How do you calculate GPA by hand?

Multiply each course's grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, etc.) by its credit hours, add those up, then divide by the total credit hours across all courses.

How do I find my cumulative GPA?

Turn on "combine with an existing GPA" and enter your current GPA and total credit hours alongside this term's courses — the calculator works out your prior grade points and adds this term's on top.

Does a low grade in a 1-credit course hurt as much as in a 4-credit course?

No. Credit hours act as a weight, so the same letter grade pulls the average more in a course worth more credits.

Why doesn't this match my school's official GPA?

Schools vary in how they treat A+, plus/minus grades, and honours or AP courses. Check your institution's own grading scale for an exact match — this calculator uses the common unweighted 4.0 scale.

What GPA is considered good?

It depends heavily on context, but as a rough guide, 3.5+ is often considered strong, 3.0+ solid, and many scholarships or grad programs set minimums somewhere in that range. Check the specific requirement you're aiming for.

GPA Calculator: Semester & Cumulative GPA

GPA is the total grade points across your courses (each grade's point value × its credit hours) divided by your total credit hours. Three courses graded A, B+ and B at 3, 3 and 4 credits work out to a 3.39 GPA.

Course (optional)

Grade

Credits

Combine with an existing GPA

GPA

3.39

Total credit hours

Total grade points

33.9

Course (A)12 pts
Course (B+)9.9 pts
Course (B)12 pts

Uses the standard 4.0 scale. Some schools cap A+ below 4.0, don't use +/− grades, or weight honours and AP classes differently — check your school's own scale if it needs to match a transcript exactly.

Show the math

1
Multiply each grade's points by its credit hours
Course: 4 × 3 = 12 · Course: 3.3 × 3 = 9.9 · Course: 3 × 4 = 12
Every letter grade is worth a fixed number of points on the 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on).
= 3 courses

Read the steps as text

Multiply each grade's points by its credit hours. Course: 4 × 3 = 12 · Course: 3.3 × 3 = 9.9 · Course: 3 × 4 = 12 Every letter grade is worth a fixed number of points on the 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on).
Add up the grade points. 12 + 9.9 + 12 = 33.9
Add up the credit hours. 3 + 3 + 4 = 10
Divide total points by total credit hours. 33.9 ÷ 10 = 3.39 Rounded to two decimal places, the way most transcripts show it.

How GPA is calculated

Grade point average weighs each course by how much it counts, not just how many courses you took. Every letter grade is converted to a point value on the 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, and so on down to F = 0.0), multiplied by that course's credit hours, and added up. Dividing that total by your total credit hours gives the GPA — a 4-credit course pulls the average more than a 1-credit one.

This is why a single low grade in a heavy course can affect your GPA more than the same grade in a light one, and why retaking a course (where the school allows it) at a similar credit weight has a predictable, calculable effect.

Semester GPA vs. cumulative GPA

Entering just this term's courses gives your semester (term) GPA. Turning on "combine with an existing GPA" folds in the grade points you've already earned — using your current GPA and total credit hours to work backwards to your prior grade points — so the result is your new cumulative GPA across your whole transcript, not just the current term.

This matters because a strong or weak semester moves a cumulative GPA less the more credit hours already sit behind it. Ten new credit hours change a GPA built on 15 prior credits far more than one built on 90.

Where GPA scales differ

The 4.0 scale with plus/minus grades used here is the most common in the US, but schools vary: some cap A+ below 4.0 or don't award it at all, some don't use plus/minus grades, and some weight honours, AP or IB courses with an extra point. High school weighted GPAs in particular often don't match this calculator. Always check your own institution's official scale if the number needs to match a transcript exactly — treat this as a close, unofficial estimate otherwise.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate GPA by hand?: Multiply each course's grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, etc.) by its credit hours, add those up, then divide by the total credit hours across all courses.
How do I find my cumulative GPA?: Turn on "combine with an existing GPA" and enter your current GPA and total credit hours alongside this term's courses — the calculator works out your prior grade points and adds this term's on top.
Does a low grade in a 1-credit course hurt as much as in a 4-credit course?: No. Credit hours act as a weight, so the same letter grade pulls the average more in a course worth more credits.
Why doesn't this match my school's official GPA?: Schools vary in how they treat A+, plus/minus grades, and honours or AP courses. Check your institution's own grading scale for an exact match — this calculator uses the common unweighted 4.0 scale.
What GPA is considered good?: It depends heavily on context, but as a rough guide, 3.5+ is often considered strong, 3.0+ solid, and many scholarships or grad programs set minimums somewhere in that range. Check the specific requirement you're aiming for.