Unweighted GPA Calculator

How to use the unweighted gpa calculator

1. Enter each course on its own line in the text area using the format letter grade, a space, then credit hours (for example, A 4 or B+ 3).
2. Select the grading mode: Standard uses the full plus/minus scale, while Flat treats A+, A, and A- all as 4.0.
3. The unweighted GPA, total credits, and total grade points update automatically as you type.

How an unweighted GPA is calculated

An unweighted GPA treats every class equally regardless of difficulty. Each letter grade maps to a fixed number on a 4.0 scale, and that value is multiplied by the course credit hours to produce grade points. The formula is:

GPA = Total Grade Points / Total Credits

For example, if you take four courses: A (3 credits), B+ (4 credits), C (3 credits), and A- (3 credits) in standard mode, the math works out as follows. An A equals 4.0, so 4.0 times 3 gives 12 grade points. A B+ equals 3.3, so 3.3 times 4 gives 13.2 grade points. A C equals 2.0, so 2.0 times 3 gives 6 grade points. An A- equals 3.7, so 3.7 times 3 gives 11.1 grade points. Your total grade points are 12 + 13.2 + 6 + 11.1 = 42.3, and your total credits are 3 + 4 + 3 + 3 = 13. Dividing 42.3 by 13 yields an unweighted GPA of about 3.25.

Standard 4.0 grade point scale

The table below shows the point values used in standard mode. In flat mode, any plus or minus is stripped before looking up the value, so A+, A, and A- all map to 4.0.

Unweighted vs weighted GPA

The key difference is that an unweighted GPA caps at 4.0 and does not give extra points for honors, AP, or IB courses. A weighted GPA might assign 5.0 to an A in an AP class, but the unweighted version always assigns 4.0. Colleges often look at both numbers: the unweighted figure shows raw academic performance, while the weighted figure reflects course rigor.

If you need to track progress across multiple terms, use the cumulative GPA calculator to combine past and current semesters. For a single term, the semester GPA calculator handles term-specific calculations.

Common input mistakes to avoid

When entering grades into this unweighted gpa calculator, watch out for these frequent errors:

• Missing credits: Every line needs both a letter grade and a credit count separated by a space. Entering just "A" without a number will cause an error.
• Invalid grades: Only standard letters (A through F) with optional plus or minus signs are accepted. Entries like "E", "P", or numeric percentages are not valid here. Use the GPA scale converter if you need to translate between systems.
• Negative or zero credits: Credit hours must be greater than zero. A course worth 0 credits does not factor into the GPA.
• Mixing modes: If your school does not use plus/minus grading, switch to flat mode. Leaving it on standard when your transcript only has whole letters will still work, but entering B+ in flat mode discards the plus.

Who uses an unweighted GPA

Most US colleges request an unweighted GPA on applications because it provides a consistent baseline across different high schools. Students applying to college typically report this number alongside their class rank and test scores. If you need to see what your GPA looks like as a percentage, the GPA to percentage tool can help.

Graduate programs also rely on the unweighted 4.0 scale when evaluating undergraduate transcripts. Because graduate coursework rarely uses the weighted model common in high schools, the unweighted figure is the standard metric for admissions committees.

Worked examples