GPA Calculator

Measuring Your Academic Performance: The GPA Calculator

Your Grade Point Average (GPA) is a standard way of measuring academic achievement in the United States and many other countries. It is a numerical average of your grades over a specific period, such as a semester or your entire academic career. A higher GPA indicates better academic performance. It is a critical metric used by educational institutions for admissions, awarding scholarships, and determining honors, and by potential employers as a measure of a candidate's diligence and ability.

How GPA is Calculated

GPA is a 'weighted' average, where courses that are worth more 'credits' or 'units' have a greater impact on the final average. The calculation involves these steps:

1. Convert Letter Grades to Points: Each letter grade is assigned a numerical value on a 4.0 scale (e.g., A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0, F=0.0). Some schools use a plus/minus system (e.g., A-=3.7, B+=3.3).
2. Calculate Quality Points: For each course, multiply the grade points by the number of credits for that course. This gives you the 'quality points' for each course.
3. Sum Totals: Add up all the quality points and all the credit hours.
4. Divide: Divide the total quality points by the total credit hours to get your GPA. GPA = Total Quality Points / Total Credit Hours.

This calculator automates this process, allowing you to easily enter your grades and credits to find your GPA for a semester or to project your cumulative GPA.