Grades 7 min read

How to Calculate Your GPA: High School & College Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to calculate your unweighted and weighted Grade Point Average (GPA). Master letter grade conversions, credit weighting, and grade calculation formulas.

Table of Contents

What Is a GPA?

Your Grade Point Average (GPA) is a standardized metric representing your overall academic performance across courses. It converts letter grades into a numerical scale (typically 0.0 to 4.0).

Standard 4.0 Unweighted Grade Scale

  • A: 4.0 grade points
  • B: 3.0 grade points
  • C: 2.0 grade points
  • D: 1.0 grade point
  • F: 0.0 grade points

How to Calculate Semester GPA

  1. Multiply each course grade point by its credit hours to get quality points.
  2. Add up the quality points for all courses.
  3. Divide total quality points by total credit hours taken.

Example: Math (3 credits, grade A = 4.0 → 12 pts), History (4 credits, grade B = 3.0 → 12 pts). Total Pts = 24, Total Credits = 7. GPA = 24 ÷ 7 = 3.43.

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Reviewed by Applied Math Specialists • Editorial Policy
Updated: August 10, 2026

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