Weighted GPA Calculator
Calculate your weighted and unweighted GPA with AP, Honors, IB, and Dual Enrollment course support.
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Weighted GPA
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Complete reference for 4.0, 4.3, and 5.0 weighted GPA scales with letter grade equivalents.
Weighted vs Unweighted GPA — What Colleges Actually See
Weighted GPA rewards course rigor by adding bonus points to grades in advanced courses, allowing GPAs to exceed 4.0. Unweighted GPA uses the standard 4.0 scale where all courses count equally. Most colleges consider both metrics — unweighted shows raw academic performance, weighted shows your willingness to challenge yourself. If you need a quick look at where letter grades fall on the 4.0 scale, our GPA scale reference breaks down every threshold.
Many admissions offices recalculate GPAs using their own formulas. Some universities only weight Honors courses (+0.5), while others weight both Honors and AP/IB courses (+1.0). The University of California system caps weighted points at 8 semesters. Knowing both your weighted and unweighted GPA helps you understand how colleges might evaluate your transcript. To see how one semester’s weighted GPA folds into your overall standing, the cumulative GPA calculator factors in all your prior credits.
The Formula
Weighted GPA = Σ((Grade Points + Bonus) × Credits) ÷ Total Credits
Bonus points: Regular courses = +0, Honors = +0.5, AP/IB/Dual Enrollment = +1.0
Unweighted GPA = Σ(Grade Points × Credits) ÷ Total Credits
Unweighted uses the standard 4.0 scale with no bonus points regardless of course type.
Worked Example
Maria takes 5 courses: AP Calculus (A, 4 credits), Honors English (B+, 3 credits), Regular History (A, 3 credits), AP Chemistry (A-, 4 credits), Regular PE (A, 1 credit).
Unweighted: (4.0×4 + 3.3×3 + 4.0×3 + 3.7×4 + 4.0×1) / 15 = 3.75
Weighted: (5.0×4 + 3.8×3 + 4.0×3 + 4.7×4 + 4.0×1) / 15 = 4.25
The 0.5 difference comes entirely from her AP and Honors courses. Colleges see both GPAs.
How AP, Honors, and IB Courses Affect Your Weighted GPA
Each course type contributes differently to your weighted GPA. Honors courses add 0.5 bonus points (capping an A at 4.5). AP, IB, and Dual Enrollment courses add 1.0 bonus point (allowing an A to reach 5.0). This weighting varies by school district — some cap weighted GPAs at 4.5 or 5.0, while others allow higher scales.
Importantly, a B in an AP course (4.0 weighted) equals an A in a regular course (4.0 unweighted) on the weighted scale. This means taking advanced courses and earning decent grades still boosts your weighted GPA significantly. Dropped below where you want to be? A GPA recovery plan maps out exactly how many A’s it takes to get back on track.
For Australian students at universities like UniMelb, Monash, and RMIT, weighted GPA isn’t used — instead they use WAM (Weighted Average Mark) from 0-100. Our Australia GPA calculator handles that conversion automatically.
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