Weighted GPA Calculator

1. Enter each course grade point on the 4.0 base, for example 4 for an A.
2. Enter the difficulty bonus for each course in the same order: 0 regular, 0.5 Honors, 1.0 AP or IB.
3. Optionally add credits per course, or leave blank to weight courses equally.
4. Read your weighted GPA, the unweighted GPA and your total credits.

Here is what each result means:

A weighted GPA is a grade point average that gives extra credit for harder courses. Where an unweighted GPA caps every A at 4.0, a weighted GPA adds a bonus, so an A in an AP class can be worth 5.0. It rewards students who take a demanding schedule.

Most US high schools weight Honors courses by about 0.5 and AP or IB courses by about 1.0, then average on a 5.0 scale. Colleges often recalculate using their own rules, but a weighted GPA is what appears on many transcripts and class rank lists.

It adds each course bonus to its grade point, weights by credits, and averages.

1. Add each course difficulty bonus to its grade point.
2. Multiply by the course credits to get weighted points.
3. Add the weighted points and divide by total credits.

To average grades without any difficulty bonus, use the GPA calculator.

Suppose four one-credit courses score 4, 3.7, 4, 3 with bonuses 0.5, 1, 0, 0.5.

Calculation: weighted points = (4.5) + (4.7) + (4.0) + (3.5) = 16.7. Total credits = 4. Weighted GPA = 16.7 / 4 = 4.18. The unweighted GPA is (4 + 3.7 + 4 + 3) / 4 = 3.68.

The bonuses lift the GPA by half a point, which is exactly what a weighted scale is designed to show.

Typical difficulty bonuses. Your school policy is what counts.

The two answer different questions, so colleges often look at both.

An unweighted GPA shows raw performance, while a weighted GPA shows performance adjusted for course rigor.

The Bonus Your School Uses

The biggest factor. Some schools add 0.5 for AP, others 1.0, which changes the weighted result.

How Many Weighted Courses You Take

More Honors and AP courses lift the weighted GPA, since each adds a bonus.

Credit Hours

Higher-credit courses pull harder on the average, so a strong AP result in a heavy course helps more.

Class Rank

Many high schools rank by weighted GPA, so track yours to see where you stand.

College Applications

Report both weighted and unweighted GPAs, since colleges ask for each.

Planning Your Schedule

See how adding an AP course could change your weighted GPA before you enroll.

1. Using the Wrong Bonus

Applying a 1.0 AP bonus when your school uses 0.5 overstates the GPA. Check your policy.

2. Weighting a Regular Course

Only add a bonus to courses that actually carry one, or the GPA inflates.

3. Forgetting Credits

If courses carry different credits, equal weighting is wrong. Enter the credits.

4. Comparing a Weighted GPA to an Unweighted Cut-off

A 4.2 weighted GPA is not a 4.2 unweighted GPA. Match like with like.

5. Mixing Scales

Keep grade points on the same 4.0 base before adding bonuses.

The math is exact for the values you enter, but school weighting rules differ.

A weighted GPA adds bonus points for harder courses, so an A in an AP class can be worth 5.0 instead of 4.0. It rewards a demanding schedule and often appears on transcripts and class rank lists.

On a weighted scale, top grades in AP or IB courses each earn a 1.0 bonus, lifting an A from 4.0 to 5.0. A student with straight A grades in all AP courses can reach a 5.0 weighted GPA.

Most schools add about 0.5 for Honors and 1.0 for AP or IB, though policies vary. Enter the bonus your school actually uses.

An unweighted GPA caps every A at 4.0, while a weighted GPA adds difficulty bonuses. Unweighted shows raw grades; weighted adjusts for course rigor.

Many colleges recalculate using their own scale, but they usually ask for both. Report your weighted and unweighted GPAs as your school reports them.

Yes, if your courses carry different credits. A high-credit course pulls harder on the average, so enter credits when they differ.

Yes, at schools that give bonuses larger than 1.0 or add extra weight for dual enrollment. This tool supports any bonus you enter.

Taking more weighted courses and scoring well in them raises it. A weak grade in a high-credit course lowers it, so protect your grades in demanding classes.

No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere, unless you choose Save, which keeps the result only in this browser.

• Academic grading in the United States (Wikipedia, weighted and unweighted GPA).
• Weighted mean explained (Maths Is Fun).
• Percentage and averages (Corporate Finance Institute).