GPA Calculator — Semester, Cumulative & Final Grade Targets

An unweighted GPA uses the classic 4.0 scale: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0, often with plus/minus fine-tuning (A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, and so on). Every course counts the same regardless of difficulty. This is the scale most U.S. colleges use on official transcripts and the default for the calculator above. Mathematically, unweighted GPA never rewards schedule rigor — only the letter you earn and the credits attached to each course.

A weighted GPA rewards rigorous coursework. High schools commonly add +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, producing averages that can exceed 4.0 — often up to a 5.0 ceiling. An A in AP Biology might count as 5.0 instead of 4.0. Failing grades almost never receive a weight bonus. If your school reports both unweighted and weighted GPAs, use the matching GradePoint tool so your estimate lines up with the number counselors and colleges expect.

College versus high school practice also differs. Undergraduate GPAs are almost always unweighted on a 4.0 (sometimes 4.3 for A+) scale with semester credit hours. High schools may publish a simple A–F unweighted average for eligibility and a separate weighted average for class rank. When an application asks for “GPA,” read the instructions carefully — submitting a weighted 4.6 when the form expects unweighted 4.0 can look inconsistent next to your transcript.

Need the weighted version? Open the Weighted GPA Calculator. For simple A–F high school averages, try the High School GPA Calculator. Planning a single class before the exam? Use the Final Grade Calculator to find the minimum score that locks your target letter.

Suppose your semester includes Chemistry (4 credits, B+ = 3.3), English (3 credits, A- = 3.7), History (3 credits, A = 4.0), and a 1-credit Pass/Fail seminar (Pass). Chemistry contributes 3.3 × 4 = 13.2 quality points; English contributes 3.7 × 3 = 11.1; History contributes 4.0 × 3 = 12.0. The Pass seminar adds earned credit but zero GPA credits. Total quality points = 36.3; total GPA credits = 10; semester GPA = 36.3 ÷ 10 = 3.63.

If your prior cumulative GPA was 3.40 across 45 credits, prior quality points were 3.40 × 45 = 153. After this term: (153 + 36.3) ÷ (45 + 10) ≈ 3.44 cumulative. Small term swings matter less as completed credits grow — which is why early semesters move your average more than senior year alone.