Free & Accurate GPA Tool

GPA Weighted Calculator

Calculate your weighted GPA instantly with weighted and unweighted results. Enter your classes, grades, credits, and AP/Honors/IB levels to see your current and cumulative GPA on the 4.0 scale, including weighted boosts for advanced courses.

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Course Name Credits Course Level Grade

How GPA Is Calculated in High School

Interact with the diagram below to see how grades, course levels, and credits combine to form your weighted GPA.

1
12.0 pts
4.0 × 3 = 12.0
2
17.2 pts
(3.3 + 1.0) × 4 = 17.2
3
13.5 pts
(4.0 + 0.5) × 3 = 13.5
Total Quality Points 42.7
÷
Total Credits 10
=
Weighted GPA 4.27
Unweighted GPA: 3.77 +0.50 from weights

Your high school GPA, or grade point average, is a single number that sums up your academic performance across all your courses. Schools calculate it by converting letter grades (like A, B, C) into grade points on a 4.0 scale, then averaging those points — sometimes factoring in the number of credits each course carries.

For an unweighted GPA, every course counts the same regardless of difficulty. An A in study hall and an A in AP Chemistry both earn 4.0 points. A weighted GPA adds extra points for harder courses. Most schools add +0.5 for Honors courses and +1.0 for AP or IB courses.

When courses carry different credit hours, the GPA becomes a weighted average. A 4-credit class affects your GPA more than a 1-credit class. The formula multiplies each course's grade points by its credits, adds everything up, then divides by total credits.

Steps to Calculate Your High School GPA

01

Select Your Grade Format

Open Advanced Options to toggle between standard grading (A, B, C, D, F) or plus/minus grading. Pick the one your school uses.

02

Enter Your Current GPA (Optional)

Already know your cumulative GPA? Factor that in. Otherwise, calculate from scratch by entering all courses.

03

Add All Your Courses

For each class, enter the name, credits, course level (Regular, Honors, AP/IB), and grade. The calculator applies weight bonuses automatically.

04

Add More Semesters

Click "Add Semester" to calculate across multiple terms. Each semester gets its own GPA, plus a cumulative total.

05

Get Your Results

Hit "Calculate GPA" to see both weighted and unweighted results, letter grade, course breakdown, and semester comparison.

Weighted / Unweighted GPA Scale

Compare GPA values across Regular, Honors, and AP/IB course levels.

Letter Grade Percentage Regular (Unweighted) Honors (+0.5) AP/IB (+1.0)
A93-100%4.04.55.0
A-90-92%3.74.24.7
B+87-89%3.33.84.3
B83-86%3.03.54.0
B-80-82%2.73.23.7
C+77-79%2.32.83.3
C73-76%2.02.53.0
C-70-72%1.72.22.7
D+67-69%1.31.82.3
D63-66%1.01.52.0
D-60-62%0.71.21.7
F0-59%0.00.00.0

Weighted GPA vs Unweighted GPA

Unweighted GPA

  • Uses a 4.0 scale — the maximum is 4.0 no matter what classes you take
  • Every course counts the same, whether it's study hall or AP Physics
  • An A always equals 4.0, a B always equals 3.0
  • Shows your raw academic performance without accounting for course difficulty
  • Most colleges recalculate your GPA on their own unweighted scale

Weighted GPA

  • Uses a 5.0 scale — the max depends on course levels available
  • Adds bonus points: +0.5 for Honors, +1.0 for AP/IB at most schools
  • An A in AP Chemistry = 5.0, while an A in regular English = 4.0
  • Rewards students who challenge themselves with rigorous coursework
  • Used by many schools to determine class rank and academic honors

Both GPAs appear on your academic transcript, and colleges look at both. The unweighted GPA tells admissions officers your baseline grade performance. The weighted GPA tells them whether you took the hardest classes available.

A student with a 3.8 unweighted GPA who loaded up on AP courses looks different from a student with the same unweighted GPA who avoided them. If you're applying to competitive colleges, the combination of strong grades in hard classes sends a clear message.

Sample High School GPA Calculation

Here's a worked example showing how weighted GPA is calculated for a typical semester with five courses:

CourseLevelGradeCreditsUnweighted PtsWeighted Pts
English 11RegularA34.0 × 3 = 12.04.0 × 3 = 12.0
Honors ChemistryHonorsB+43.3 × 4 = 13.23.8 × 4 = 15.2
AP U.S. HistoryAPA-33.7 × 3 = 11.14.7 × 3 = 14.1
Pre-CalculusRegularB33.0 × 3 = 9.03.0 × 3 = 9.0
Spanish IIIHonorsA34.0 × 3 = 12.04.5 × 3 = 13.5
Totals1657.363.8

The Math

Weighted GPA = Σ (Grade Points + Weight Bonus) × Credit HoursTotal Credit Hours
Unweighted: 57.3 ÷ 16 = 3.58
Weighted: 63.8 ÷ 16 = 3.99

Explore All GPA Calculator Tools

Choose the calculator that matches your specific needs — weighted, cumulative, by semester, by percentage, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your school converts each letter grade to grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0). It multiplies each course's grade points by its credit hours to get quality points. Then it adds up all quality points and divides by total credit hours. For a weighted GPA, schools add bonus points (+0.5 for Honors, +1.0 for AP/IB) before the multiplication.

An unweighted GPA uses a flat 4.0 scale — an A is 4.0 no matter the course. A weighted GPA adds extra points for harder classes so it can go above 4.0. Honors courses get +0.5 and AP/IB courses get +1.0. A weighted GPA rewards you for taking challenging courses.

On a weighted scale, these courses boost your GPA points. Most schools add +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for AP and IB classes. An A in an AP course earns 5.0 points instead of 4.0. On an unweighted scale, they don't change the numbers, but colleges still see what types of classes you took.

On a weighted scale, yes. Honors classes max out at 4.5, and AP/IB classes can reach 5.0. On an unweighted scale, 4.0 is always the maximum. When someone says they have a 4.3 GPA, they're referring to a weighted GPA.

Semester GPA covers one term. Cumulative GPA averages all your grades from every semester you've completed. Colleges care about cumulative GPA, but they also look at semester-by-semester trends to see if your grades are improving.

At most high schools, yes — all graded courses count. Some colleges recalculate using only core academics (English, math, science, social studies, foreign language). Check your school's policy.

Usually not. A "Pass" earns credit toward graduation but doesn't carry grade points. A "Fail" sometimes counts against you depending on the school.

A weighted GPA calculator is a tool that computes your grade point average while accounting for course difficulty levels. You enter each course's grade, credits, and level (Regular, Honors, or AP/IB), and it applies the correct weight bonus to give you both weighted and unweighted GPA results.

Most colleges look at both. They want to see course rigor — did you take the hardest classes available? A 3.7 unweighted with a schedule full of AP courses looks stronger than a 4.0 unweighted with no advanced classes. Many admissions offices recalculate GPA on their own scale.

Cumulative GPA is your overall grade point average across all semesters and courses completed so far. It's the number most colleges and scholarships ask for, and the one that appears most prominently on your transcript.

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