. Always check your own school’s official scale for anything that matters, like transcripts or applications.
How GPA Is Calculated
GPA is a weighted average, not a simple average of your letter grades. Each course’s grade points are multiplied by its credit hours to give “quality points”. All quality points are added together, then divided by the total number of credit hours. This means a 4-credit course affects your GPA more than a 1-credit course, even with the same grade.
How to Use the GPA Calculator
- Semester GPA: Add each course with its credit hours and grade. Course names are optional and just for your own reference.
- Use + Add Course to include as many courses as you need.
- Click Calculate GPA to see your semester GPA and a full quality-points breakdown.
- Cumulative GPA: Switch tabs, then enter your prior cumulative GPA and credit hours, plus this semester’s GPA and credit hours.
- Click Calculate Cumulative GPA to see your new overall GPA.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate GPA?
Multiply each course’s grade points by its credit hours to get quality points, add up the quality points for all courses, then divide by the total credit hours. For example, a 3-credit A- (3.7 points) contributes 11.1 quality points.
What is the difference between semester GPA and cumulative GPA?
Semester GPA covers only the courses taken in a single term. Cumulative GPA combines every credit hour and grade across all terms so far, giving your overall academic average. Our calculator handles both.
How do I calculate my new cumulative GPA after this semester?
Multiply your prior GPA by your prior total credit hours, and this semester’s GPA by this semester’s credit hours, add the two results together, then divide by your combined total credit hours. The Cumulative GPA tab does this automatically.
Does every school use the same 4.0 scale?
No. While the scale shown here (A = 4.0 down to F = 0.0) is the most common, some institutions use a 4.3 scale with an elevated A+, others don’t award plus or minus grades at all, and some countries use entirely different systems. Always check your own institution’s official scale for anything that needs to be exact.
Why does a course with more credit hours affect my GPA more?
GPA is a credit-weighted average. A course worth 4 credit hours contributes four times as many quality points as a 1-credit course with the same grade, so it has a proportionally larger effect on your overall GPA.
Can I use this calculator if my school doesn’t use plus/minus grades?
Yes. Simply select the base letter grade (A, B, C, D or F) for each course and ignore the plus/minus options. The calculation works the same way regardless of how many grade distinctions your school uses.