Semester GPA Calculator
Calculate your semester GPA in seconds. Add each course, pick the letter grade, enter the credits — the credit-weighted GPA updates as you type.
Calculate your semester GPA
Add each course, its letter grade and credits — your GPA updates as you type.
| Course | Grade | Credits |
|---|
Add at least one course with credits to see your GPA.
Grade point reference
| Letter grade | Grade points | Letter grade | Grade points |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ / A | 4.0 | C+ | 2.3 |
| A- | 3.7 | C | 2.0 |
| B+ | 3.3 | C- | 1.7 |
| B | 3.0 | D+ | 1.3 |
| B- | 2.7 | D / D- | 1.0 / 0.7 |
| F | 0.0 |
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my semester GPA?+
Convert each course's letter grade to grade points (A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, etc.), multiply each by the course's credit hours, sum everything, and divide by the total credits. The calculator does this for you as you add courses.
What is a good semester GPA?+
A 3.0 is a B average, 3.5+ is strong (A-/B+ average), and 3.7+ is excellent. What counts as 'good' depends on your goals — graduate schools often look for 3.0–3.5+, and competitive programs want higher.
How many credits should I enter?+
Use the credit hours your college assigns to each course (usually 1–5, most commonly 3). Check your transcript or course catalog — entering accurate credits matters because the GPA is credit-weighted.
How do plus/minus grades affect my GPA?+
Plus and minus grades carry fractional points: A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, etc. Not all schools use plus/minus — if yours doesn't, an A is 4.0, a B is 3.0, and so on.
Is a pass/fail course included in my GPA?+
Usually not. Pass/fail courses are typically excluded from GPA calculations at most universities — they count toward credits but not grade points. Check your school's policy.
How is semester GPA different from cumulative GPA?+
Semester GPA covers just one term. Cumulative GPA combines every course you've taken across all semesters, weighted by credits. Use the cumulative calculator to see how this semester affects your overall GPA.
The GPA formula, step by step
What GPA actually measures
Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is a credit-weighted arithmetic mean. Every course you take has two numbers: the grade points you earn (from the letter grade) and the credit hours the course is worth. The GPA is the sum of all weighted grade points divided by the sum of all credits:
GPA = Σ(grade points × credit hours) ÷ Σ(credit hours)
This means a 4-credit course moves your GPA four times as much as a 1-credit course with the same grade. If you get an A in a 4-credit class and a B in a 1-credit lab, your GPA will be closer to 4.0 than to 3.0 — the A carries more weight.
Why credit weighting matters
Consider two students who both earn straight A's in one 4-credit class and one 1-credit class, but with different grade distributions:
| Student | Course | Grade | Points | Credits | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Calculus | B (3.0) | 3.0 | 4 | 12.0 |
| Lab | A (4.0) | 4.0 | 1 | 4.0 | |
| Total | 5 | 16.0 | |||
| B | Calculus | A (4.0) | 4.0 | 4 | 16.0 |
| Lab | B (3.0) | 3.0 | 1 | 3.0 | |
| Total | 5 | 19.0 |
Student A's GPA = 16.0 ÷ 5 = 3.20. Student B's GPA = 19.0 ÷ 5 = 3.80. Same letter grades, different distribution — the student who aced the high-credit course wins.
Unweighted vs weighted GPA
This calculator computes unweighted GPA on the standard 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, etc.). Many US high schools also report a weighted GPA that adds bonus points for honours, AP, or IB classes — an A in an AP course can count as 5.0 on a 5.0 scale. Weighted GPA is not a separate formula; it is the same credit-weighted average applied to a different set of grade points. Use our Weighted GPA Calculator for that.
Most US colleges re-weight your GPA to an unweighted 4.0 during admissions, so they can compare students from different high schools fairly. The number on your transcript (weighted or unweighted) is not always the number the admissions office uses.
What counts and what doesn't
- Courses that count toward GPA: lecture courses, labs, seminars, and independent studies that carry academic credit and are graded A–F.
- Courses that typically don't: pass/fail (P/F) courses, audit (AU) courses, withdrawal (W) grades, and incomplete (I) grades. These are recorded on your transcript but excluded from the GPA calculation.
- Repeated courses: policies vary. Some schools replace the old grade with the new one; others average both attempts. Check your university's academic catalog.
Sources:
NCES — National Center for Education Statistics, GPA calculation methodology
College Board — weighted vs unweighted GPA guidance
Individual university academic catalogs for pass/fail and repeat policies