Your UC GPA uses only A to G letter grades from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th grade: A is 4, B is 3, C is 2, D is 1 and F is 0, with no pluses or minuses. UC then adds one point for each semester of an honors level course with an A, B or C, up to 8 points, no more than 4 of them from 10th grade, and cuts the result off at two decimals. The CSU GPA works the same way on 10th and 11th grade A to G grades, with up to 8 honors semesters. Enter your grades below to get all four numbers.
Prefer paper? Download and print the free A to G Four Year Planning Sheet (PDF) and the Junior and Senior Year College Application Checklist for California Students (PDF). Want help turning them into a weekly plan? Book a free 20 minute intro call.
How UC calculates your GPA
These rules come from the University of California’s GPA requirement page:
- Which grades: letter grades in A to G courses taken from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th grade. Classes in the summer after 9th or 10th grade count as 10th grade; the summer after 11th grade counts as 11th grade.
- Points: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0. Pluses and minuses do not count.
- Honors points: one extra point for each semester of a UC honors level course (AP, IB Higher Level, designated IB Standard Level, UC transferable college courses and UC certified honors courses on your school’s list). A D or F earns no extra point. One college course is one grade and one honors point.
- The cap: no more than 8 honors points across 10th and 11th grade, and no more than 4 from 10th grade.
- The math: add the grade points and the honors points, then divide by the number of letter grades. Do not round up or down.
- Nonresidents: honors weight applies only to AP and IB courses with an A, B or C.
Unweighted, weighted capped and fully weighted
The calculator shows three UC numbers because UC and its campuses use more than one. The weighted capped GPA, with the 8 point cap, is the one UC uses for its minimum GPA. The unweighted GPA leaves out every honors point. The fully weighted GPA counts every honors point with no cap; UC notes that campuses may use an unweighted or uncapped weighted GPA when selecting students. Our guide to weighted vs unweighted GPA explains the general difference.
How CSU calculates your GPA
The California State University calculates an A to G GPA on grades earned after 9th grade; credit and no credit grades are left out. When a student applies in the fall of senior year, that means 10th and 11th grade A to G courses. CSU adds an extra point for grades of A, B or C in approved honors level courses for up to eight semesters, and it limits how many 10th grade honors courses count. This calculator applies the same 4 semester 10th grade limit and 8 semester total that UC uses, so check your exact CSU number with the official CSU GPA calculator.
A worked example
This example comes from UC’s own counselor training. A student has 24 A to G semester grades in 10th and 11th grade worth 81 grade points. Unweighted, that is 81 divided by 24, or 3.375, which is a 3.37 because UC does not round. The student has 8 honors points within the cap, so the weighted capped GPA is 89 divided by 24, or 3.708, a 3.70.
Now say the same student took six honors semesters in 10th grade and four in 11th. Only 4 of the 10th grade points count toward the cap, so the capped GPA is still 3.70 (4 plus 4 is 8 points). The fully weighted GPA counts all 10: 91 divided by 24 is 3.79. Try it in the Quick count tab: 9 A’s, 15 B’s, 6 honors semesters in 10th grade and 4 in 11th.
Minimum GPAs to know
| California residents | Nonresidents | |
|---|---|---|
| UC (weighted capped GPA) | 3.0 | 3.4 |
| CSU (A to G GPA) | 2.50 (2.00 to 2.49 may be considered with supplemental factors) | 3.00 |
CSU minimums are from the CSU first time freshman guidance page. A minimum makes a student eligible to be considered. It does not predict admission, and most UC campuses and impacted CSU campuses and majors admit students well above it. Sources: UC GPA requirement and CSU first year admission requirements. To check whether your courses cover every subject, use our A to G requirements checker.
How to use your result
- If you are a 9th or 10th grader, use it to see how much each semester matters: with fewer grades on the record, every semester moves the number more.
- If you are a junior, look at the weighted capped GPA next to the minimum and at how many honors points you have left under the cap. Honors points beyond the cap do not raise the capped GPA, though they still count in the fully weighted one.
- If you have a D or F in an A to G course, talk to your counselor about repeating it; the A to G area is not complete until it is passed with a C or better.
- Print the result and bring it to your counselor meeting with your transcript.
Common questions
Does 9th grade count in the UC or CSU GPA?
No. UC uses A to G letter grades from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th grade, and CSU calculates its A to G GPA on grades earned after 9th grade. Ninth grade courses still count toward completing the A to G subject requirements.
Do pluses and minuses count?
Not for UC. UC says pluses and minuses do not count, so an A minus is a 4 and a B plus is a 3. This calculator uses whole letter grades for both systems.
Which classes earn an honors point?
For California students applying to UC: AP courses, IB Higher Level and designated IB Standard Level courses, UC transferable college courses, and the honors courses on your school’s UC approved list, each with a grade of A, B or C. For nonresidents, UC applies honors weight only to AP and IB courses. A school honors class that is not on the UC list does not earn a point.
What if I retook a class I got a D or F in?
UC lets students repeat a course with a D or F. If the repeat is taken in 10th or 11th grade, the new grade replaces the old one in the UC GPA, but both attempts are reported on the application. Enter only the newer grade here.
Is this my official UC or CSU GPA?
No. It is an estimate for planning. UC and CSU calculate the official numbers from your application, and the rules can change. Check the official UC GPA page and the CSU GPA calculator, and confirm with your school counselor.
Is my information saved anywhere?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent, stored or logged.
How a mentor helps a student plan junior and senior year
The numbers above come from choices made one semester at a time. A mentor works one on one with a high school student, with parents in the loop, on the parts that decide those numbers:
- Course planning: mapping 11th and 12th grade so every A to G area is covered and honors choices fit what the student can carry well, checked against the school’s approved list with the counselor.
- Weekly follow through: a steady routine for assignments, tests and long projects, so a semester grade does not slip to a C or D before anyone notices.
- Executive function skills: planning, prioritizing and starting work early, the skills honors and AP loads demand.
- Senior year on track: keeping grades steady through application season, because admission offers depend on finishing senior year as planned.
- Coordination: working with parents and, when the family wants it, the school team, so everyone sees the same plan.
Mentoring is not tutoring, test prep or admissions consulting, and no one can promise grades or admission. Blackburn Mentoring works with students by video nationwide and in person in Los Angeles, including families across Los Angeles County. Book a free 20 minute intro call to talk through your student’s plan.
Related guides
- A to G requirements checker
- UC application timeline for fall 2027
- CSU application and impaction explained
- Weighted GPA calculator
- Honors vs AP classes
- Junior year of high school: what matters
- Senior year high school plan
- Mentoring for high school students
This calculator is general information, not official admissions advice. Rules can change; the official UC and CSU sites and your school counselor decide.