How to Calculate Your GPA: Step by Step
June 4, 2026 · Editorial Team
Calculating your GPA is straightforward once you understand credit weighting. Follow these five steps and you can work out any term or cumulative GPA.
Step 1 — Convert each grade to grade points
Look up your university's scale and find the grade-point value for each course grade. On a typical 4.0 scale, A = 4.0, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, and so on.
Step 2 — Note each course's credit weight
Find the credit value of each course (often 3 credits for a one-term course, or 0.5 units at some schools). This is the weight the course carries.
Step 3 — Multiply grade points by credits
For each course, multiply its grade points by its credits to get its "quality points".
Step 4 — Add everything up
Sum all the quality points, and separately sum all the credits.
Step 5 — Divide
Divide total quality points by total credits. The result is your GPA.
Worked example
| Course | Grade points | Credits | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course A | 4.0 | 3 | 12.0 |
| Course B | 3.0 | 3 | 9.0 |
| Course C | 2.7 | 3 | 8.1 |
Total quality points = 29.1, total credits = 9, GPA = 29.1 ÷ 9 = 3.23.
The mistake to avoid
Do not simply average the grade points (4.0 + 3.0 + 2.7 ÷ 3). That only works when every course has the same credit weight. Whenever courses differ in credits — a lab, a full-year course, a seminar — you must weight by credits or your GPA will be wrong.
Let the calculator do it
To skip the arithmetic, use the calculator for your university on this site. It already knows your school's scale and applies credit weighting automatically.
FAQ
Can I just average my grade points?
Only if all your courses have identical credit weights. If credits differ, you must weight by credits or the GPA will be inaccurate.
What credit value should I use?
Use the exact credit or unit weight shown on your transcript for each course. A full-year course usually carries more weight than a half course.
Does this work for cumulative GPA?
Yes. Include every applicable course across all terms, then divide total quality points by total credits.