Calculate Your GPA on a 4.0 Scale
GPA Scale Reference
| Letter Grade | Percent Grade Range | GPA Points Per Class |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90–100 | 4.0 |
| B | 80–89 | 3.0 |
| C | 70–79 | 2.0 |
| D | 66–69 | 1.0 |
| E/F | Below 65 | 0.0 |
Enter Your Courses
How I Learned to Speak "GPA" —and How You Can, Too
…plus an interactive calculator to crunch your numbers in seconds
When I was a high-school junior, I assumed an A = 4.0, B = 3.0 and so on—simple, right? Then an Honors English "A–" tanked my average and I realized every school weights grades differently. After interviewing admissions officers at ASU and NYU, digging through College Board BigFuture reports, and counseling 200-plus students, I put everything I learned into one place—this page. It's equal parts explainer, myth-buster, and hands-on calculator.
How the Calculator Works under the Hood
Letter ↔ GPA Points
We follow the classic unweighted scale (A = 4, B = 3 …).
Percent Ranges
Not sure if an 89% is an A- or B+? Toggle the "Use % Grades" switch—our lookup table aligns with the ranges most U.S. schools publish.
Custom Weights
If your school gives AP or Honors classes a +1 bump, tick "Weighted" and enter the bonus. The script adds the extra point before averaging.
Real-time Math
All calculations run client-side for privacy; nothing gets stored.
GPA Math, Demystified
TL;DR: Add up the grade points, divide by the number of classes, and voilà — that's your GPA.
| Letter | Percent | GPA pts | Real-Life Snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 90–100 | 4.0 | You aced AP Calc—nice flex on college apps. |
| B | 80–89 | 3.0 | Solid mastery; most scholarship cutoffs start here. |
| C | 70–79 | 2.0 | Passing, but competitive STEM schools may side-eye it. |
| D | 66–69 | 1.0 | Credit earned, yet retake before senior-year panic. |
| F | ≤ 65 | 0.0 | Time for office hours—or a schedule change. |
Let's Run the Numbers
Say you tackled 5 classes and earned A, A-, B+, C, B. Convert each to points (4.0, 3.7, 3.3, 2.0, 3.0), add them (16.0), then divide by 5. Result: 3.2 GPA.
Now flip on "Weighted" and tag those APs: your 3.2 can balloon to ~3.6, which explains why a friend in all-Honors classes seems magically above 4.0.
Weighted vs. Unweighted: The College Admissions Reality Check
Spoiler: Most admissions teams re-calculate GPAs to compare apples to apples.
- Unweighted (4.0 max). Level field; rigor shown elsewhere on your transcript.
- Weighted (often 5.0 max). Rewards difficulty; great for class rank, but colleges will still dissect your course load.
- Re-centered GPA. Schools like Stanford strip electives and re-average core subjects. One dean told me, "We turn 26 GPAs into one fair metric."
Pro insight: Focus on challenging courses you can thrive in. A 3.8 with three APs impresses more than a shaky 4.4 overloaded with seven.
The National GPA Landscape (2025 Data)
- U.S. high-school mean: 3.03
- Incoming college freshmen mean: 3.35
- Top-tier public universities (middle 50%): 3.5–4.1
- Ivy-Plus admits: often 90 % ≥ 3.9, but standout narratives beat decimals.
(Sources: NCES longitudinal study 2025, College Board BigFuture, Common Data Set filings.)
Beyond the Numbers: Real-World Stories
- Jordan, a sophomore soccer captain, boosted his 2.8 to 3.4 by retaking Algebra II online the summer before junior year—an option many districts now allow.
- Mina, homeschooled in Dubai, dual-enrolled at a U.S. online college and graduated with both a 3.7 high-school GPA and 18 college credits, shaving a semester off tuition.
FAQs—Quick Answers Before You Calculate
Final Takeaway
Your GPA is a snapshot, not your entire story. Use the calculator to know where you stand, then plot your comeback or victory lap. Need tailored advice? Drop a comment—human answers only, no bots.
