Updated July 8, 2026
Unweighted GPA is calculated on a straight 4.0 scale where every course counts equally: an A is 4.0 whether it is regular English or AP Physics. Weighted GPA adds bonus points for rigorous courses, so an A in an AP class might be worth 5.0, allowing the overall GPA to exceed 4.0.
Side-by-side comparison
| Unweighted GPA | Weighted GPA | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum possible | 4.0 | 5.0 (or 4.5 for honors) |
| Treats all courses equally? | Yes | No |
| AP / IB grade-point bonus | None | +1.0 above standard (common default) |
| Honors grade-point bonus | None | +0.5 above standard (common default) |
| Used for college comparison? | Yes, most common | Sometimes, varies by school |
How the extra points work
On a commonly used weighted scale, regular courses keep the standard conversion (A = 4.0). Honors courses add 0.5, so an A becomes 4.5. AP and IB courses add 1.0, so an A becomes 5.0. A B in an AP class (3.0 + 1.0) equals 4.0, the same as an A in a regular class on an unweighted scale. That +0.5/+1.0 split is widespread but is set by each school, not by a national body, so some districts use a flat 1.0 bonus for both honors and AP, and some skip weighting entirely.
Which one do colleges use?
Most colleges recalculate your GPA on their own scale when reviewing applications, often stripping weighting to compare students from different schools on equal footing. That said, colleges can still see which courses you took: a 3.7 unweighted GPA built on mostly AP courses reads very differently from the same number built on easier electives. Rigor matters alongside the number itself.
Which one should you track?
Track both. Your transcript will show whichever your high school reports, but knowing your unweighted GPA tells you where you stand against the 4.0 standard that most admission benchmarks reference. Use the weighted GPA calculator to compute both and see the difference your course choices make. Also see what counts as a good GPA for context on where your number sits.
Does a higher weighted GPA always look better?
Not automatically. A 4.2 weighted GPA built on one AP class looks less impressive than a 3.9 weighted GPA built on eight AP and IB courses. Colleges look at the full picture: your GPA, the courses behind it, and how you performed in the hardest classes available at your school.
See both numbers at once
The weighted GPA calculator computes your weighted and unweighted GPA side by side from the same course list.