Grades: Calculate GPA
How to Calculate Your GPA
Your Grade Point Average (GPA) is determined by dividing total Quality Points by GPA Hours. The Quality Points earned for a course are the number of credits the course is worth multiplied by the numerical value of the grade you earned:
| Grade | Value |
|---|---|
| A | 4.000 |
| A- | 3.670 |
| Grade | Value |
|---|---|
| B+ | 3.330 |
| B | 3.000 |
| B- | 2.670 |
| Grade | Value |
|---|---|
| C+ | 2.330 |
| C | 2.000 |
| C- | 1.670 |
| Grade | Value |
|---|---|
| D+ | 1.330 |
| D | 1.000 |
| D- | 0.670 |
| Grade | Value |
|---|---|
| F | 0.000 |
Example Calculation
The following example is based on six courses attempted:
| Course | GPA Hours: | Grade Earned: | Credit Hours Earned: | Numerical Value of Grade: | Calculation | Quality Points Earned: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Course | 3.000 | A | 3.000 | 4.000 | 3.000 x 4.000 | 12.000 |
| 2nd Course | 3.000 | C+ | 3.000 | 2.330 | 3.000 x 2.330 | 6.990 |
| 3rd Course | 4.000 | B- | 4.000 | 2.670 | 4.000 x 2.670 | 10.680 |
| 4th Course | 2.000 | F | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 x 0.000 | 0.000 |
| 5th Course | 0.000 | W | 0.000 | - | - | - |
| 6th Course | 0.000 | P | 3.000 | - | - | - |
| TOTALS | 12.000 | - | 13.000 | - | - | 29.670 |
The "F" grade for the fourth course counts as 2 GPA hours and 0 credits earned. Since a grade of "F" is associated with a numerical value of 0, no quality points are earned. The sixth course with a grade of "P" (Pass) carries no GPA hours and because there is no numerical value associated with a "P" grade, it is not used in GPA calculation, but will count towards total credits earned. Therefore, in this example, the total GPA Hours = 12.000 and total Credits Hours Earned = 13.000.
The GPA is computed by dividing the total quality points by GPA Hours. The GPA for these six courses is 29.670 / 12.000 = 2.473.
How Grades Impact Your Cumulative GPA
Cumulative GPAs are determined by taking your total number of Quality Points and dividing it by your total amount of GPA Hours. A cumulative GPA is dependent on several factors, such as:
- How many credits are being used in the GPA calculation (GPA Hours).
- Grades earned in those courses.
- How many GPA Hours have been completed in previous terms, as the cumulative GPA becomes harder to change over time. As more GPA hours are completed, the less impact Quality Points have when a cumulative GPA is calculated.
In your early semesters, each grade is a big percentage of your total credits, so it moves the GPA a lot. By the time you’re a junior or senior, each grade is only a tiny fraction of your total, so it barely changes the average. The more credits you have, the harder your GPA is to move. The weight of one grade in one course shrinks as the total earned credits increase.
Example:
FIRST YEAR
- If a student has only 15 earned credits:
- A single 3-credit grade of A (4.000) is 20% of their total earned credits.
- A grade of B (3.000) or a grade of D (1.000) can shift a GPA dramatically.
JUNIOR YEAR
- If a student has 90 earned credits:
- A 3-credit course is only 3% of their total earned credits.
- A grade of A (or F) barely nudges the cumulative GPA.