Your GPA — grade point average — compresses a whole transcript into one number, but the method behind it is simple arithmetic once you see it. It is a weighted average of your grades, where the weights are credit hours.
The grade-point scale
Each letter maps to points: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0, usually with pluses and minuses in between (A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3). These grade points are the raw material of the calculation.
Weighting by credit hours
Multiply each course grade point by its credit hours to get “quality points,” add those up, then divide by total credit hours. An A (4.0) in a 4-credit class and a C (2.0) in a 2-credit class give (16 + 4) ÷ 6 = 3.33 GPA — not a flat 3.0, because the bigger class counts more.
Weighted vs unweighted
Unweighted GPA caps at 4.0 and treats all classes equally. Weighted GPA gives harder courses (honors, AP, IB) a bonus, so an A in AP might count as 5.0, letting a GPA exceed 4.0. Colleges often recalculate to their own scale, so compare carefully.
Frequently asked questions
Does a pass/fail class affect GPA?
Usually no — pass/fail courses typically earn credit without contributing grade points.
Can I raise a low GPA late?
It gets harder as credits pile up, since each new course is a smaller share of the total. Earlier grades carry more inertia.
Try it yourself
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Results are general information only and not professional financial, medical, or legal advice.