01
Weighted GPA for high school
Many high schools add extra points for harder classes. Tick High school above, set each class's level, and the calculator shows your weighted GPA next to your unweighted one.
By default, honors classes add 0.5 and AP, IB and dual enrollment classes add 1.0, so an A in an AP class counts as 5.0. That is a common pattern, described in the University of Arizona's college planning guide, but schools differ: Broward County Public Schools in Florida adds 1 point for honors and 2 for AP. Change the two values to match your school's handbook.
For example, AP Biology (A), Honors English (B), Algebra II (A) and Art (B), each worth one credit:
Unweighted = (4.0 + 3.0 + 4.0 + 3.0) ÷ 4 = 3.50
Weighted = (5.0 + 3.5 + 4.0 + 3.0) ÷ 4 = 3.88
The calculator adds the bonus to every passing grade, but some schools only add it for a C or better. Most colleges recalculate applicants' GPAs on the unweighted 4.0 scale, so both numbers are worth knowing. Our guide to weighted vs unweighted GPA explains why.
02
Term GPA vs cumulative GPA
Your term GPA (or semester GPA) covers one term. Your cumulative GPA covers every course you have taken at your school. To combine them, add the quality points from both and divide by all the credits. If you had a 3.2 over 45 credits and then earned the 3.48 term above over 14 credits:
(3.2 × 45 + 48.7) ÷ (45 + 14) = 192.7 ÷ 59 = 3.27
03
How to raise your GPA
The planner uses this formula to find the GPA you need over your next credits:
Needed = (Target × (Done + Next) − Current × Done) ÷ Next
The more credits you have completed, the slower your GPA moves. With a 2.5 GPA over 30 credits, you would need a 4.0 over your next 15 credits to reach a 3.0. With the same GPA over 60 credits, a 3.0 is out of reach in one term: you would need 30 credits of straight A's.
04
What does not count toward GPA
At most US colleges, pass (P), no pass (NP), withdrawn (W) and incomplete (I) grades do not change your GPA, and neither do transfer credits. Rules for repeated courses differ: some colleges replace the old grade, others average both attempts. Check your college's catalog if you retake a class. Our guide to pass/fail and other non-letter grades explains how each one works.