Weighted GPA Calculator

Add each course with its letter grade, credit hours and level. Honors classes earn a +0.5 bonus and AP/IB classes a +1.0 bonus, giving a weighted GPA on the 5.0 scale alongside the unweighted 4.0 figure.

Add your courses and press Calculate GPA.

Grade points: A=4, A−=3.7, B+=3.3, B=3, B−=2.7, C+=2.3, C=2, C−=1.7, D=1, F=0. Honors adds 0.5; AP/IB adds 1.0.

How a weighted GPA works

An unweighted GPA treats every class the same on a 4.0 scale. A weighted GPA rewards harder courses: most US high schools add +0.5 grade points for honors classes and +1.0 for Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, pushing the top of the scale to 5.0. So an A in an AP class is worth 5.0 instead of 4.0.

The weighted GPA formula

weighted GPA = Σ ( (grade points + bonus) × credits ) ÷ Σ credits

Each course contributes its grade points (plus any honors/AP bonus) multiplied by its credit hours; you divide the total by the total credits. The unweighted GPA uses the same formula without the bonus.

Worked example

Two 1-credit courses: an A in AP Biology and a B in regular English:

AP Bio: (4.0 + 1.0) × 1 = 5.0.
English: (3.0 + 0) × 1 = 3.0.
Weighted GPA: (5.0 + 3.0) ÷ 2 = 4.0 (unweighted would be 3.5).
Note: weighting policies vary by school and district. The +0.5 / +1.0 convention is the most common, but always check your school's official scale — colleges often recalculate GPA their own way.

Frequently asked questions

What is a weighted GPA?

A weighted GPA adds bonus points for harder classes — typically +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP or IB — so the scale runs up to 5.0 instead of 4.0. It rewards students who take a rigorous course load.

How is weighted GPA different from unweighted?

Unweighted GPA caps every class at 4.0 for an A. Weighted GPA gives extra points for honors and AP/IB courses, so the same transcript yields a higher weighted number.

How much does an AP class raise my GPA?

Under the common scale, an AP class adds 1.0 grade point, so an A is worth 5.0 instead of 4.0. The exact effect on your overall GPA depends on the credits and your other grades.

Do colleges use weighted or unweighted GPA?

It varies. Many colleges recalculate GPA using their own method, sometimes stripping out weighting or applying their own. Report the figure your school provides and let admissions adjust it.

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Mustafa Bilgic · Editor, Calcool
The 4.0 grade-point scale and the common +0.5 (honors) / +1.0 (AP/IB) weighting convention reflect typical US high-school practice; the AP program is run by the College Board. Weighting policies vary by school — confirm yours. Math runs in your browser.

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