Calculate your high school GPA from the letter or percent grades and credit values of the courses you took.
High School GPA Formula
A GPA is the credit-weighted average of your grade points. Each course grade is turned into a number of grade points, multiplied by the credits for that course, summed, and divided by the total credits.
GPA = sum(grade_points * credits) / sum(credits)
For a weighted GPA, each course gets a level bump added to its base grade points before the average is taken.
Weighted GPA = sum((base_points + level_bump) * credits) / sum(credits)
When you ask for the GPA needed in future credits to reach a target, the calculator rearranges the cumulative average.
Needed GPA = (target * (current_credits + future_credits) - current_GPA * current_credits) / future_credits
- grade_points: the numeric value of a course grade on the 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on).
- base_points: the unweighted 4.0-scale value of the grade before any bump.
- level_bump: extra points added for course difficulty, commonly +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment.
- credits: the credit value or weight assigned to a course.
- current_GPA and current_credits: your existing cumulative GPA and the credits behind it.
- future_credits: the credits you still plan to take.
- target: the cumulative GPA you want to reach.
The unweighted GPA always uses base points only, so it stays on the 0 to 4.0 scale. The weighted GPA adds the level bumps, which is why it can rise above 4.0. The "solve for" selector switches between this term's GPA, your new cumulative GPA after adding this term, and the GPA you need going forward to hit a target.
Grade Point Values and Course Bumps
The calculator converts letter and percent grades to base points using the standard 4.0 scale below.
| Letter | Percent | Base Points |
|---|---|---|
| A+ / A | 93-100 | 4.0 |
| A- | 90-92 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87-89 | 3.3 |
| B | 83-86 | 3.0 |
| B- | 80-82 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77-79 | 2.3 |
| C | 73-76 | 2.0 |
| C- | 70-72 | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67-69 | 1.3 |
| D | 63-66 | 1.0 |
| D- | 60-62 | 0.7 |
| F | 0-59 | 0.0 |
Course level decides the bump added for a weighted GPA. Use your school's official bumps if they differ from these common values.
| Course Level | Bump | A in This Course |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | +0.0 | 4.0 |
| Honors | +0.5 | 4.5 |
| AP / IB / Dual Enrollment | +1.0 | 5.0 |
Examples
Example 1. You take three courses this term: English (Regular, A, 1 credit), Biology (Honors, B+, 1 credit), and US History (AP, A-, 1 credit). The unweighted points are 4.0, 3.3, and 3.7, giving (4.0 + 3.3 + 3.7) / 3 = 3.67 unweighted. With bumps the weighted points are 4.0, 3.8, and 4.7, giving (4.0 + 3.8 + 4.7) / 3 = 4.17 weighted.
Example 2. Your current cumulative GPA is 3.40 across 24 credits, and you want to reach 3.60 after adding 6 more credits. The GPA you need in those 6 credits is (3.60 * 30 - 3.40 * 24) / 6 = (108 - 81.6) / 6 = 4.40, which means even straight A grades in regular courses would fall short, so you would need weighted courses to get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA? An unweighted GPA treats every course the same and caps at 4.0, so an A is always 4.0 grade points. A weighted GPA adds points for harder courses, usually +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment, so it can go above 4.0. The calculator shows both at once so you can report whichever your school or a college application asks for.
Why does my weighted GPA come out higher than 4.0? The bump for Honors and AP-level courses is added before the average is taken. If you earn high grades in several weighted courses, those bumps push the average past 4.0. The calculator includes an optional cap so you can limit the maximum weighted value per course if your school does that.
How do I find the GPA I need to reach a goal? Set the "solve for" selector to the GPA needed in future credits, enter your current cumulative GPA and credits, your target GPA, and how many credits remain. The calculator solves for the average you must earn in those remaining credits. If the required value is above the maximum possible on your scale, the target is not reachable in that number of credits.
