How this calculator works
A grade point average is a credit-weighted mean, not a simple average of your grades. The calculator multiplies each course's grade points by its credit value, adds those products together, and divides by your total credits:
GPA = Σ(grade points × credits) ÷ Σ(credits)
That weighting is the part students most often overlook, and it has real consequences for how you spend revision time. A B in a five-credit course pulls your average more than an A in a one-credit course pushes it up. If you are triaging late in a term, the credit column tells you where the leverage actually is — not the subject you find most stressful.
Everything runs in your browser. Your course names, grades and credits are never sent anywhere, because there is no server-side component to send them to.
Weighted versus unweighted GPA
These are two different numbers and applications ask for different ones, so it is worth knowing which you are producing.
Unweighted GPA caps at 4.0. Every A is worth 4.0 whether it came from a standard course or an Advanced Placement one. Weighted GPA adds a bonus for course difficulty — commonly +0.5 for honours and +1.0 for AP or IB — so it can exceed 4.0. This is why a student can accurately report a 4.3.
When a form does not specify, it almost always means unweighted. And be aware that many universities recalculate GPA from your transcript using their own formula regardless of what you enter, often stripping out non-academic courses. The figure you calculate here is for your own planning; the figure that decides an admission is theirs.
The standard 4.0 scale
| Letter grade | Grade points | Typical US percentage |
|---|---|---|
| A / A+ | 4.0 | 93–100 |
| 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 | 1.0 | 60–69 |
| F | 0.0 | Below 60 |
Don't convert foreign percentages with this table
The percentage column is a US marking convention. In the UK, Australia and much of Europe, 70% is a strong first-class result — run it through an American conversion and it becomes a C−. Same number, opposite meaning, because marking cultures use the scale differently.
If you need to present grades across systems, our guide to grading systems and GPA explains why conversion tables mislead and what admissions offices actually want instead.
A worked example
Four courses in a semester:
| Course | Grade | Points | Credits | Points × credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus | B+ | 3.3 | 4 | 13.2 |
| Biology | A− | 3.7 | 4 | 14.8 |
| History | A | 4.0 | 3 | 12.0 |
| Studio art | C | 2.0 | 1 | 2.0 |
| Total | 12 | 42.0 | ||
42.0 ÷ 12 = 3.50 GPA. Note that the C in studio art barely registers, because it carries one credit. A simple average of the four grade points would have given 3.25 — a quarter of a point lower, and wrong.
Where GPA doesn't apply
A large share of the world does not use GPA at all, and forcing your results into one can misrepresent them:
- UK degrees report a classification — First, 2:1, 2:2, Third — with no running average.
- Australia uses HD/D/C/P grades and often a Weighted Average Mark; where a GPA is used it may be on a 4-point or 7-point scale, so always state which.
- The ATAR is a percentile rank, not an average, and cannot be converted to a GPA.
- Germany runs 1.0 to 5.0 with 1.0 as the best grade. A German 1.3 is excellent, not poor.
- New Zealand's NCEA and Sweden's A–F are standards-based: you meet published criteria rather than accumulating an average.
Common questions
Does the calculator store my grades?
No. The calculation happens entirely in your browser and nothing is transmitted to us. There are no accounts on this site and no analytics on your inputs. Closing the tab discards the data.
How do I handle a pass/fail course?
Most institutions exclude pass/fail courses from GPA entirely — the credits count towards graduation but the grade does not affect the average. Leave them out unless your institution's policy says otherwise.
What about a repeated course?
Policies differ sharply. Some institutions replace the original grade, some average both attempts, and some count both separately. Check your institution's grade-replacement policy before assuming; this is one of the most common sources of a GPA that does not match the official transcript.
Can I calculate what I need on a final to reach a target GPA?
Yes, by working backwards. Multiply your target GPA by your projected total credits to get the grade points you need overall, subtract the points you have already earned, then divide by the credits still outstanding. That gives the average grade points required across remaining courses.
Why doesn't my result match my transcript?
Usually one of three reasons: your institution uses a different point mapping (some use 4.3 for an A+, some do not use plus/minus grades at all), it excludes certain course types, or it weights honours and AP courses. Your registrar's published formula is authoritative.