How to Calculate a GPA: Do you want to know how to calculate GPA? Here’s a step-by-step guide to calculating your semester, cumulative, weighted, and unweighted GPA.
How to Calculate a GPA
Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is a number that represents all of your letter grades from high school and college.
Condensing your transcript grades into a single number provides colleges and businesses with a quick overview of your academic success and helps you stay on track with your educational goals.
Thankfully, our GPA calculator does the math for you, but the results aren’t magical. Continue reading to learn how a GPA is calculated and the distinction between high school (weighted or unweight) and college GPAs.
Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is a number that represents all of your letter grades from high school and college.
General Information on GPA
Only courses graded on an A-F basis are used in calculating G.P.A. Courses taken as Pass/No Pass (P/NP), credit-by-exam, correspondence, and audit are not included.
The G.P.A. calculation never includes transfer work from other colleges.
Separate G.P.A.s are printed on transcripts for undergraduate courses and for graduate courses.
Portland State University Grading Scale
| Letter Grade | Grade Point Value | Undergraduate | Graduate |
| A | 4.00 | Excellent | Excellent |
| A- | 3.67 | ||
| B+ | 3.33 | ||
| B | 3.00 | Good | Satisfactory |
| B- | 2.67 | ||
| C+ | 2.33 | ||
| C | 2.00 | Satisfactory | Below Standard |
| C- | 1.67 | ||
| D+ | 1.33 | ||
| D | 1.00 | Inferior | Failure |
| D- | 0.67 | Failure | |
| F | 0.00 | Failure | Failure |
Steps to Calculate GPA
Here are the steps toward a successful GPA calculation:
To Calculate GPA for One Term
Multiply the point value of the letter grade by the number of credit hours. The result is the quality points earned.
Total the credit hours for the term.
Total the quality points for the term.
Divide the total quality points by the total credit hours.
The result is the G.P.A. for the term.
Example of GPA Calculation
Term 1:
3 credits – B-
3 credits – C
2 credits – A
3 credits – C-
4 credits – D+
Term 1 Calculation
B- = 2.67 x 3 credit hours = 8.01 quality points
C = 2.00 x 3 credit hours = 6.00 quality points
A = 4.00 x 2 credit hours = 8.00 quality points
C- = 1.67 x 3 credit hours = 5.01 quality points
D+ = 1.33 x 4 credit hours = 5.32 quality points
Add the number of quality points for term 1:
8.01 + 6.00 + 8.00 + 5.01 + 5.32 = 32.34 quality points
Add the number of credit hours for term 1:
3 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 15 credit hours
Divide the total quality points by the total credit hours:
32.34 / 15 = 2.15 G.P.A.
Term 2
4 credits – C+
5 credits – A-
3 credits – B-
4 credits – B
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Term 2 Calculation
C+ = 2.33 x 4 credit hours = 9.32 quality points
A- = 3.67 x 5 credit hours = 18.35 quality points
B- = 2.67 x 3 credit hours = 8.01 quality points
B = 3.00 x 4 credit hours = 12 quality points
Add the number of quality points for term 2:
9.32 + 18.35 + 8.01 + 12 = 47.68 quality points.
Add the number of credit hours for term 2:
4 + 5 + 3 + 4 = 16 credit hours.
Divide the total quality points by the total credit hours
47.68 / 16 = 2.98 G.P.A.
To Calculate Cumulative GPA
Calculate G.P.A. for each term.
Total the credit hours from all terms.
Total the quality points from all terms.
Divide the total quality points for all terms by the total credit hours for all terms.
The result is the cumulative G.P.A.
Cumulative GPA Calculation
Add the quality points for all terms:
32.34 (term 1) + 47.68 (term 2) = 80.02 quality points.
Add the credit hours for all terms:
15 (term 1) + 16 (term 2) = 31 credit hours.
Divide the total quality points for all terms by the total credit hours for all terms:
80.02 / 31 = 2.58 G.P.A.
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