GPA Calculator
Add your courses, pick your grades, and watch your GPA compute itself. We're here to help you ace it — free forever, share it with your class.
Can I still reach my target?
The question every GPA calculator skips. Add what you already have, and see what the rest must average.
Spotted a mistake or have an idea? — errors get fixed and credited publicly.
Last updated: September 9, 2026 · Formulas verified by automated tests that block every release. Editorial review dates are shown in the sources block above.
How GPA math works
Every letter grade has a point value on the 4.0 scale. Each course contributes its points multiplied by its credit hours — so a 4-credit A pulls your average up harder than a 1-credit A. The calculator does the weighting for you:
GPA = Σ (grade points × credits) ÷ Σ credits
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 · F = 0
The 4.0 scale
| Letter | Points | Letter | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ / A | 4.0 | C+ | 2.3 |
| A− | 3.7 | C | 2.0 |
| B+ | 3.3 | C− | 1.7 |
| B | 3.0 | D+ | 1.3 |
| B− | 2.7 | D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
GPA inertia: why timing matters more than effort
A GPA is an average weighted by credits, which means every credit you have already banked resists change. The first semester sets your GPA outright. By the time 60 credits sit behind you, a perfect 15-credit term moves the cumulative number by roughly a fifth of the gap — and the gap closes more slowly with every term that passes.
The planner above turns that into a straight answer instead of encouragement. Enter what you have and what you want, and it says what the remaining credits must average — or that the target is out of reach even with straight A grades. A student sitting at 2.90 after 60 credits cannot reach 3.50 by graduation: sixty more credits of perfect work land near 3.45. That is arithmetic, not pessimism, and knowing it in the second year is worth far more than discovering it in the fourth.
Two things follow. If your target is still reachable, the fastest lever is credit weight— a four-credit course moves the average more than a one-credit elective, so protect the big ones first. And if it is not reachable, aim the effort where it still counts: the trend across your last two years, which admissions and employers read separately, and the courses in your major, which graduate programmes look at on their own.
Report your transcript, not your recalculation
One practical warning that costs students real trouble. When an application asks for your GPA, give the number your institution officially reports — not one you recomputed here or anywhere else. Schools weight, round and include courses differently, admissions offices know the local conventions, and a self-adjusted figure that disagrees with the transcript looks like an error at best. Use this calculator to plan and to check the arithmetic; use the transcript to fill in the form.
Worth knowing too: the 4.0 scale is a North American convention. Percentage systems, the UK class system, the Indian CGPA out of 10 and the European ECTS grades all convert differently, and no conversion is universally accepted — ourpercentage to GPA converter shows the common scales and where they disagree. If an institution abroad asks for a GPA equivalent, ask which conversion table they use rather than picking one.
Reading your number honestly
- 3.7+ — honors territory; keep doing what you're doing.
- 3.3–3.7 — strong; competitive for most scholarships and programs.
- 3.0–3.3 — solid; a good semester can move you up a bracket.
- Below 3.0 — recoverable; high-credit courses and retakes are your levers.
One honest note admissions officers repeat: an upward trend beats a flat high number. A 3.2 that used to be a 2.6 tells a stronger story than a 3.4 that never moved. If the number above is not the one you want, our guide onhow to raise your GPA walks through which levers actually move it — retakes, credit weight and semester order.
Sources, assumptions and limitations
- Formula: GPA = Σ(grade points × credits) ÷ Σ credits
- Assumptions: The 4.0 letter scale shown is the common US convention; every course counts with its credit weight.
- Not included: Plus/minus policy differences, pass/fail courses, repeat-and-replace rules — your registrar's policy is the final word.
- Last reviewed: July 22, 2026 by the CalcNotebook team
Frequently asked questions
Can I still raise my GPA?
It depends almost entirely on how many credits you have already earned, not on how hard you plan to work. The planner above answers it for your numbers: it shows what the remaining credits must average to hit your target, and tells you plainly when the target has become unreachable. As a rough guide, at 30 credits most targets are still live; at 90 credits the cumulative number barely moves, and effort is better aimed at your major GPA and your upward trend.
How much does one course change my GPA?
Roughly its credits divided by your total credits, times the gap between that grade and your current average. Concretely: at 60 credits, one 3-credit A when you are sitting at 3.0 lifts you by about 0.05. This is why single-course rescues rarely work late, and why the credit weight of a course matters as much as the grade — the four-credit lab moves your average four times as much as the one-credit seminar.
Should I report my weighted or unweighted GPA?
Report whichever your school officially puts on the transcript, and say which it is if the form asks. Do not recalculate your own figure for an application: weighting conventions vary by school, admissions offices are trained to read them in context, and a number that disagrees with your transcript raises questions you do not want to answer.
Does this work outside the United States?
The arithmetic does — a credit-weighted average is a credit-weighted average anywhere. The 4.0 scale itself is a North American convention. Percentage systems, the UK class system, the Indian CGPA out of 10 and ECTS grades all map onto it differently, and no single conversion is universally accepted. If an institution asks for a GPA equivalent, ask which conversion table they use.
How is GPA calculated?
Each letter grade converts to points on the 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on). Multiply each course's points by its credit hours, add everything up, and divide by the total credits: GPA = total grade points ÷ total credits.
What is a good GPA?
Above 3.0 is solid, 3.5+ is strong for most scholarships and grad programs, and 3.7+ puts you in honors territory. But trends matter too — an upward curve tells a better story than a flat number.
Do A+ and A count the same?
At most US schools both equal 4.0, and that is the convention this calculator uses. Some institutions award 4.3 for an A+ — check your school's official scale if it matters for your case.
What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?
Unweighted GPA (this calculator) caps at 4.0 regardless of course difficulty. Weighted GPA gives bonus points for honors/AP/IB classes, often on a 5.0 scale. Colleges usually look at both, plus your transcript.
How can I raise my GPA?
Credits are leverage: a high grade in a 4-credit course moves your GPA more than in a 1-credit one. Retaking a failed course (where your school replaces the grade) is usually the fastest single fix.