College GPA Calculator
College GPA runs on credit hours: a 4-credit course moves your GPA four times as much as a 1-credit seminar. This calculator weights every course by its credits exactly like your registrar does, and doubles as a what-if tool for retakes, withdrawals, and grad-school thresholds.
Enter your full transcript for cumulative GPA, or just this term's courses for semester GPA.
Weighted GPA adds +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for AP/IB — many schools use this, some don't. Your transcript's number is what colleges see.
The retake math nobody explains
Retake policies vary: many schools replace the old grade entirely, some average the two, and the original F often stays on your transcript even when excluded from GPA. Before retaking, run both scenarios above — sometimes an A in a new 3-credit course lifts your GPA more than a B+ retake of an old one.
GPA thresholds that actually matter in college
3.0+ keeps most merit scholarships and many grad programs' informal floor; 3.5+ is a common honors-thesis and internship benchmark; below 2.0 is academic probation territory at most schools. Know which threshold you're defending — it changes which classes deserve your best effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate semester GPA vs cumulative GPA?
Semester GPA: enter only this term's courses. Cumulative: enter everything, using credits per course. Cumulative GPA = all grade points ÷ all credits, so past terms with many credits move slowly — that's why one bad semester is survivable.
Do pass/fail courses affect GPA?
No — a pass earns credits without grade points, and a fail at most schools also skips GPA (check your registrar: some count an F in a pass/fail as 0.0). Enter only letter-graded courses above.
How much will one C hurt my GPA?
Depends on its credits relative to your total. Early on, a 3-credit C in a 15-credit term pulls a 3.7 average down to about 3.4 for that semester; by junior year with 60+ credits banked, one C barely moves the needle.
What GPA do I need for grad school?
Many programs screen around 3.0, competitive programs 3.5+, but GPA is one factor among research experience, recommendations, and test scores. Rising GPA trends are read forgivingly — a weak first year followed by strong ones is a common and forgivable story.