The short answer
Quality points are the grade points a class earns, multiplied by its credit hours. A B (3.0) in a 3-credit class is worth 3.0 × 3 = 9 quality points. Add up the quality points for every graded class and divide by the credit hours that count in your GPA. That’s your GPA.
Colleges use quality points so that classes with different credit hours count in proportion to their weight. How to calculate GPA walks through every step.
How to calculate quality points
Quality points for a class = grade points × credit hours
GPA = total quality points ÷ total GPA credit hours
Grade points depend on your school’s scale. On the common 4.0 scale:
| Grade | Grade points | Quality points in a 3-credit class | Quality points in a 4-credit class |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | 12.0 | 16.0 |
| A− | 3.7 | 11.1 | 14.8 |
| B+ | 3.3 | 9.9 | 13.2 |
| B | 3.0 | 9.0 | 12.0 |
| C | 2.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 |
| D | 1.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| F | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
James Madison University’s registrar, for example, defines quality points as the grade’s value multiplied by the credit hours attempted, so a C+ (2.30) in a 3-credit class earns 6.90 quality points.
Worked example: one semester
Here’s one semester with a pass/fail class and a withdrawal mixed in:
| Class | Credits | Grade | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 3 | B+ (3.3) | 9.9 |
| Calculus | 4 | A− (3.7) | 14.8 |
| History | 3 | B (3.0) | 9.0 |
| Chemistry lab | 1 | A (4.0) | 4.0 |
| Seminar | 1 | P (pass) | none |
| Psychology | 3 | W (withdrew) | none |
- Quality points: 9.9 + 14.8 + 9.0 + 4.0 = 37.7
- GPA credit hours: 3 + 4 + 3 + 1 = 11
- GPA: 37.7 ÷ 11 = 3.427…, which rounds to 3.43
The student still earned 12 credits toward graduation (11 graded plus the 1-credit pass), but only 11 of them count in the GPA. Dividing by 12, or by all 15 attempted credits, would give the wrong GPA.
Quality hours, credit hours and earned hours
Your transcript may use several “hours” totals, and schools name them differently:
- Quality hours (or GPA hours): credits from classes with a letter grade, A through F. The University of Toledo defines quality hours as “credit hours of courses for which a grade value was assigned.” This is the number you divide by.
- Earned hours: credits you passed, including pass/fail classes. These count toward graduation.
- Attempted hours: everything you took, including failed classes and, at many schools, withdrawals.
An F is the one that trips people up: it adds credit hours to your GPA total but zero quality points, so it pulls your GPA down. A W usually adds nothing to either. For the full picture on credits, see what are credit hours?.
Use quality points to plan a target GPA
Quality points add up across terms in a way GPAs don’t, so they’re the simplest way to work out a GPA goal.
Example: you have a 3.10 GPA after 45 credits and want a 3.30 after your next 15 credits.
- Quality points you have now: 3.10 × 45 = 139.5
- Quality points you’ll need: 3.30 × 60 = 198.0
- Quality points to earn next term: 198.0 − 139.5 = 58.5
- GPA needed next term: 58.5 ÷ 15 = 3.90
The cumulative GPA calculator does this math for you. For strategies and more examples, see how to raise your GPA.
How far are you from a 2.0?
Good academic standing often starts at a 2.0 GPA (the University of Nebraska at Kearney, for example, asks undergraduates to keep a 2.0 cumulative GPA), but your school sets the cutoff. Quality points tell you how far you are from it:
Points short of a 2.0 = (2.0 × GPA credit hours) − your quality points
Example: 30 GPA credit hours and 54 quality points is a 1.80 GPA. A 2.0 needs 2.0 × 30 = 60 points, so you’re 6 points short. Every credit hour of A earns 2 points more than a 2.0 needs (4 − 2), so one 3-credit A gains 6 points and closes the gap: (54 + 12) ÷ 33 = 2.00. A 3-credit B gains only 3, so it would take two Bs.
If your school allows grade replacement, retaking a failed class can help even more, because the old zero-point grade stops counting. Policies differ, so check yours first. Is a D a passing grade? explains how retakes and standing rules commonly work.
Common mistakes
- Averaging letter grades without credits. A B in a 4-credit class and an A in a 1-credit seminar don’t average to 3.50: the GPA is (12 + 4) ÷ 5 = 3.20. See what are credit hours? for why credits matter.
- Dividing by the wrong total. Divide by GPA credit hours only, not by earned or attempted hours.
- Averaging two GPAs. To combine terms, add the quality points and the GPA hours, then divide. Averaging a 3.0 and a 4.0 only gives 3.5 when both terms have the same credits.
Frequently asked questions
How many quality points is an A?
On a 4.0 scale, an A is worth 4 quality points per credit hour: 12 for a 3-credit class and 16 for a 4-credit class. Schools that give an A+ 4.33 award more for an A+.
Are quality points the same as GPA?
No. Quality points are a running total; GPA is that total divided by your GPA credit hours. Two students can have the same GPA with very different quality point totals if they’ve taken different numbers of credits.
Where can I find my quality points?
They’re usually shown on your unofficial transcript or degree audit in your student portal, often labeled “quality points”, “QP” or “grade points”. You can also calculate them from your grades and credits.
Do pass/fail classes earn quality points?
Usually not. A passed pass/fail class earns credit toward graduation but no quality points and no GPA hours, so it doesn’t change your GPA.
Do transfer credits add quality points?
Often not. At many schools, transfer credits count toward your degree but not your GPA, so they add no quality points. Check your school’s transfer policy, because rules differ and some programs recalculate GPA with all coursework.
Sources
- James Madison University Registrar: Grade point average (quality points = grade value × credit hours attempted; checked 8 November 2026).
- University of Nebraska at Kearney: Academic requirements for good standing (2.0 cumulative GPA; checked 8 November 2026).
- University of Toledo Registrar: Calculating GPA (quality hours, quality points and excluded grades; checked 8 November 2026).