How to calculate a weighted GPA
To calculate a weighted GPA, add the course-level bonus to each grade’s points, multiply by credits, and divide by total credits. The bonus applies only to courses your school designates as honors, AP, IB or dual enrollment.
weighted GPA = Σ((grade points + level bonus) × credits) ÷ Σ credits
Worked example (default courses, +0.5 honors / +1.0 AP)
AP Calculus B+: 3.3 + 1 = 4.3. AP English A−: 3.7 + 1 = 4.7. Honors Chemistry B: 3.0 + 0.5 = 3.5. US History A: 4.0. Spanish A−: 3.7. Art A: 4.0.
Total 24.2 over 6 credits = 4.03. Without the bonuses the same grades give 21.7 ÷ 6 = 3.62.
The calculator shows both numbers. Change the bonus menus to see how a different weighting policy changes your GPA.
The 5.0 scale and other weighting systems
With a +1.0 AP bonus the top grade is worth 5.0, which is why weighted GPAs are often described as being “on a 5.0 scale”. That label is loose: a student with no AP courses still tops out at 4.0, and schools differ in which courses earn which bonus. South Carolina’s Uniform Grading Policy adds 0.5 for honors and 1.0 for AP, IB, AICE and dual-credit courses,[1] and North Carolina’s State Board uses the same 0.5 and 1.0.[2] Broward County, Florida, keeps a district GPA where an A in AP is worth 6.0 alongside a “core” GPA where it is worth 5.0.[3]
| AP courses | Max weighted GPA |
|---|---|
| 0 | 4 |
| 1 | 4.17 |
| 2 | 4.33 |
| 3 | 4.5 |
| 4 | 4.67 |
| 5 | 4.83 |
| 6 | 5 |
That ceiling explains why weighted GPAs are hard to compare across schools: a 4.3 at a school with few AP offerings can represent stronger grades than a 4.5 at a school where students take five APs a year.
Is a B in AP better than an A in a regular class?
On a weighted GPA with +1.0 for AP, a B in AP (3.0 + 1.0 = 4.0) counts the same as an A in a regular class (4.0). On an unweighted GPA the A wins. With a +0.5 honors bonus, a B in honors (3.5) counts less than a regular A.
| Grade | Regular | Honors | AP / IB |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| A− | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
| B | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| C | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| F | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The F row is 0 everywhere: the weighting policies cited here do not reward a failing grade, and this calculator follows that rule.
Colleges re-weight tooAdmissions offices often recompute a GPA with their own rules. The University of California, for example, counts at most eight semesters of honors bonus points from 10th and 11th grade.[4] See the UC GPA calculator.
Weighted GPA in high school: what to check on your transcript
- Which courses are weighted. Honors-level labels on a schedule do not always earn a bonus; the course catalog says which do.
- Semester or year credits. Weighted points are multiplied by credits like any other grade. Enter semester grades as 0.5-credit rows if your transcript lists them separately.
- Plus and minus. Some schools record only whole letters. Set “Plus/minus grades” to “Ignore them” to match.
For a side-by-side explanation, see weighted vs unweighted GPA. For the plain 4.0 version and how to convert a weighted GPA back, see the unweighted GPA calculator. To add courses from several years, use the high school GPA calculator or the cumulative GPA calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my weighted GPA?
Add the bonus for each honors or AP course to its grade points (for example +0.5 and +1.0), multiply by credits, add everything up and divide by total credits.
What is a 4.0 weighted GPA?
It can mean straight A’s with no weighted courses, or a mix of A’s and B’s with several AP or honors courses. Look at the unweighted GPA next to it to tell which.
Is a weighted GPA out of 5.0?
Only when every course is AP with a +1.0 bonus. A weighted GPA’s real maximum depends on how many weighted courses you take.
Does an AP class add a full point?
Often, but not always. Some schools add +1.0 for AP, IB and dual enrollment, some add +0.5, and some do not weight at all. Check your school’s policy.