Weighted GPA Calculator
Weighted GPA rewards rigor: Honors courses get +0.5 and AP/IB courses +1.0 on the 4.0 scale, which is how students end up with GPAs above 4.0. Set each course's type above and you'll see weighted and unweighted side by side — the two numbers colleges may parse differently.
Not every school uses +0.5/+1.0 — some add a flat +1.0 to all advanced courses, others weight by year. Match your school's transcript by choosing course types here.
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 strategic question: B in AP or A in regular?
On a weighted scale, a B in AP (3.0 + 1.0 = 4.0) equals an A in a regular course (4.0) — that's the whole point of weighting. Unweighted, the A wins 4.0 to 3.0. Since colleges see both numbers and read rigor positively, the AP B is usually the stronger signal — but run both schedules through the calculator to see your real numbers.
Why colleges recalculate your GPA
Every high school weights differently, so many colleges strip weighting and rebuild GPA from your raw grades in core academic courses. Your weighted 4.6 might recalculate to a 3.8 unweighted — neither number is "wrong," they answer different questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good weighted GPA?
Because scales differ (some cap at 5.0, some 6.0), a 4.0+ weighted is strong at a +1.0-for-AP school, while "good" at a 6.0-scale school looks different. Compare against your school's valedictorian scale, not a national number.
Can weighted GPA be over 4.0?
Yes — that's normal for AP-heavy students at +1.0 schools. Straight A's in all AP courses = 5.0 weighted with a 4.0 unweighted underneath.
Do colleges prefer weighted or unweighted GPA?
They look at both: unweighted for the raw achievement story, weighted (and your course list) for rigor. Selective schools explicitly value the B in AP over the A in regular in most cases.
How do dual enrollment credits get weighted?
It varies — many schools weight dual enrollment like AP (+1.0), others treat it as regular. Check your school's profile document; when in doubt, calculate both ways above.