Can a GPA be higher than 4.0?
A weighted high-school GPA can exceed 4.0 when a school awards extra points for advanced classes. An unweighted 4.0-scale GPA cannot exceed 4.0.
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GPA Calculator: Semester, Cumulative & Weighted GPA
Enter each course, letter grade, and credit hours to calculate your semester GPA on a 4.0 scale. Add your previous GPA for an updated cumulative result, compare weighted and unweighted GPA, or plan a target GPA.
GPA formula: total quality points ÷ total GPA-counted credits. A course's quality points equal its grade points multiplied by its credit hours.
Interactive calculator
Enter grades and credit hours
Courses this term
Grades marked P, NP, W, or I are excluded from this estimate.
CourseGradeLevelCredits
Weighted GPA settings
The defaults add 0.5 for Honors and 1.0 for AP/IB. Change them to match your school's published policy.
Previous record (optional)
Use the cumulative GPA and GPA-counted credits shown on your transcript.
GPA results
Updates instantly as you edit courses
Semester GPA
3.58
Unweighted 4.0 scale
Weighted GPA
3.58
Counted credits
12
Quality points43.0
Planning estimate
Grading scales, A+ values, repeated-course rules, and Honors/AP bonuses vary. Use your registrar or school policy for an official GPA.
Course-by-course calculation
See exactly how each grade contributes to the semester result.
| Course | Grade | Credits | Grade points | Quality points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | A | 4 | 4.0 | 16.0 | Counted |
| Chemistry | B+ | 3 | 3.3 | 9.9 | Counted |
| Mathematics | A- | 3 | 3.7 | 11.1 | Counted |
| English | B | 2 | 3.0 | 6.0 | Counted |
Target GPA planner
Find the average unweighted GPA needed over a future block of credits.
Enter all four values to calculate the GPA required to reach your goal.
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GPA calculation guide
How to calculate GPA correctly
A useful GPA estimate must weight each course by its credits, keep semester and cumulative values separate, and follow the grading rules used by your school.
How is GPA calculated?
Convert each letter grade to grade points, multiply those points by the course credits, add the quality points, and divide by the total credits included in GPA.
Quality points = grade points × course credits
GPA = Σ quality points ÷ Σ GPA-counted credits
Do not simply average course letter grades when courses carry different credit hours. A 4-credit class has twice the effect of a 2-credit class.
GPA calculation example
Suppose Biology is 4 credits with an A, Chemistry is 3 credits with a B+, Mathematics is 3 credits with an A−, and English is 2 credits with a B.
| Course | Credits | Grade points | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 4 | 4.0 | 16.0 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 3.3 | 9.9 |
| Mathematics | 3 | 3.7 | 11.1 |
| English | 2 | 3.0 | 6.0 |
Result: 43.0 quality points ÷ 12 credits = 3.583, displayed as a 3.58 semester GPA.
4.0 GPA scale used by this calculator
This tool uses a common plus/minus 4.0 scale. It treats A+ as 4.0, not 4.3. Check your transcript policy before using the result as an official figure.
A+4.0
A4.0
A-3.7
B+3.3
B3.0
B-2.7
C+2.3
C2.0
C-1.7
D+1.3
D1.0
D-0.7
F0.0
Semester GPA vs. cumulative GPA
Semester GPA
Uses only the GPA-counted courses entered for the current term. It shows performance during that semester or quarter.
Cumulative GPA
Combines previous quality points and credits with the current term. It is not normally a simple average of semester GPAs because terms may contain different credit totals.
Weighted vs. unweighted GPA
An unweighted GPA uses the same base grade points for every course. A weighted GPA may add points for Honors, AP, or IB coursework. There is no single national weighting rule: schools can use different bonuses, caps, course lists, and recalculation methods.
This calculator defaults to +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for AP/IB, capped at 5.0 per course. Edit the bonuses above to model your school's rules. College courses should normally remain set to Regular unless the institution explicitly publishes a weighted system.
Do Pass/Fail, W, or incomplete grades affect GPA?
This tool excludes P, NP, W, and I rows from both quality points and GPA-counted credits. That is a planning convention, not a universal academic rule. Some schools treat a failing pass/no-pass result differently, and withdrawals or incompletes can still affect transcripts, academic progress, or financial aid even when they do not change GPA.
Common GPA questions
Does A+ equal 4.0 or 4.3?
Both conventions exist. This calculator uses A+ = 4.0. If your school awards 4.3, use the official transcript or published grading scale for exact reporting.
What GPA is considered good?
There is no universal cutoff. Academic standing, Dean's List, scholarships, admissions, and program requirements all use their own thresholds. Compare your result with the policy relevant to your goal.
How do I calculate cumulative GPA?
Multiply your previous GPA by previous GPA-counted credits, add the current term's quality points, then divide by the combined GPA-counted credits.
What GPA do I need next semester?
Use the target planner above. If the required average is above 4.0 on an unweighted scale, the target cannot be reached within the entered number of future credits alone.
Do repeated courses replace the old grade?
Not always. Some schools replace the old grade, some count both attempts, and others use a separate rule. This calculator does not automatically apply grade replacement.
Sources and methodology
Formula review
The semester and cumulative formulas were checked against Kansas State University's advising example for grade points, credit hours, and cumulative GPA.
K-State: How to Calculate Cumulative and Semester GPAScale limitations
College Board notes that schools use different grading scales and that colleges may recalculate GPA using their own criteria.
College Board: How to Calculate GPA on a 4.0 ScaleReviewed by the ONLINTools Editorial Team. Last updated September 23, 2026.