College GPA Calculator
Accurately compute your semester and cumulative Grade Point Average on the standard collegiate 4.0 scale.
Current Semester Courses
GPA Results
This tool uses the standard unweighted 4.0 collegiate grading scale. Note that some universities do not award A+ grades or apply slightly different weights for minus/plus designations.
Why Tracking Your GPA Matters
Unlike high school where parents and counselors track your progress, college places the responsibility entirely on your shoulders.
Academic Probation Avoidance
Most universities require students to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA (usually around 2.0). Dipping below this threshold places you on academic probation, jeopardizing your financial aid.
Graduate School Standards
Securing admission into elite graduate, medical, or law schools relies strictly on elite GPAs. Early monitoring allows you to adjust schedules or drop classes before permanent damage is done.
Financial Aid Loss
Countless scholarships and grants are tied directly to maintaining high academic performance (e.g., keeping a 3.5 GPA to retain a merit scholarship). Checking early helps prevent unexpected financial burdens.
The Mechanics of University Grading
Understanding Credit Hours
A credit hour generally correlates to the number of hours you spend in the classroom per week. A heavy, dense science lecture might be worth 4 or 5 credit hours, whereas a simple online elective might only be 1 or 2 credit hours. The higher the credit hours, the more that singular class impacts your overall GPA.
Calculating It Yourself
If you earn an A- (which is worth 3.7 grade points) in a 4-credit calculus course, you multiply 3.7 by 4 to earn 14.8 total grade points for that class. You repeat this calculation for every course, sum them all together, and divide by the total number of credits you took.
GPA = (Course 1 Points + Course 2 Points) / (Course 1 Credits + Course 2 Credits)Frequently Asked Questions
How is a College GPA calculated?
Your Grade Point Average (GPA) is determined by multiplying the number of credit hours for each course by the grade points earned for that course (where an A usually equals 4.0). You then add up all your total grade points from every course and divide that number by the total number of credit hours attempted.
What is the difference between Semester GPA and Cumulative GPA?
A Semester GPA (or Term GPA) only factors in the courses you took during one specific term. Your Cumulative GPA represents your entire academic history at the institution, dividing all the grade points you have ever earned by all the credits you have ever attempted.
Are unweighted and weighted GPAs a thing in college?
No. Unlike high schools where AP or Honors classes might boost an A to a 5.0, colleges and universities strictly use an unweighted 4.0 scale. An advanced quantum physics course and an introductory badminton class award grade points identically; the only difference rests in how many credit hours they are respectively worth.
Does a Withdrawn (W) or Incomplete (I) affect my GPA?
Generally, neither a W (Withdrawal) nor an I (Incomplete) penalize your GPA because they award 0 grade points while also not adding any credit hours to your divisor. However, if an Incomplete expires and converts into an F, it will then impact your GPA.
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