← Back
📊 GPA Calculator
Calculate Your Grade Point Average
Reviewed by Dr. Lisa Park
Academic Advisor • 18 years • 5,000+ students advised
💡 Pro Tips
- Weighted GPA matters for competitive schools: AP/Honors courses count 4.5-5.0 for an A (vs 4.0 regular). A 3.8 weighted GPA beats a 4.0 unweighted if you took harder classes.
- +/- grades vary by school: Some schools: A+ = 4.0, A = 4.0, A- = 3.7. Others: A+ = 4.3. Check your school's scale.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- Confusing weighted vs unweighted GPA: Student has 3.9 unweighted, 4.3 weighted. Stanford wants "GPA"— which one? Most elite colleges recalculate using their own system anyway. Report both, but know unweighted (4.0 scale) is the standard comparison.
- Not accounting for credit hours: Got B in 1-credit PE, A in 4-credit Calculus. Both count equally if you dont weight by credits—wrong! That B drags GPA down way less than the A lifts it up. Always use credit-weighted calculation.
- Including non-academic classes: Many colleges recalculate GPA excluding PE, health, driver ed. Your 3.8 including those fluff classes becomes 3.6 academic-only. Use core classes (English, math, science, social studies, foreign language) for realistic estimate.