Your grade point average condenses a whole transcript into a single number, but it is not a plain average of letter grades. It is weighted by how many credit hours each course carries, so a five-credit course counts more than a one-credit elective. The GPA Calculator does this weighting for you, converting letter grades and credits into an accurate GPA on the standard 4.0 scale, all in your browser.
The 4.0 grade point scale
Each letter grade maps to a fixed number of grade points. The widely used scale assigns:
- 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, D- = 0.7
- F = 0.0
How weighted GPA is calculated
For each course, multiply its grade points by its credit hours to get quality points. Add up the quality points across all courses, then divide by the total credit hours. The result is your weighted GPA.
GPA = sum(grade_points x credits) / sum(credits)
Calculating a GPA with credit hours
Enter each course with its letter grade and credit hours. The tool converts every grade to its point value, multiplies by the credits, and totals the result, dividing by your total credits to show the GPA. Add or remove rows as you plan different scenarios, such as what an upcoming course might do to your standing. Because it runs locally, your grades are never uploaded.
A worked example
Imagine four courses this term. Calculus earns an A (4.0) over 4 credits, for 16.0 quality points. English earns a B+ (3.3) over 3 credits, for 9.9. Chemistry earns a B (3.0) over 4 credits, for 12.0. A seminar earns an A- (3.7) over 1 credit, for 3.7.
The quality points total 16.0 plus 9.9 plus 12.0 plus 3.7, which is 41.6. The credit hours total 4 plus 3 plus 4 plus 1, which is 12. Dividing 41.6 by 12 gives a GPA of about 3.47. Notice that the four-credit A pulls the average up more than the one-credit A-, which is exactly what weighting by credits is meant to do.
Making your GPA work for you
Because credits act as weights, the smartest way to raise a GPA is to focus on high-credit courses, where a strong grade moves the number the most. Use the GPA Calculator to test scenarios before registration, set realistic targets for the term, and understand exactly how each grade and credit combination shapes your final average.
