| Course | Grade | Credits | Grade Points | Quality Points |
|---|
GPA (Grade Point Average) is a standard way to measure academic achievement. Most US colleges use a 4.0 scale.
| Letter Grade | Grade Points | Percentage | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ / A | 4.0 | 93–100% | Excellent |
| A− | 3.7 | 90–92% | Excellent |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87–89% | Good |
| B | 3.0 | 83–86% | Good |
| B− | 2.7 | 80–82% | Good |
| C+ | 2.3 | 77–79% | Average |
| C | 2.0 | 73–76% | Average |
| C− | 1.7 | 70–72% | Average |
| D+ | 1.3 | 67–69% | Below Average |
| D | 1.0 | 63–66% | Below Average |
| D− | 0.7 | 60–62% | Below Average |
| F | 0.0 | Below 60% | Failing |
| W | — | — | Withdrawal (excluded) |
Semester GPA is calculated only from courses in a single term. Cumulative GPA accounts for all courses taken across all semesters. To calculate cumulative GPA, use the "Previous GPA" fields above to include past semesters.
You take 3 courses this semester: English (A, 3 credits), Calculus (B+, 4 credits), Chemistry (B, 3 credits). Quality points: English = 4.0 × 3 = 12; Calculus = 3.3 × 4 = 13.2; Chemistry = 3.0 × 3 = 9. Total quality points = 34.2. Total credits = 10. Semester GPA = 34.2 ÷ 10 = 3.42 — solidly on the Dean's List threshold.
If your current cumulative GPA is 2.8 over 60 credits and your target is 3.0, you need to calculate: Required future quality points = (3.0 × (60 + future credits)) − (2.8 × 60). If you take 30 more credits all at straight A's (4.0 × 30 = 120 quality points): new GPA = (168 + 120) ÷ 90 = 3.2. GPA changes slowly — it takes sustained high performance over many credits to move it significantly.
Most university GPAs are unweighted — all courses count equally on a 4.0 scale. Many high schools use a weighted GPA that gives extra points for AP or honors courses (e.g., an A in AP Physics = 5.0, not 4.0). When universities evaluate high school students, they typically recalculate using unweighted GPA for fair comparison across schools. If you're in high school, check whether your GPA on applications is the weighted or unweighted version.
For your first job after graduation, GPA matters — many employers screen resumes for a 3.0+ minimum, especially in finance, consulting, and engineering. After 2–3 years of work experience, GPA becomes irrelevant and work accomplishments take over entirely. The exception: graduate school applications, which continue to weight GPA heavily regardless of work experience.
This free GPA calculator makes it easy to calculate your grade point average for any semester or your entire academic career. Whether you are a high school student checking eligibility for college applications or a college student tracking your cumulative GPA, simply enter your course names, letter grades, and credit hours to get an instant and accurate result.
The GPA calculator supports the standard 4.0 scale used by most US colleges and universities, converting letter grades (A, B+, C-, etc.) to grade points automatically. You can add as many courses as needed to calculate a true cumulative GPA across multiple semesters. This is the most straightforward college GPA calculator available for free online.
GPA = Total Quality Points ÷ Total Credit Hours. Quality points per course = Grade Points × Credit Hours. Example: A (4.0) in a 3-credit course = 12 quality points; B+ (3.3) in a 4-credit course = 13.2 quality points. Total GPA = (12 + 13.2) ÷ (3 + 4) = 3.60.
3.5–4.0 is excellent and typically qualifies for the Dean's List. 3.0–3.49 is good and competitive for most graduate programs. 2.5–2.99 is average. Below 2.0 may trigger academic probation. For employment, GPA matters most in your first 1–2 years after graduation; after that, work experience takes precedence.
Semester GPA reflects only the current term's courses. Cumulative GPA covers your entire academic history across all semesters. A strong semester can gradually raise a low cumulative GPA, but because cumulative GPA is weighted by total credit hours, it takes many good semesters to move it significantly.
Yes — an F counts as 0.0 grade points and still counts as attempted credit hours, dragging down your GPA. Many schools offer grade replacement (also called grade forgiveness): you retake the course and the new grade replaces the F in GPA calculations, though both typically remain on the transcript. Check your institution's specific repeat policy.
Most graduate programs require a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Competitive programs — law schools, medical schools, top MBA programs, and research-focused PhDs — typically expect 3.5 or higher. Some programs weigh your GPA in your major separately from your overall GPA. A strong upward trend in your final two years can partially compensate for a weaker early record.
Higher-credit courses carry more weight. Improving a grade in a 4-credit course has twice the GPA impact of the same improvement in a 2-credit course. Strategically: if you must choose which courses to invest more effort in, prioritize the ones with the most credit hours — they move your GPA the most efficiently.
Unweighted GPA treats all courses equally on a 4.0 scale. Weighted GPA (common in US high schools) gives extra credit for advanced courses — an A in AP Calculus might count as 5.0 instead of 4.0. Universities typically recalculate applicant GPAs on an unweighted scale for fair comparison. Canadian high schools generally report percentage grades rather than GPA.
It depends on your institution's policies. Grade replacement programs allow you to retake a course and substitute the new grade in GPA calculations. Academic renewal programs (for students returning after a gap) can sometimes exclude earlier poor grades from cumulative GPA. Withdrawal (W) grades before a deadline typically do not affect GPA at all.