Your unweighted GPA is the simple average of your grades on a 4.0 scale, where every class counts the same regardless of difficulty. Unlike a weighted GPA, an AP or honors course doesn’t get bonus points. You calculate it by converting each letter grade to a number, then averaging those numbers across all your classes.
Letter Grade Point Values
Every unweighted GPA calculation starts by converting letter grades to their point values on a standard 4.0 scale:
- A = 4.0
- A- = 3.7
- B+ = 3.3
- B = 3.0
- B- = 2.7
- C+ = 2.3
- C = 2.0
- C- = 1.7
- D+ = 1.3
- D = 1.0
- F = 0.0
Some high schools don’t use plus/minus grading. If yours doesn’t, you only need the whole-number values: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0. Check your transcript to see which system your school uses, because it affects the math.
The Basic Formula
If all your classes carry the same weight (no credit hours to worry about), the formula is straightforward. Add up the grade points for every class, then divide by the number of classes.
Say you took five classes and earned three A’s, one B, and one C. That looks like this:
(4.0 + 4.0 + 4.0 + 3.0 + 2.0) ÷ 5 = 3.4 GPA
That’s it. A 3.4 unweighted GPA. Notice that even if one of those A’s came from AP Chemistry and another from a regular elective, they both count as 4.0. The “unweighted” part means you treat every course equally.
When Credit Hours Matter
In college, and at some high schools, courses carry different numbers of credits. A four-credit science lab counts more toward your GPA than a one-credit seminar. When that’s the case, you need a slightly different approach.
For each course, multiply the grade point value by the number of credits. The result is sometimes called “quality points.” Then add up all the quality points and divide by the total number of credits.
Here’s an example with four courses:
- English (3 credits, grade A): 4.0 × 3 = 12.0 quality points
- Biology (4 credits, grade B+): 3.3 × 4 = 13.2 quality points
- History (3 credits, grade A-): 3.7 × 3 = 11.1 quality points
- Art (1 credit, grade B): 3.0 × 1 = 3.0 quality points
Total quality points: 12.0 + 13.2 + 11.1 + 3.0 = 39.3
Total credits: 3 + 4 + 3 + 1 = 11
GPA: 39.3 ÷ 11 = 3.57
This method gives more influence to courses that meet more often and carry more academic weight, which is why colleges use it. If you just averaged the four grade point values without accounting for credits, you’d get 3.5, a slightly different number. The credit-weighted method is more accurate when course loads vary.
Semester vs. Cumulative GPA
A semester GPA uses only the courses from one term. A cumulative GPA covers every course you’ve taken so far. The process is the same either way. For a cumulative GPA, just include all courses from all semesters in one calculation rather than separating them out.
If your school provides semester GPAs on your transcript but you want a cumulative number, gather the grade and credit value for every course across all terms, then run the quality points calculation on the full set. Don’t average your semester GPAs together, because semesters with more credits should count more heavily.
Calculating Your GPA by Hand
Here’s a step-by-step process you can follow right now with a piece of paper or spreadsheet:
- Step 1: List every course along with your letter grade and credit hours (if applicable).
- Step 2: Convert each letter grade to its point value using the scale above.
- Step 3: If your courses have different credit hours, multiply each point value by its credits. If all courses are equal, skip this step.
- Step 4: Add up all the point values (or quality points).
- Step 5: Divide by the total number of courses (or total credits).
The result is your unweighted GPA, rounded to two decimal places.
Why Colleges Care About Unweighted GPA
Weighted GPAs can exceed 4.0 because schools award extra points for advanced classes, but grading policies differ wildly from school to school. One school might give a full extra point for AP classes, while another gives half a point. That inconsistency makes weighted GPAs hard to compare across applicants.
Unweighted GPA puts everyone on the same 4.0 scale, giving admissions officers a cleaner baseline. They can see your raw grade performance and then look separately at your course rigor. So if you took five AP classes and earned mostly A’s and B’s, an admissions reader will note both your solid unweighted GPA and the fact that you challenged yourself with harder coursework. The two pieces of information work together, but the unweighted number keeps the comparison fair.
That said, a 3.8 unweighted GPA built on AP and honors courses generally looks stronger than a 4.0 built entirely on standard-level classes. Admissions teams review your transcript in context, not as a single number.
Checking Your Work
Most schools post your GPA on your official transcript, so once you calculate yours by hand, compare it to what your school reports. If the numbers don’t match, the most common reasons are that your school uses a different plus/minus scale, excludes certain courses (like PE or study hall), or rounds differently. Your school counselor can clarify which courses factor into the official calculation and what scale your school follows.