GPA Calculator
Calculate your semester GPA on the 4.0 scale from letter grades and credit hours — and roll it into your cumulative GPA. Every step of the math is shown.
How to use this tool
- Add each course with its letter grade and credit hours.
- Your semester GPA updates instantly as you type.
- To get a cumulative GPA, enter your prior GPA and total credits completed — the tool combines them with this semester.
How it works
Each letter grade maps to grade points on the standard 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, and so on down to F = 0). Each course contributes grade points × credit hours; GPA = total grade points ÷ total credit hours. That weighting is why a 4-credit course moves your GPA more than a 1-credit one.
Cumulative GPA combines the same way: (prior GPA × prior credits + this semester's grade points) ÷ (prior credits + this semester's credits). Note that institutions vary on details — some don't use plus/minus, some award 4.3 for an A+ — so treat your school's published scale as authoritative.
Frequently asked questions
How is GPA calculated?
Multiply each course's grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, etc.) by its credit hours, sum those, and divide by total credit hours. A 3-credit A and a 3-credit C average to a 3.0.
What GPA is required for honors?
Commonly cited thresholds are 3.5 for cum laude, 3.7 for magna cum laude, and 3.9 for summa cum laude — but they vary by institution, so check your school's catalog.
Does an A+ count as more than 4.0?
At most US schools A+ is capped at 4.0, but some award 4.3. This calculator uses 4.0; if your school uses 4.3, your official GPA may be slightly higher.
How much can one semester move my cumulative GPA?
It depends on how many credits you've completed. With 90 prior credits, a perfect 15-credit semester moves a 3.0 cumulative GPA only to about 3.14 — the more credits behind you, the more inertia your GPA has.