College GPA Calculator
Use our college GPA calculator to find your grade point average by entering the grade for each course below.
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How to Calculate a College GPA
A grade point average, or GPA, is a standard way of measuring academic achievement in the U.S. A GPA is a numerical representation of a student’s average performance across all of their courses that accounts for the weight or difficulty of each course.
For many students, keeping a close watch on their GPA is important for academic reasons, for future employment opportunities, or for potential graduate school admissions. You can calculate a college GPA or semester GPA in a few steps.
Step One: Understand the Grade Point Values
Firstly, you need to be familiar with the grade point values assigned to each grade:
| Letter Grade | GPA |
|---|---|
| A | 4.0 |
| B | 3.0 |
| C | 2.0 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
Note that some institutions may have + or – grades such as A-, B+, etc. They often carry slightly different point values.
| Letter Grade | GPA |
|---|---|
| A+ | 4.33 |
| A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.67 |
| B+ | 3.33 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.67 |
| C+ | 2.33 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.67 |
| D+ | 1.33 |
| D | 1.0 |
| D- | 0.67 |
| F | 0.0 |
Step Two: Determine the Credits for Each Course
Typically, courses have varying credits depending on their workload. For instance, a lab course may be worth 4 credits, while a regular lecture course might be 3 credits.
Step Three: Weight the GPA for Each Course
For each course, you need to multiply the grade point value for the grade you received by the number of credits that course is worth.
For instance, if you received a ‘B’ grade in a course that is 3 credits, then the total points for that course would be:
3 (credits) × 3.0 (B value) = 9.0 points
Step Four: Sum All the Grade Points
Once you have calculated the points for each course, sum them all up.
For instance, if you have the following points from three different courses: 9.0, 12.0, and 8.0, the total would be:
9.0 + 12.0 + 8.0 = 29.0 points
Step Five: Sum All The Credits
Add up the total number of credits you’ve taken.
Step Six: Divide the Total Points by the Total Credits
Finally, divide the total points from all your courses by the total number of credits.
For instance, given the total number of 29.0 points from step four and a total of 9 credits from step five, you can calculate your GPA like this:
GPA = 29.0 points ÷ 9 credits = 3.22
So, your GPA would be 3.22.
This process is the same as calculating a weighted grade.
Keep in mind that you should always double-check your college’s specific grading scale since some schools might have variations.
If you’re interested in your major-specific GPA (as opposed to your overall GPA), follow the same steps but only for the courses within your major.
You might also be interested in our high school GPA calculator.