GPA Calculator

Add your courses, choose grades, and get your credit-weighted GPA. Include your existing GPA to see the new cumulative.

How GPA is calculated

Each letter grade maps to grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, etc.). Multiply each course's points by its credit hours, sum everything, and divide by total credits: GPA = Σ(points × credits) ÷ Σ(credits). Credit weighting is why a B in a 4-credit course pulls your GPA more than an A in a 1-credit lab fixes it.

Standard 4.0 scale

Grade	Points	Grade	Points
A+ / A	4.0	C+	2.3
A−	3.7	C	2.0
B+	3.3	C−	1.7
B	3.0	D	1.0
B−	2.7	F	0.0

Scales vary: some schools give A+ 4.3, some use 4.33 or percentage-based scales, and Canadian universities differ by province. Check your institution's official conversion — this tool uses the most common US/Canada 4.0 mapping.

GPA milestones that matter

3.5+ typically qualifies for Dean's List and keeps scholarship options open; 3.0 is a common cutoff for grad school applications and many employers' screens; below 2.0 usually triggers academic probation. If you're recovering from a rough semester, remember: the more credits you've completed, the more slowly the cumulative moves — the calculator above shows exactly how much a strong semester shifts it.

A worked example

Four courses in a semester:

Course	Grade	Points	Credits	Points × credits
Calculus II	A	4.0	3	12.0
Organic Chemistry	A−	3.7	4	14.8
English Literature	B	3.0	3	9.0
Statistics	C+	2.3	2	4.6
Total			12	40.4

GPA = 40.4 ÷ 12 = 3.37. Notice the weighting at work: the A− in the 4-credit chemistry course contributes more points than the A in the 3-credit calculus course, while the C+ does relatively little damage because it's only worth 2 credits. Credit hours, not the number of courses, decide how much each grade matters.

Why your cumulative GPA moves so slowly

This is the part that surprises people. Suppose you've completed 45 credits at a 3.20 cumulative GPA and you want to raise it. Take 15 more credits and:

A perfect 4.0 semester lifts you to 3.40 — up 0.20.
A solid 3.5 semester lifts you to 3.27 — up 0.07.

Even a flawless semester moves the cumulative figure by only two-tenths, because 45 existing credits outweigh 15 new ones by three to one. The practical lesson: your GPA is most malleable early on, and the most efficient strategy later is protecting it rather than trying to rescue it. Enter your existing credits and GPA above to see exactly how far a given semester moves your own number.

Strategy that actually works

Prioritise by credit weight. An hour spent on a 4-credit course is worth more than an hour on a 1-credit lab.
Learn your school's repeat policy. Some replace the original grade, some average both. If yours replaces, retaking a failed high-credit course is the single most effective repair available.
Check the withdrawal deadline. A W usually carries no grade points; an F carries 0.0 across full credits. Knowing that date can save a cumulative GPA.
Balance your load. Four demanding courses at once produces worse results than spreading them across two semesters.

Frequently asked questions

How do I raise my GPA fastest?

Retake failed or low-grade courses if your school replaces the grade rather than averaging it (policies differ). Otherwise, load up on courses you can genuinely excel in — the math is purely credits × points.

Do pass/fail courses count?

Usually not in the GPA — a "Pass" gives credits but no grade points at most schools. Leave them out of this calculator (but a "Fail" often does count as 0.0 — check your policy).

What about weighted high school GPAs (5.0 scale)?

Honors/AP classes sometimes add a point (A = 5.0). This calculator uses the unweighted 4.0 scale, which is what most colleges recalculate anyway.

How do I convert a percentage grade to GPA points?

There's no universal mapping — schools differ, and Canadian institutions vary by province. A widely used approximation is 90–100% = 4.0, 85–89% = 3.7, 80–84% = 3.3, 77–79% = 3.0, 73–76% = 2.7, 70–72% = 2.3, 67–69% = 2.0. Always confirm against your own institution's published conversion table before relying on it for an application.

Do transfer credits count toward my GPA?

Usually the credits transfer but the grades don't, so your GPA restarts at the new institution. That can work in your favour after a weak start elsewhere. Graduate schools, however, often recalculate across every transcript you've ever earned — so transferring doesn't erase a record for admissions purposes.

What GPA do I need for graduate school?

Most programs set a 3.0 minimum, competitive ones expect 3.5+, and the most selective look for 3.7+. Many weight your final two years or major-specific courses more heavily than the overall figure, so a strong upward trend genuinely helps. Research experience and references can offset a GPA slightly below a program's stated threshold.