Weighted GPA Calculator
A weighted GPA rewards harder courses by adding bonus grade points for honors, AP and dual-enrollment classes. Because no two schools use exactly the same scale, this calculator puts you in control: enter each course on its own line as base grade points, credit hours, and the bonus your school awards. It then computes the credit-weighted average so that a 4-credit AP class counts more than a 1-credit elective, and shows your unweighted GPA alongside the weighted figure so you can see the effect of the bonuses.
Weighted GPA formula
Course weighted points = base points + bonus
Quality points = weighted points * credit hours
Weighted GPA = sum(quality points) / sum(credit hours)
Unweighted GPA = sum(base points * credit hours) / sum(credit hours)
This is the standard credit-weighted average, with each course's grade points scaled by its credit hours. The bonus is added per course exactly as your school defines it, so the result matches your official transcript policy.
Worked example
Four courses: A (4.0) in a 4-credit AP class with a 1.0 bonus gives 5.0 times 4 = 20.0 quality points. A- (3.7) in a 3-credit honors class with a 0.5 bonus gives 4.2 times 3 = 12.6. A B (3.0) in a 4-credit standard class with no bonus gives 12.0. An A (4.0) in a 1-credit elective gives 4.0. Total quality points = 48.6 over 12 credit hours, so the weighted GPA = 4.05. The unweighted GPA over the same credits is 43.1 / 12 = 3.59.
Weighted GPA: frequently asked questions
What is a weighted GPA?
A weighted GPA adds bonus points to the grade points earned in harder courses such as honors, Advanced Placement (AP) or dual-enrollment classes. A standard unweighted scale tops out at 4.0 for an A, while a weighted scale commonly adds 0.5 for honors and 1.0 for AP, so an A in an AP class can count as 5.0. Because schools differ, this calculator lets you enter the bonus for each course yourself.
How is weighted GPA calculated?
Multiply each course's grade points (base points plus the course bonus) by its credit hours to get quality points, sum the quality points across all courses, then divide by the total credit hours. The result is the credit-weighted average grade point, with the course bonuses included.
Why do colleges sometimes recalculate GPA?
Weighted scales are not standardised across schools, so many colleges recompute applicants' GPAs on their own unweighted or weighted scale to compare students fairly. Because of this, you should treat any weighted GPA as school-specific. This calculator reflects whatever base points and bonuses you enter, matching your own school's published policy.
What base points should I use for each letter grade?
The most common four-point base scale is A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0, with plus and minus variations such as A- = 3.7 or B+ = 3.3. Enter the base points your school uses for each course, then add the honors or AP bonus separately. Always check your school's official grading policy.
Sources and method
- Method: credit-weighted grade-point average, the standard defined in U.S. transcript practice. Base points and bonuses are entered by the user to match their school's published grading policy.
- Grading scale background, U.S. Department of Education resources: ed.gov.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 19 June 2026. See our methodology.