What this calculator does
A grade point average is a weighted mean, with credit hours as the weights. A four-credit unit therefore influences the result twice as much as a two-credit one, which is why the same set of grades can produce different averages depending on which units they came from.
Scales vary considerably between institutions and countries. Four-point scales are common in North America, seven-point scales in parts of Australia, and percentage-based systems elsewhere. Enter the maximum for your own scale so the percentage figure means something.
The formula
Each unit’s grade points are multiplied by its credit hours, the products are summed, and the total is divided by the total credits. This is exactly the weighted average calculation, with credits as weights.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| GPA | Total grade points ÷ total credits. |
| Grade points | The numeric value assigned to a letter grade. |
| Credit hours | The weight of each unit. |
| Unweighted average | The plain mean, ignoring credits. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Grade points per unit | Grade points for each unit, separated by commas. On a four-point scale an A is typically 4.0, an A− 3.7, a B+ 3.3 and so on. |
| Credit hours per unit | Credit hours for each unit, in the same order. |
| Maximum on the scale | The maximum value on your grading scale: 4.0 is common, but 7.0 and other scales exist. |
When to use it
Tracking your average across a degree
Enter every unit and its credits. The result is the cumulative GPA, which is what appears on a transcript.
Seeing where a weak grade hurt most
Compare the weighted and unweighted averages. If the weighted figure is lower, the poorer grades came in higher-credit units.
Projecting a future average
Add hypothetical grades for units not yet completed to see where the cumulative figure would land.
Checking eligibility thresholds
Scholarships, honours programmes and graduate admissions frequently set GPA minimums. This tells you where you actually stand against them.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How credit weighting changes the result
The same five grades with different credit distributions.
| Credits | GPA | Unweighted average | Total credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 | 3.54 | 3.54 | 15.0 |
| 3, 4, 3, 3, 2 | 3.61 | 3.54 | 15.0 |
| 1, 1, 1, 1, 6 | 3.12 | 3.54 | 10.0 |
| 6, 1, 1, 1, 1 | 3.77 | 3.54 | 10.0 |
Different grade profiles at a fixed weighting
A fixed credit distribution applied to different sets of grades.
| Grades | GPA | Percentage of scale | Total grade points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 | 4.00 | 100.0% | 60.00 |
| 4, 3.7, 3.3, 4, 2.7 | 3.61 | 90.2% | 54.10 |
| 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 | 3.00 | 75.0% | 45.00 |
| 2, 2.3, 3, 2.7, 3.3 | 2.59 | 64.8% | 38.90 |
| 4, 2, 4, 2, 4 | 3.07 | 76.7% | 46.00 |
Questions
How do I convert letter grades to grade points?
On a typical four-point scale, A is 4.0, A− 3.7, B+ 3.3, B 3.0, B− 2.7 and so on in steps of roughly 0.3. Your institution publishes its own conversion, and they do vary.
What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?
Here, weighted means weighted by credit hours. In some school systems weighted GPA instead means extra points for advanced courses, allowing averages above 4.0: a different meaning of the same word.
Do failed units count?
Usually yes, at zero grade points but with their credits still included, which pulls the average down substantially. Policies on repeated units vary between institutions.
What is a good GPA?
It depends entirely on the institution and the purpose. On a four-point scale, 3.0 is often treated as solid and 3.5 as strong, but graduate programmes and scholarships set their own thresholds.
Can I compare GPAs across countries?
Not directly. Scales, grading cultures and distributions differ enormously. Formal conversion services exist for admissions, and a raw numeric comparison is generally misleading.
For the general form of this calculation, see the weighted average calculator. To work out a required final mark, use grade needed on the final.