The fastest way to find your high school GPA is to request your official transcript from the school you attended. Your transcript lists every course you took, the grade you earned, and your cumulative GPA. If you no longer have access to your school or need a quick estimate, you can also calculate it yourself using your grades and a standard 4.0 scale.
Request Your Official Transcript
Your high school keeps a permanent record of your grades, and your GPA is printed right on your transcript. To get a copy, contact the school’s main office or registrar. Many schools let you request transcripts by phone, email, or through an online portal. You’ll typically need to provide your full name (as it appeared in school records), your date of birth, and the year you graduated or last attended. Some schools charge a small fee per copy, while others provide them free, especially for current students or recent graduates.
If you’re not sure how to reach the school, search for its name online. Most schools list transcript request instructions on their website. Some districts also have a central office that handles all transcript requests for schools in the area.
Using Parchment or Other Online Services
Many high schools have partnered with Parchment, a digital platform that stores and delivers transcripts electronically. To use it, search for your school on the Parchment website, create an account, and place an order. The name, date of birth, and address you enter must match the information your school has on file, or the request will be rejected. Parchment can also send your transcript directly to a college or employer if needed.
Other similar services exist, so check whether your school uses a different platform. The school’s website will usually point you to the right one.
What to Do If Your School Closed
If your high school no longer exists, your records weren’t lost. For public schools, the local school district typically absorbs student records when a school shuts down. Contact the district office where the school was located and ask for archived transcripts.
For private schools, the process takes a bit more digging. Try these options in order:
- The custodian of records: When a private school closes, it designates someone to hold student files. Your state’s department of education may list this person in its private school directory.
- A religious affiliation: If the school was connected to a church or denomination, contact the associated church, regional office, or local diocese. They often retain academic records.
- The local school district: Some districts store records from closed private schools in their area.
- Parchment: The platform offers transcript recovery services that may be able to locate records from closed institutions.
Calculate Your GPA Yourself
If you have your report cards, old transcripts, or even a list of your final grades, you can calculate your GPA manually. The standard unweighted scale used by most high schools assigns point values to each letter grade:
- A (90–100): 4.0 points
- B (80–89): 3.0 points
- C (70–79): 2.0 points
- D (66–69): 1.0 point
- F (below 65): 0.0 points
Add up the point values for all your classes, then divide by the total number of classes. For example, if you took five classes and earned grades of A, A, A, B, and C, your calculation would look like this: (4.0 + 4.0 + 4.0 + 3.0 + 2.0) ÷ 5 = 3.4 GPA.
This gives you an unweighted GPA, which treats all classes equally. If your school used a weighted scale, honors and AP courses may have been worth up to 5.0 points per A instead of 4.0. A self-calculated GPA is useful for personal reference, but colleges and employers will generally want the official number from your transcript.
When You Need More Than Just the Number
If you’re applying to college, transferring schools, or filling out a job application, the institution asking for your GPA usually wants it verified through an official transcript rather than self-reported. An unofficial copy (sometimes available for free) works for personal reference, but official copies come sealed or sent electronically with verification that the document hasn’t been altered. When you request your transcript, specify whether you need an official or unofficial version so the school sends the right one.