To calculate a weighted GPA, convert each letter grade to points on a 4.0 scale, add a bonus for harder classes (commonly 0.5 for honors and 1.0 for AP, IB or dual enrollment), multiply by each class’s credits, then divide by total credits. Enter your classes below to see your unweighted and weighted GPA. Schools weight differently, so check your school’s policy.
High school GPA calculator
Add one row per class. Your GPA updates as you type. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
Choose a grade for at least one class to see your GPA.
Check your school’s policy. Schools weight GPAs differently. This calculator uses a common convention (A+ counts as 4.0, no bonus on an F), so your transcript may show a different number.
How to use the calculator
- Add each class. The class name is optional; it only helps you keep track of which row is which.
- Pick the letter grade from your report card or transcript. If your school reports by semester, enter each semester as its own row.
- Enter the credits. Many year-long classes are worth 1 credit and semester classes 0.5, but your transcript has the real numbers.
- Choose the level: regular, honors, AP or IB, or dual enrollment (a college class taken while in high school).
- Add or remove rows until every class is listed. Both GPAs update as you go.
Not sure which level a class counts as? Our guides to honors vs. AP classes, how AP classes work and dual enrollment explain the differences.
How the math works
The unweighted GPA uses the standard 4.0 scale for every class, no matter how hard it is: A+ and A are 4.0, A- is 3.7, B+ is 3.3, B is 3.0, B- is 2.7, C+ is 2.3, C is 2.0, C- is 1.7, D+ is 1.3, D is 1.0, D- is 0.7 and F is 0.
The weighted GPA adds a bonus for course level: 0.5 for honors and 1.0 for AP, IB and dual enrollment. An A in an AP class counts as 5.0 weighted and 4.0 unweighted. A B in an honors class counts as 3.5 weighted and 3.0 unweighted. The calculator gives no bonus to an F, which matches what many schools do.
Credits act as weights. A one-credit class counts twice as much as a half-credit class, so a grade in a full-year course moves your GPA more than the same grade in a semester elective.
How to read your results
- Unweighted GPA shows your grades alone. It is the cleanest picture of how you are doing in the classes you are taking.
- Weighted GPA shows grades plus how demanding your schedule is. A big gap between the two means you are taking several advanced classes.
- If your weighted GPA is rising but your unweighted GPA is falling, the harder load may be costing you grades. That is worth a look before you add more.
Why your school's number may be different
- Some schools count an A+ as 4.3 instead of 4.0.
- Some weight honors and AP the same, some do not weight dual enrollment, and some do not weight at all.
- Some only include core academic classes, or only certain grade levels.
- Many colleges recalculate GPA with their own method when they review applications.
Your transcript and your school counselor have the official answer. See weighted vs. unweighted GPA and what is on a high school transcript for more.
Practical next steps
- Save your number at the end of each grading period so you can see the trend.
- Test next year's schedule. Try an extra AP at a B against staying in honors at an A, then think honestly about workload, sleep and activities.
- Deal with a struggling class early. Talk to the teacher before grades are final. Our guide for when a teenager is failing classes has a step-by-step plan.
- Confirm the rules with your counselor. Working with your school counselor covers what to ask.
Where a mentor helps
A GPA is the result of weekly habits: tracking assignments, starting big projects early, studying before the night before and asking for help in time. A mentor is not a tutor and does not give admissions advice. A mentor works one-on-one with a student on planning, follow-through and the routines that move grades, meeting weekly with text and phone check-ins between sessions. A parent stays involved and gets regular updates. Learn more about mentoring for high school students.
Related
- Weighted vs. unweighted GPA
- Honors vs. AP classes
- Time management for teens
- Is my teen ready for college? A quiz for parents
Common questions
What is the difference between a weighted and an unweighted GPA?
An unweighted GPA counts every A as 4.0, whatever the class level. A weighted GPA adds a bonus for honors, AP, IB or dual enrollment classes, so it can go above 4.0.
Is honors always weighted 0.5 and AP 1.0?
No. That is a common convention, not a rule. Your school's handbook, transcript or counselor will tell you how your school weights each level.
Do colleges look at weighted or unweighted GPA?
Many look at both, and many recalculate GPA using their own method. Check each college's admissions website for how it reviews grades.
Should I take an AP class just to raise my weighted GPA?
Only if you can handle the workload. A solid grade in a class you can manage often serves you better than a poor grade in a harder one, and sleep and your other classes matter too.
Get started
Want help building the habits behind the grades? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.