How high school GPA is calculated
High schools calculate GPA from the final grades on your transcript: each grade becomes grade points on a 4.0 scale, is multiplied by the course’s credits, and the total is divided by total credits. Most schools report two versions, an unweighted GPA (A = 4.0 in every course) and a weighted GPA that adds points for honors and AP-level work.
Worked example (the calculator’s default courses)
Unweighted points × credits: 3.7 + 3.3 + 3.0 + 4.0 + 3.7 + (4.0 × 0.5) = 19.7 over 5.5 credits = 3.58.
Weighted: add 0.5 for English 11 Honors and 1.0 for AP US History: 19.7 + 1.5 = 21.2 over 5.5 credits = 3.85.
High school GPA calculator: honors and AP weighting
There is no national rule for weighting. A common convention adds +0.5 grade points for honors and +1.0 for AP, IB or dual-enrollment courses, which makes an A in an AP course worth 5.0. South Carolina and North Carolina set exactly that statewide,[1][2] while some districts go further: Broward County, Florida, gives AP, AICE, IB and dual-enrollment grades of C or better two extra points on its district GPA.[3] Set the two bonus menus in the calculator to match your school.
| Convention | Regular | Honors | AP / IB / DE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unweighted 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| +0.5 honors, +1.0 AP | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
| +1.0 for both | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| +0.5 for both | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
Some policies do not add the bonus to low grades. Broward County gives no extra honors point below a C,[3] and this calculator never adds a bonus to an F. If your school publishes a profile or handbook, its rule wins.
Credits: semester and year-long courses
Credits decide how much each grade counts. A year-long course is commonly 1 credit and a one-semester course 0.5, so a semester of PE counts half as much as a year of English. If your transcript lists a separate grade for each semester of a year-long course, enter each semester as its own 0.5-credit row. For a high school GPA calculator without credits, where every course counts the same, leave every credit at 1.
Cumulative high school GPATo add a new semester to the GPA on your transcript, use the cumulative GPA calculator with the credits from your transcript. It also shows the semester GPA you need to reach a goal.
HS GPA calculator: which courses count?
Schools decide which courses enter the GPA. Some leave out PE, driver education or pass/fail electives; others count every graded course. Colleges then recalculate GPA their own way for admission. The University of California, for example, uses only 10th and 11th grade A–G courses and caps honors points,[5] which the UC GPA calculator reproduces. Your school’s GPA and a college’s recalculated GPA can therefore differ by a few tenths.
From percent grades to a GPA
To judge the result, what is a good GPA translates 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 into letter averages.
If your report card shows percents instead of letters, convert each one to a letter first. On College Board’s table, 93–96% is an A, 90–92% an A− and 87–89% a B+.[4] The letter grade calculator does it for any percent, and the weighted GPA calculator explains the 5.0 scale in more depth.
Frequently asked questions
How is high school GPA calculated?
Each final grade becomes grade points (A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0), multiplied by the course’s credits. Divide the total by the credits. Weighted GPAs add honors and AP points before dividing.
Is a 3.5 GPA good in high school?
A 3.5 unweighted GPA means mostly A’s and B’s. How it compares depends on your school and the colleges you apply to.
How do I calculate high school GPA without credits?
Give every course 1 credit. The GPA is then the plain average of your grade points.
Do colleges look at weighted or unweighted GPA?
They see both on your transcript, and many recalculate GPA with their own rules. The University of California, for example, uses a capped weighted GPA from 10th and 11th grade.