Cumulative GPA Calculator
Combine your previous academic record with new semester courses to calculate your updated cumulative GPA. Get instant results with trend analysis, charts, and what-if projections.
Calculate Your Cumulative GPA
Previous Academic Record
Enter your existing cumulative GPA and total credit hours before this semester.
Your Cumulative GPA Results
Grade Thresholds
What-If Scenarios
Credit Distribution by Semester
Semester GPA Comparison
Per-Course Grade Performance
Grade Distribution
Strongest Courses
Areas for Improvement
Cumulative GPA Impact Analysis
Which new courses affected your cumulative GPA the most?
You May Also Need
Semester GPA Calculator
Calculate your GPA for a single semester by entering course grades and credit hours separately from your cumulative record.
Raise GPA Calculator
Find out exactly what grades you need in future semesters to raise your cumulative GPA to your target.
GPA Scale Converter
Convert your GPA between 4.0, 4.33, percentage, and international grading scales.
Standard US 4.0 GPA Scale
| Letter Grade | Grade Points | Percentage | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 | 97 – 100% | Exceptional |
| A | 4.0 | 93 – 96% | Excellent |
| A- | 3.7 | 90 – 92% | Very Good |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87 – 89% | Good |
| B | 3.0 | 83 – 86% | Above Average |
| B- | 2.7 | 80 – 82% | Satisfactory |
| C+ | 2.3 | 77 – 79% | Average |
| C | 2.0 | 73 – 76% | Adequate |
| C- | 1.7 | 70 – 72% | Below Average |
| D+ | 1.3 | 67 – 69% | Poor |
| D | 1.0 | 63 – 66% | Below Standard |
| D- | 0.7 | 60 – 62% | Marginal Pass |
| F | 0.0 | 0 – 59% | Failing |
How to Use This Cumulative GPA Calculator
This cumulative GPA calculator combines your previous academic record with new semester courses to produce an updated cumulative GPA. Start by entering your existing cumulative GPA and the total credit hours you completed before the current term. These two numbers represent your entire academic history up to this point.
Next, add your current semester courses. For each course, type the course name, select the number of credit hours, and choose the letter grade you earned or expect. The calculator starts with one semester by default, but you can click Add Semester to include courses from multiple new terms at once.
After you fill in at least one course, click Calculate Cumulative GPA to see your results. The dashboard shows your new cumulative GPA in a visual ring, a trend indicator showing whether your GPA went up or down, threshold progress bars, what-if scenario projections, and four detailed charts.
You can add or remove courses within any semester, add additional semesters, or change your previous academic record at any time. Recalculate as often as you need to explore different grade combinations. If you only need to check a single semester’s GPA, our GPA calculator handles that without requiring previous academic records.
What Is a Cumulative GPA?
Your cumulative GPA is the weighted average of every grade you have earned across all semesters at your institution. While a semester GPA only reflects one term of coursework, the cumulative GPA captures your full academic performance from enrollment to the present. It is the number that appears on your official transcript and the figure most graduate schools, employers, and scholarship committees evaluate.
Cumulative GPA matters because it smooths out the ups and downs of individual semesters. A rough first semester does not permanently define your academic record if you perform well afterward. Conversely, a single outstanding semester cannot completely mask consistently lower performance. The cumulative GPA reflects sustained effort over time, which is why admissions committees and hiring managers rely on it as a measure of academic consistency.
Most US colleges and universities calculate cumulative GPA on the standard 4.0 scale. Each letter grade maps to a specific number of grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, and so on), and credit hours serve as the weight for each course. Understanding this system helps you plan strategically, especially when you are aiming for honors, graduate school admission, or scholarship renewal.
Cumulative GPA vs. Semester GPA: What’s the Difference?
Students often confuse semester GPA with cumulative GPA, but they serve different purposes. Your semester GPA measures performance in a single academic term. It resets each semester and gives you a snapshot of how you performed over those few months. You can calculate semester GPA using our semester GPA calculator.
Your cumulative GPA is the running average of all semesters combined. When you complete a new term, your cumulative GPA updates by incorporating the new grades alongside everything that came before. Because cumulative GPA includes more data points, it tends to change less dramatically from semester to semester, especially after you have accumulated many credit hours.
Here is a quick comparison:
- Semester GPA: Covers one term only. Recalculated from scratch each semester. Useful for tracking short-term progress and identifying trends.
- Cumulative GPA: Covers all terms. Builds on your entire academic history. Used by graduate schools, employers, and for honors/standing determinations.
Both numbers appear on your transcript, but the cumulative GPA carries more weight in most external evaluations. If you want to see how your grades in individual classes contribute to your class-level average before factoring them into your GPA, try our grade calculator.
How to Calculate Cumulative GPA (Step-by-Step Formula)
The formula for cumulative GPA builds on the same quality-point system used for semester GPA, but it incorporates your entire academic record. The core formula is:
Breaking this down: multiply your previous cumulative GPA by the total credit hours you had already completed. Then, for each new course, multiply the grade points by the credit hours to get quality points. Sum all new quality points and add them to the previous total. Finally, divide by the combined credit hours.
Worked Example: Maria’s Cumulative GPA
- Organic Chemistry (4 credits) — Grade: B+ (3.3)
- Statistics (3 credits) — Grade: A (4.0)
- English Literature (3 credits) — Grade: A- (3.7)
- Psychology 201 (3 credits) — Grade: B (3.0)
- Spanish II (2 credits) — Grade: A (4.0)
First, calculate the quality points for each new course:
Now apply the cumulative GPA formula:
Maria’s cumulative GPA rose from 3.20 to 3.29 after a strong semester. Notice that even though her semester GPA was 3.55 (53.3 / 15), the cumulative only moved 0.09 points because her 45 existing credits dilute the effect of 15 new credits.
Why Your Cumulative GPA Matters
Your cumulative GPA serves as the single most cited number in your academic record. Here are the areas where it has the most direct impact:
- Graduate and professional school admissions: Programs in law, medicine, business, and other fields evaluate your cumulative GPA as a primary admissions factor. Medical schools using AMCAS recalculate your GPA across all undergraduate coursework, including retakes.
- Scholarships and financial aid: Many scholarships require a minimum cumulative GPA (often 3.0 or 3.5) to maintain funding. Dropping below the threshold can result in losing thousands of dollars per year.
- Academic standing and honors: Dean’s List (typically 3.5+), cum laude (3.5+), magna cum laude (3.7+), and summa cum laude (3.9+) designations are based on cumulative GPA. These distinctions appear on your diploma and resume.
- Employer screening: Some employers in finance, consulting, engineering, and tech screen applicants by cumulative GPA. A 3.0 or 3.5 cutoff is common for internships and entry-level positions.
- Major requirements: Many departments require a minimum cumulative GPA (usually 2.5 or 3.0) to declare or remain in a major. Falling below can mean switching programs.
If you want to estimate your GPA specifically in the context of college-level courses, our college GPA calculator provides features tailored to undergraduate degree tracking.
How to Raise Your Cumulative GPA
Raising a cumulative GPA requires sustained high performance over multiple semesters, and the difficulty increases as you accumulate more credits. Here are practical strategies that actually work:
- Calculate your exact target. Use our raise GPA calculator to determine the minimum GPA you need each semester to reach your goal. Knowing the number takes the guesswork out of planning.
- Front-load high-confidence courses. If you need to boost your GPA quickly, take courses where you are most likely to earn A grades. This is not about avoiding challenges—it is about strategic sequencing.
- Maximize credit hours in strong semesters. A 4.0 semester in 18 credits moves your cumulative GPA more than a 4.0 semester in 12 credits. Take heavier loads when you are performing well and lighter loads during difficult terms.
- Retake courses strategically. If your school offers grade replacement, retaking a course where you earned a D or F can have a significant impact. Replacing an F (0.0) with an A (4.0) in a 3-credit course adds 12 quality points to your record.
- Use summer and winter sessions. These shorter terms often have focused course loads and smaller class sizes, which can make it easier to earn high grades. The credits still count toward your cumulative GPA.
Common Cumulative GPA Mistakes
Students frequently make errors when tracking or calculating their cumulative GPA. Avoid these pitfalls:
- Averaging semester GPAs without weighting. A semester with 18 credits counts more than a semester with 12 credits. You cannot simply average GPAs from each term. Always weight by credit hours.
- Forgetting about grade replacement rules. If you retook a course, check whether your school counts the old grade, the new grade, or both. This directly affects your cumulative GPA and many students miscalculate because they assume the old grade disappears.
- Ignoring pass/fail or incomplete grades. Pass/fail courses typically do not affect GPA (the credits may count for graduation but the grade does not enter the GPA formula). Incomplete (I) grades may convert to an F if not resolved, which would damage your cumulative GPA.
- Confusing institutional GPA with overall GPA. Your cumulative GPA at your current school only includes courses taken there. Transfer credits usually count for requirements but not for GPA. Graduate schools may recalculate a combined GPA from all institutions.
- Not accounting for credit-hour differences. A C in a 4-credit lecture course hurts your GPA more than a C in a 1-credit lab. When planning your course load, factor in how many credits each course carries and how confident you are in earning a high grade.