How to Calculate GPA
Learn how letter grades, grade points, course credits, and quality points combine to produce GPA.
Related Calculators
- College GPA CalculatorCalculate a college or university GPA using course grades and credit hours.
- High School GPA CalculatorCalculate your high school GPA on a standard 4.0 scale using letter grades and course credits.
- Semester GPA CalculatorCalculate your GPA for one semester or academic term using course grades and credit hours.
- Broward Grade CalculatorEstimate a weighted course grade using quarter grades, a midterm or semester assessment and a final exam with editable weights.
- Weighted GPA CalculatorCalculate a weighted GPA by adding course-level points for honors, AP, IB, or advanced classes.
- Water Potential CalculatorCalculate water potential and solute potential using the official AP Biology formula.
GPA in One Formula
A credit-weighted GPA uses this formula:
GPA = total quality points ÷ total GPA credits
Quality points are calculated for each course:
Quality points = grade points × course credits
Step 1: Convert Letter Grades to Grade Points
A common 4.0 scale uses A = 4.0, A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, and lower values through F = 0.0.
Your school may use a different conversion table, so check its official policy.
Step 2: Multiply by Course Credits
A 4.0 grade in a 3-credit course produces 12 quality points. A 3.0 grade in a 4-credit course also produces 12 quality points.
Step 3: Add Quality Points and Credits
Add the quality points from every GPA-bearing course. Then add the credits from those courses.
Step 4: Divide
Divide total quality points by total GPA credits.
Use the High School GPA Calculator for credit-weighted high school classes, the College GPA Calculator for college credit hours, or the Semester GPA Calculator for one term.
Courses That May Need Special Treatment
Depending on the institution, pass/fail classes, withdrawals, repeated classes, transfer courses, and forgiven grades may be excluded or handled differently.
The official transcript remains the final source for GPA.
Related Guides
- How Cumulative GPA WorksUnderstand the cumulative GPA formula — how grades from every semester combine into a running average, why it gets harder to change as you progress, and what affects it most.
- Weighted vs Unweighted GPAUnderstand how weighted and unweighted GPA differ and why the same transcript can produce two different values.
- How to Calculate Your University of Florida GPALearn how the University of Florida calculates GPA — quality points, credit hour weighting, and UF's specific GPA thresholds for Dean's List, probation, and graduation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the basic GPA formula?
- Divide total quality points by total GPA-bearing credits.
- What are quality points?
- They are the grade-point value for a course multiplied by that course’s credits.
- Can I average course grades without credits?
- Yes only when all courses count equally. Otherwise, use a credit-weighted calculation.
- Why can my calculated GPA differ from my transcript?
- Institutions may use different scales, exclusions, repeat rules, course weights, and rounding.
Last updated 7/17/2026