How to calculate your GPA (with worked examples)
Learn how to calculate GPA by hand: convert grades to points, weight them by credits, and divide. Includes high school, college, and cumulative examples.
Read the guideWeighted vs. unweighted GPA: what's the difference?
Weighted GPA adds points for Honors and AP classes; unweighted GPA doesn't. See how each is calculated, an example with both, and how colleges use them.
Read the guideHow to raise your GPA (and how fast it can move)
How much can your GPA rise in one semester? See the math, why early terms matter most, and the strategies that move it most, from retakes to credits.
Read the guideWhat is a good GPA? It depends on what it's for
A good GPA is usually 3.0 or higher, but the bar moves with your goal. See real benchmarks for selective colleges, state schools, scholarships and grad school.
Read the guideIs a 3.5 GPA good? Yes, with a few catches
A 3.5 GPA is above the U.S. average and sits between a B+ and an A-. See what it means in percent, how it compares at real colleges, and how to reach a 3.7.
Read the guideThe GPA scale: letter grades, percentages and points
The GPA scale chart for U.S. schools: letter grades, percentages and 4.0 points, plus/minus, A+ at 4.0 or 4.3, weighted 5.0 scales, and how colleges convert.
Read the guideWhat is cumulative GPA, and how do you calculate it?
Cumulative GPA is your average across every term, weighted by credits. See how to calculate it, how it differs from term and major GPA, and why averaging fails.
Read the guideWhat is a 4.0 GPA?
A 4.0 GPA means straight A's on the unweighted scale. See why one A- breaks it, what a weighted 4.0 really means, how common it is, and whether you need one.
Read the guideDoes a W affect your GPA?
A W usually doesn't change your GPA, but a WF can count as an F. See how W, WF, F and incomplete grades work, and when a W matters for aid and grad school.
Read the guideLatin honors GPA: cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude
What GPA do you need for cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude? Real rules from five universities, fixed-GPA vs. top-percent systems, and how to plan.
Read the guideHow AP scores work, from raw points to a 1–5 score
What each AP score from 1 to 5 means, how raw points become a composite and a final score, why cutoffs move each year, and AP scores vs. AP class grades.
Read the guideDoes pass/fail affect your GPA?
A P doesn't change your GPA, but failing a pass/fail class can. How P, NP and S/U grades work, the limits colleges set, and how med and law schools count them.
Read the guideDean's list GPA requirements
Most dean's lists take a 3.5 term GPA on 12 graded credits, but some need 3.75 or 15 credits. Real rules from six colleges, president's lists and how to plan.
Read the guideShould you put your GPA on your resume?
List your GPA on your resume if it's 3.0 or higher and you're a student or recent grad. How to show major GPA, round honestly, add honors and when to drop it.
Read the guideIs a 3.0 GPA good? It's a B average, and a common cutoff
A 3.0 GPA is a B average and the exact cutoff for many scholarships, honors programs and grad schools. See where it counts, what it limits and how to reach 3.3.
Read the guideWhat is the average GPA? What the national data actually shows
The average U.S. high school GPA is 3.11. See how it rose since 1987, GPA by subject, why there's no official college average and how admissions GPAs work.
Read the guideHow to calculate GPA in Excel or Google Sheets
Copy-paste GPA formulas for Excel and Google Sheets: a letter-to-points lookup, SUMPRODUCT for credits, weighted and cumulative GPA, and category grades.
Read the guide
GPA guides
How grades turn into a GPA, why your school’s number may differ from a college’s, and what actually moves it. Every guide has worked examples you can check.