High School GPA Calculator

Calculate weighted and unweighted GPA with AP/Honors bonuses. Three precision levels โ€” from quick calculation to full 4-year transcript analysis.

CourseGradeCredits
Unweighted GPA (4.0 Scale)
3.50
Total Credits
6
Grade Points
21.0
Courses
6

How to Use This High School GPA Calculator

Enter each course with its grade, credits, and course type (Regular, Honors, or AP/IB). The Unweighted tab gives you your standard 4.0 GPA, the Weighted tab adds AP/Honors bonuses, and College-Ready maps your GPA to admissions tiers. All results update instantly as you type.

The Advanced tier below lets you track GPA year-by-year with a side-by-side weighted vs. unweighted trend chart and scenario presets for common high school paths. For a complete 4-year transcript analysis with subject-area breakdowns and college readiness scoring, see the Professional tier.

Advanced Year-by-Year Tracker & Scenarios Weighted vs. unweighted trends across all 4 years
UW: 3.50 | W: 3.50
CourseGradeCreditsType
UW: 3.58 | W: 3.83
CourseGradeCreditsType
UW: 3.33 | W: 3.33
CourseGradeCreditsType
Cumulative GPA (3 years)
3.55
Weighted โ€” Unweighted: 3.47 โ€” 12 credits
Freshman Year
3.50
UW: 3.50
Sophomore Year
3.83
UW: 3.58
Junior Year
3.33
UW: 3.33

Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA Formula

Unweighted GPA = ฮฃ(Grade Points ร— Credits) รท Total Credits

Weighted GPA = ฮฃ(Weighted Grade Points ร— Credits) รท Total Credits

Weighted Grade Points: Regular = base | Honors = base + 0.5 (max 4.5) | AP/IB = base + 1.0 (max 5.0)

An unweighted GPA treats every course equally โ€” an A in Regular English and an A in AP English both contribute 4.0 points. A weighted GPA rewards course difficulty by adding bonus points for Honors and AP/IB courses, typically running on a 5.0 scale.

Grade Point Values โ€” Weighted Scale

Regular courses: A/A+ = 4.0 | A- = 3.7 | B+ = 3.3 | B = 3.0 | B- = 2.7 | C+ = 2.3 | C = 2.0

Honors courses (+0.5): A = 4.5 | A- = 4.2 | B+ = 3.8 | B = 3.5 | B- = 3.2

AP / IB courses (+1.0): A = 5.0 | A- = 4.7 | B+ = 4.3 | B = 4.0 | B- = 3.7

Step-by-Step Example

Junior year with 4 AP courses:

AP English Lit (A-, 1 credit) โ†’ Weighted: 4.7 | Unweighted: 3.7

AP Calculus AB (B+, 1 credit) โ†’ Weighted: 4.3 | Unweighted: 3.3

Honors Chemistry (B+, 1 credit) โ†’ Weighted: 3.8 | Unweighted: 3.3

Regular History (A, 1 credit) โ†’ Weighted: 4.0 | Unweighted: 4.0

Weighted GPA: (4.7 + 4.3 + 3.8 + 4.0) รท 4 = 4.20

Unweighted GPA: (3.7 + 3.3 + 3.3 + 4.0) รท 4 = 3.58

Professional Full 4-Year Transcript Analyzer Subject analytics, course rigor & college readiness scoring
CourseYearSubjectTypeGradeCredits
Unweighted GPA (4.0)
3.467
12 credits
Weighted GPA (5.0)
3.800
+0.33 boost

Do Colleges Prefer Weighted or Unweighted GPA?

Most colleges consider both GPAs and often recalculate your GPA on their own scale. What matters more is the combination of your GPA and course rigor โ€” taking AP and Honors courses and earning B grades typically looks better than taking only easy courses with straight A's. The Professional tier's College Readiness tab shows your competitiveness across different institution tiers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most colleges consider both and often recalculate your GPA on their own scale. What matters more is the combination of GPA and course rigor. AP and Honors courses signal academic challenge to admissions officers. Use the Professional tier's College Readiness tab to see which tier your unweighted GPA places you in.
For GPA weighting, AP and IB courses typically receive the same +1.0 bonus on the weighted scale. Both are college-level courses recognized by admissions officers. Students can earn college credit through AP exams or IB assessments.
Most year-long high school courses in the US are worth 1 credit. Semester courses are typically 0.5 credits. Use the actual credits listed on your official high school transcript for accurate GPA calculations.
Ivy League and elite schools typically accept students with unweighted GPAs of 3.9 or higher, combined with rigorous AP/IB coursework. The Advanced tier's year-by-year tracker and the Professional tier's College Readiness tab can help you model what GPA you need to hit target tiers.
No โ€” weighting systems vary by school and district. This calculator uses the common +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for AP/IB system, but your school may use a different scale. Check with your school counselor for your official weighting policy.

Related Calculators