The basic formula: add your grades, divide by the number of courses

Your GPA (grade point average) is a single number that represents your overall academic performance. To calculate it, you convert each letter grade to a number, add all those numbers together, then divide by how many courses you took. The result is usually rounded to two decimal places.

Most schools use a 4.0 scale, where A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, and F = 0.0. Some schools add plus and minus grades — an A− might be 3.7, a B+ might be 3.3. Your school's grading scale should be in your student handbook or on the registrar's website.

The calculation itself takes five minutes with a calculator. The harder part is knowing which courses to include, because different GPAs count different things.

Key Takeaways

  • Convert each letter grade to its numeric value using your school's grading scale, then add all the numbers and divide by the number of courses.
  • Your cumulative GPA includes every course you have ever taken; your major GPA includes only courses in your major; your term GPA includes only courses from one semester.
  • Some schools do not count transfer credits, pass/fail courses, or repeated courses in your GPA, so check your school's policy before you calculate.
  • If you retake a course, most schools count only the new grade in your GPA, but the old grade may still appear on your transcript.

Step-by-step calculation for cumulative GPA

Start with a list of every course you have completed and the letter grade you received. Write the numeric value next to each grade using your school's scale. For example, if your grades were A, B, A−, C, and B+, and your school uses the standard 4.0 scale with plus/minus adjustments, you would write 4.0, 3.0, 3.7, 2.0, and 3.3.

Add all the numeric values together. In the example above: 4.0 + 3.0 + 3.7 + 2.0 + 3.3 = 16.0.

Count how many courses you completed. In this example, that is 5 courses.

Divide the sum by the number of courses. 16.0 ÷ 5 = 3.2. Your GPA is 3.2.

Cumulative, major, and term GPA — which one matters

Your cumulative GPA is the average of every course you have taken at your school since you enrolled. This is the number most people mean when they say "my GPA." Employers, graduate schools, and scholarship programs usually ask for this one.

Your major GPA includes only courses required for your major or minor. If you are a biology major, it counts biology, chemistry, and math courses but not your electives in history or art. Some graduate programs ask for this instead of cumulative GPA, especially if your major is directly related to the program.

Your term GPA is the average for a single semester or quarter. Schools calculate this to determine academic standing — whether you are on probation, dean's list, or in good standing. Your cumulative GPA is what matters for your permanent record.

Courses that may not count toward your GPA

Transfer credits from another school often do not factor into your GPA at your current school, even though they appear on your transcript. The grades you earned elsewhere stay on record, but your new school calculates your GPA using only the courses you took there.

Pass/fail courses typically do not count. If you took a course on a pass/fail basis and passed, it does not add points to your GPA — it just shows as "pass" on your transcript. This is why some students choose pass/fail for courses outside their major.

Repeated courses are handled differently depending on your school. Most schools count only the new grade in your GPA, dropping the old one from the calculation. A few schools average both grades. Check your school's repeat policy in the student handbook or by calling the registrar.

What happens when you retake a course

If you earned a D or F and retake the course, your new grade replaces the old one in your GPA calculation. If you originally got a C and retake it to earn a B, the B is what counts toward your GPA going forward. The original C still appears on your transcript, but it no longer pulls down your average.

This works in reverse too — if you retake a course and do worse the second time, most schools will still use only the new (lower) grade. Some schools have a policy that uses the higher grade instead, so confirm before you retake.

The cost of retaking is time and tuition. You also use up a course slot that could have gone toward electives or a second major. Weigh whether the GPA boost is worth it, especially if you are close to graduation.

Using a spreadsheet to track your GPA semester by semester

If you want to watch your GPA change as you complete each semester, a spreadsheet makes it straightforward. Create columns for course name, grade, numeric value, and credits (if your school weights grades by credit hours). Add a row for each course, then use a formula to sum the numeric values and divide by the number of courses.

Many schools provide a GPA calculator on their student portal or registrar website. Log in with your student ID and it will show you your current cumulative, major, and term GPAs. This is faster and more accurate than calculating by hand, because the school's system knows which courses count and which do not.

If your school does not provide a calculator, a straightforward spreadsheet or even a piece of paper works fine. The math is straightforward enough that mistakes are rare once you have done it once.

Why your calculated GPA might not match what the school reports

The most common reason is that you included or excluded a course the school does not. Transfer credits, pass/fail courses, and repeated courses are the usual culprits. If your calculation is off by a tenth or two, check whether you counted a course that should not be there.

Some schools weight grades by credit hours. A 4-credit course counts more than a 1-credit course. If your school does this, you multiply each grade by its credit hours, add those products, then divide by the total number of credits — not the number of courses. This produces a different result than straightforward averaging.

If you are still off after checking these things, contact your school's registrar. They can tell you exactly which courses are included in your GPA and why.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a W (withdrawal) hurt my GPA?

No. A withdrawal means you dropped the course before the important date and it does not count as a grade. It appears on your transcript as W, but it does not factor into your GPA at all. Some schools have a limit on how many courses you can withdraw from before it affects your academic standing, so check your school's policy.

Can I calculate my GPA if I do not know my school's grading scale?

No, not accurately. Different schools assign different numeric values to plus and minus grades. Ask your registrar for the official grading scale, or look it up in your student handbook or on the registrar's website. It usually takes one phone call or email.

If I retake a course, do both grades show on my transcript?

Yes. Both the original grade and the new grade appear on your transcript. Your GPA uses only the new grade (at most schools), but anyone who sees your full transcript will see that you took the course twice. Graduate schools and employers can see this, though most care more about the final grade than the history.

How do I calculate my GPA if I took some courses for credit and some pass/fail?

Include only the courses with letter grades. Add up their numeric values and divide by the number of graded courses. The pass/fail courses do not count in the calculation, even though they count toward your degree. This is why your GPA might be higher than you expect if you took several courses pass/fail.

What is a good GPA?

That depends on what you are using it for. Most employers do not ask about GPA unless you are explore straight out of school. Graduate programs often want a 3.0 or higher, though it varies by program. Scholarships may require a 3.5 or above. For most purposes, anything above 3.0 is considered solid.