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Weighted GPA Calculator

List your courses with grade, credits and level. See weighted and unweighted GPA side by side, then copy or print the result.

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Results

Weighted GPA -
Unweighted GPA -
Total credits -

Results computed in your browser.

The bonus scale this tool uses

Weighting adds points on top of the standard grade-point value, based on a course's level. This calculator's default bonus, which is common but not universal, is:

Course levelType codeBonus added
RegularR+0.0
HonorsH+0.5
AP or IBAP / IB+1.0

This bonus scale is a common convention, not a rule set by the College Board or the IB organization; they run the AP and IB exam programs, not the in-school weighting bonus. Some districts use a flat +1.0 for both honors and AP, some cap weighted GPA at a fixed ceiling, and some do not weight at all. If a figure here does not match your school, that is your school's own policy, not an error in this tool; the editorial standards page has more on how this default was chosen.

What honors and AP actually buy you

Every course row gets its base grade points from the standard scale, then adds the bonus for its listed type before being multiplied by credit hours. An A in a regular class contributes 4.0 points per credit; the same A in an AP class contributes 5.0 points per credit under this default, a full extra grade step's worth of value. That is a meaningfully larger jump than most students expect, which is also why a single AP class with a mediocre grade can still outweigh, credit for credit, a regular class with a top grade.

The unweighted column strips all of that back out, showing you the same courses scored on the flat 4.0 scale with no bonus at all. Comparing the two numbers side by side is the fastest way to see how much of your weighted GPA is coming from course difficulty versus the grades themselves.

Worked example

The four default rows are A,1,AP / B+,1,H / A-,1,R / A,1,R. Unweighted points: 4.0 + 3.3 + 3.7 + 4.0 = 15.0 across 4 credits, for an unweighted GPA of 3.75. Weighted points add the bonus first: (4.0+1.0) + (3.3+0.5) + (3.7+0) + (4.0+0) = 5.0 + 3.8 + 3.7 + 4.0 = 16.5 across the same 4 credits, for a weighted GPA of 4.125, more than a third of a point higher than the unweighted figure from identical grades.

Good to know

FAQs

Who decides whether my school adds 0.5 or 1.0 for an honors class?

Your district or school, not the College Board or IB organization. The exam programs themselves do not set the in-school weighting bonus; that is a local grading-policy decision, which is why the same AP score can be worth different weighted GPA points at two different schools.

Why is my weighted GPA calculator result higher than what shows on my transcript?

This tool defaults to a common bonus of +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP or IB. If your school uses a smaller bonus, weights only certain courses, or caps weighted GPA at a number below what a full 5.0-style scale would allow, your transcript number will differ from this default.

Should I use my weighted or unweighted GPA on a college application?

Most applications ask for both, and many admissions offices recalculate a version of their own regardless of which one you report. Listing both numbers, which this calculator gives you side by side, covers what most applications actually request.

What if a class is labeled dual-enrollment instead of AP, IB, or honors?

Type H, AP, or IB for that row based on how your school's own policy treats dual-enrollment credit, since this calculator doesn't have a separate dual-enrollment category. Some schools weight dual-enrollment the same as AP; others don't weight it at all.