What This Calculator Does
This tool computes your high school GPA using the standard United States 4.0 grade-point scale. It supports both unweighted GPA (every course capped at 4.0) and weighted GPA, which rewards harder coursework by adding a bonus for Honors (+0.5) and AP/IB (+1.0) classes. Because courses can carry different credit values, the calculator uses a credit-weighted average rather than a simple mean.
How to Use It
Choose the GPA scale (unweighted or weighted). For each course, pick the letter grade, enter the number of credits (often 1.0 per full-year class), and select the course type. Leave a row blank for any course you don't need. Press calculate to see your GPA, total credits, and total quality points.
The Formula Explained
Each letter grade maps to base grade points: A = 4.0, A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, and so on down to F = 0.0. For weighted GPA, the bonus is added to the base value of each non-failing course. The GPA is then the sum of (grade points × credits) divided by the sum of credits. This means a 4-credit class influences your GPA twice as much as a 2-credit class.
$$\text{GPA} = \frac{\sum_{i} \left( \text{GradePoint}_i \times \text{Credits}_i \right)}{\sum_{i} \text{Credits}_i}$$
Worked Example
Suppose you take an Honors Biology course (grade A, 1 credit) and a regular English course (grade B, 1 credit) on the weighted scale. Honors A = 4.0 + 0.5 = 4.5; regular B = 3.0. Quality points = (4.5 × 1) + (3.0 × 1) = 7.5. Total credits = 2. GPA = 7.5 ÷ 2 = 3.75. On the unweighted scale the same courses give (4.0 + 3.0) ÷ 2 = 3.50.
$$\text{Honors A} = 4.0 + 0.5 = 4.5$$$$\text{Quality points} = (4.5 \times 1) + (3.0 \times 1) = 7.5$$$$\text{GPA} = 7.5 \div 2 = 3.75$$$$(4.0 + 3.0) \div 2 = 3.50$$FAQ
Is weighted or unweighted GPA better? Neither is universally "better" — colleges often recalculate GPA their own way. Weighted GPA recognizes rigor; unweighted shows raw performance.
Does an F get the honors bonus? No. A failing grade earns 0.0 regardless of course difficulty, so no bonus is applied.
What credits should I enter? Most US high schools assign 1.0 credit per full-year course and 0.5 per semester course. Use your school's actual credit values for the most accurate result.
