Study tool
GPA Calculator
Add each course, its letter grade and its credit hours to get a credit-weighted GPA.
Calculate a credit-weighted GPA
GPA Calculator guide
Enter each course grade and its credit hours. The calculator multiplies grade points by credits, adds the quality points, and divides by the total credits to estimate a weighted GPA.
How to use the result
- Confirm the grade-point values used by your school.
- Include every course that belongs in the calculation.
- Check how repeated courses, incompletes, and weighted percentages are handled.
Grading policies differ by institution. Use this tool as an estimate and confirm the official result with your registrar or academic advisor.
How the weighting works
A GPA is not the average of your grades. Each course is multiplied by its credit value, and the results are added together and divided by the total number of credits. A three-credit course therefore moves the answer three times as much as a one-credit course, which is the entire point of the weighting.
Worked example. Take an A worth 4.0 at 3 credits, and a B worth 3.0 at 3 credits:
(4.00 × 3 + 3.00 × 3) ÷ (3 + 3) = 21 ÷ 6 = 3.50
Now change the B to 1 credit and the arithmetic moves to (4.00 × 3 + 3.00 × 1) ÷ 4 = 15 ÷ 4 = 3.75, even though the grades have not changed at all. A simple average of the two letter grades would have said 3.50 both times, and been wrong the second time.
The scale used here
This calculator uses a 4.0 scale with intermediate steps, the arrangement used by a large number of institutions in the United States: A 4.0, A− 3.7, B+ 3.3, B 3.0, and so on downwards. If your school rounds differently, uses a 4.3 scale, or caps a grade at a 3.7, this will not match it. Select the grade points from the list where the institution publishes them, and treat the output as an estimate.
What this calculator does not model
- Incompletes, withdrawals and fail points, which usually carry their own credit and grade rules.
- Courses graded on a percentage band rather than a letter.
- Repeated courses, where a later grade may replace an earlier one instead of averaging with it.
- Transfer credit, credit earned elsewhere, and courses taken but not yet graded.
- Any weighting by level, such as counting final-year courses more heavily.
Getting a figure you can rely on
Add every course you are counting, check that the credit total matches your own record, and compare the result with the GPA already on your transcript before you rely on it. If the two differ, the difference is nearly always one of the items in the list above rather than the arithmetic. Confirm anything you intend to submit with your registrar or academic advisor, because the official calculation is theirs.
More on this in the guides
The number this produces matters more for some courses than others, which is the point of how to choose a course of study. If the course turns out to be regulated, licences and board exams explains what that changes.
Further reading: Read the full guide: GPA Calculator
Common questions
What grade scale does it use?
The US 4.0 scale: A+ and A are both 4.00, A- is 3.70, then 3.30, 3.00, 2.70, 2.30, 2.00, 1.70, 1.30, 1.00, and F is 0.0. If your institution uses a different scale — a 5.0 scale, or one with a plus above A, or percentage grades — this will not match your transcript and you should use the official calculator your school provides.
How is a GPA actually calculated?
It is not the average of your grades. Each course is multiplied by its credit value, the results are added, and that total is divided by the total credit hours. So two credits at an A outweigh one credit at a B, which is the whole point of weighting by credit.
How do I add a course?
Use Add Course Row, pick the grade from the list, and enter the credit hours. Credit hours default to 3 so you can overwrite them quickly, and each row contributes to the total as soon as both fields are filled in.
Does it work out a cumulative GPA over several terms?
Yes — enter every course from every term in one list, including repeated courses if your school counts a retake more than once. The total is weighted across all credits you entered, so mixing terms does not distort it.
Is my grades data uploaded?
No. The arithmetic happens in this tab and nothing is transmitted or stored. That is worth having for a tool where you are typing your grades.
