Free GPA calculator for US college and high school students. Calculate your college GPA or cumulative GPA on the standard 4.0 scale with letter grades and credit hours — plus see your academic standing and graduation honors threshold.
4.0 scale — high school & college
Enter each course, your letter grade, and the credit hours. Click the + button to add more courses.
| Course Name | Grade | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|
Nearly every US college and university uses a 4.0 GPA scale for grading. An A or A+ equals 4.0, a B equals 3.0, a C equals 2.0, a D equals 1.0, and an F is 0.0. Schools that use +/- modifiers assign values like A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, and B− = 2.7. This grade calculator uses the weighted credit hour method — the standard approach for computing a cumulative GPA. A 3-credit course with an A and a 4-credit course with a B contribute differently to your overall average because the credit hours reflect the time and workload each course demands. High school uses a similar scale, but may offer weighted GPA for AP, IB, or honors courses (adding 0.5 or 1.0 grade points) — this calculator uses the standard unweighted 4.0 scale.
Your GPA has direct consequences for academic standing, scholarships, graduate school admission, and professional school eligibility. A cumulative GPA below 2.0 puts most US students at risk of academic probation and potential dismissal. Scholarship programs like the federal HOPE Scholarship (available in Georgia, Tennessee, and other states) require maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA each semester. Law school applicants to top-25 schools typically need a GPA of 3.7 or higher — and the AAMC reports the median GPA for US medical school matriculants is 3.72. Even after a rough semester, you can calculate exactly what grades you need in future semesters to pull your cumulative GPA up to your target — use this grade calculator to run those scenarios before registration.
Most US universities require a semester GPA of 3.5 or higher to qualify for the Dean's List. Some schools set the bar at 3.7. Dean's List recognition appears on your official transcript and is valued by employers and graduate programs alike.
Cum Laude: typically 3.5+. Magna Cum Laude: 3.7+. Summa Cum Laude: 3.9+ (some schools require a 4.0). Exact thresholds vary by institution — check your college's academic catalog for the specific cutoffs that apply to you.
Top law schools (T14) prefer a GPA of 3.7 or higher. US medical schools had a median admitted GPA of 3.72 (AAMC 2023 data). MBA programs at top business schools typically admit students with GPAs of 3.5+ combined with strong GMAT/GRE scores.
Most US universities place students on academic probation when cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 — the equivalent of a straight-C average. Two consecutive semesters on probation often triggers academic dismissal. Federal financial aid (Pell Grants, loans) can be suspended for students who fail Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards.