How GPA Is Calculated: Weighted vs. Unweighted

Grade Point Average (GPA) converts letter grades into a number on a 0–4.0 scale (or sometimes higher for weighted systems). Colleges and employers use it to quickly compare academic performance — but the way it is calculated is not always consistent between schools.

Unweighted GPA calculation

In an unweighted system, every course counts equally regardless of difficulty. Letter grades convert to points: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0. Your GPA is the average of these points across all courses. An A in gym class has the same GPA impact as an A in Calculus.

Weighted GPA

Weighted systems give extra points for harder courses — commonly +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for AP or IB courses. A student who earns a B in AP Chemistry gets 4.0 (3.0 + 1.0) in a weighted system, matching an unweighted A. The GPA calculator handles both systems if you specify course difficulty.

What GPA colleges care about

Selective colleges focus more on course rigor than raw GPA — a 3.6 in a demanding schedule often reads better than a 4.0 in easy courses. They also recalculate GPA using their own method, so your school's reported GPA may differ from what a college puts on your application.