College GPA Calculator

What this calculator does

The College GPA Calculator groups courses by semester, computes each term's GPA, and combines them into a cumulative GPA. It supports prior credits already on your transcript, excluded courses (withdraw / pass-fail), and a target-GPA planner that solves for the average needed on remaining credits.

Formula

semester GPA = Σ(grade points × credits) ÷ Σ(credits)

cumulative GPA = Σ(all quality points) ÷ Σ(all credits)

where prior quality points = prior GPA × prior credits.

Variable definitions

• grade points — Numeric value of each letter grade on the 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, A− = 3.7, …, F = 0.0).
• credits — Credit hours attempted for the course.
• quality points — Credits × grade points for a single course.
• prior GPA / prior credits — Existing cumulative GPA and total credits attempted before the terms in this calculation.

Step-by-step calculation

1. List every course in the term with its credit hours and letter grade.
2. Convert each letter grade to grade points using the 4.0 scale.
3. Multiply credits × grade points for each course to get quality points.
4. Sum the term's quality points; sum the term's credits.
5. Divide total quality points by total credits to get the semester GPA.
6. Repeat for each semester, then add prior quality points and credits for the cumulative GPA.

Worked example

Fall 2025 semester:

• Calculus II (4 credits, A = 4.0): 16.0 quality points
• Microeconomics (3 credits, B+ = 3.3): 9.9 quality points
• English Composition (3 credits, A− = 3.7): 11.1 quality points

Fall GPA = 37.0 ÷ 10 = 3.70.

Add a prior 3.45 cumulative GPA over 28 credits: cumulative = (3.45 × 28 + 37.0) ÷ (28 + 10) = 133.6 ÷ 38 = 3.52.

How to use this calculator

1. Use the term selector on each row to group courses into Fall, Spring, Summer, or Winter semesters.
2. Enter credits and pick the letter grade. Tick "exclude" to keep withdrawals or pass-fail out of the average.
3. Add as many courses and semesters as you need.
4. Optionally enter prior cumulative GPA and prior credits from your transcript.
5. Set a target GPA and remaining credits to see the average grade points you need going forward.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting prior credits: a strong term won't move a long transcript much — always enter prior credits for a realistic cumulative GPA.
• Counting W / audit courses: these usually carry no grade points; exclude them so credits don't inflate the denominator incorrectly.
• Mixing scales: some honors classes use a 5.0 weighted scale. Convert to the 4.0 equivalent before entering.
• Repeated courses: if your school replaces (not averages) the original grade, exclude the first attempt.

Frequently asked questions