High School GPA Calculator

Unweighted GPA is calculated on a standard 4.0 scale where each letter grade corresponds to a specific point value (A=4.0, B=3.0, etc.) regardless of course difficulty. Weighted GPA adds extra points for advanced courses—typically 0.5 extra points for Honors courses and 1.0 extra points for AP or IB courses. This means weighted GPAs can exceed 4.0, with many high-achieving students earning weighted GPAs around 4.5 or even higher.

Colleges typically look at both, but they often recalculate GPAs according to their own formulas. Most colleges want to see that you've challenged yourself with rigorous courses (which weighted GPA reflects) while maintaining strong grades (which both weighted and unweighted GPAs show). Many selective colleges focus more on the rigor of your curriculum and your performance within that context rather than just the numerical GPA.

To calculate your cumulative GPA across multiple years or semesters, you need to weight each term's GPA by the number of credits earned during that term. The formula is: (GPA1 × Credits1 + GPA2 × Credits2 + ...) ÷ (Total Credits). For example, if you earned a 3.5 GPA for 30 credits in freshman year and a 3.8 GPA for 35 credits in sophomore year, your cumulative GPA would be: (3.5 × 30 + 3.8 × 35) ÷ (30 + 35) = (105 + 133) ÷ 65 = 238 ÷ 65 = 3.66.

For the most selective colleges (Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, etc.), you generally need a very high GPA—typically an unweighted GPA of at least 3.8-4.0 and a weighted GPA above 4.0. However, GPA is just one factor in admissions. These institutions also consider course rigor, test scores, extracurricular activities, essays, and other factors. Some highly competitive applicants to top colleges have unweighted GPAs of 4.0 and weighted GPAs of 4.7+, but students with slightly lower GPAs but extraordinary achievements in other areas can also be competitive.

In schools that use plus/minus grading, these modifiers typically adjust the grade points by 0.3. For example:
- A = 4.0, A- = 3.7
- B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B- = 2.7
- C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, C- = 1.7
- D+ = 1.3, D = 1.0, D- = 0.7
Some schools don't distinguish between A and A+ (both are 4.0), while others might award 4.3 for an A+. Check your school's specific grading policy.

From a purely numerical GPA perspective, an A in a regular class (4.0) and a B in an AP class (4.0 weighted) would contribute the same to your weighted GPA. However, colleges generally prefer to see you challenge yourself with rigorous courses, even if your grades are slightly lower. This shows academic ambition and college readiness. That said, if you're struggling significantly in advanced courses (getting Cs or lower), it might be better to take regular courses where you can excel. Balance is key—aim for the most challenging curriculum in which you can still maintain strong grades.

Your unweighted GPA cannot exceed 4.0, as this scale assigns a maximum of 4.0 points to an A grade. However, your weighted GPA can exceed 4.0 because it adds extra points for honors and advanced courses. Depending on how many advanced courses you take and your school's weighting system, weighted GPAs can reach 5.0 or even higher. Some extremely high-achieving students with many AP/IB courses might have weighted GPAs around 4.7-4.8.

Class rank is typically based on GPA, but schools vary in their approaches. Most use weighted GPA to determine rank, which rewards students for taking challenging courses. Some schools use a different calculation called "weighted class rank" that's separate from GPA. Some competitive high schools have stopped reporting class rank because small GPA differences can create large rank differences in high-achieving student populations. Check with your guidance counselor to understand your school's specific ranking methodology.