The short answer
GPA stands for grade point average. It’s one number that sums up your grades. Each letter grade is worth a set number of points. On the common 4.0 scale, A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1 and F = 0. Your GPA is the average of those points, usually weighted by how many credits each class is worth. A 3.0 GPA means a B average, and a 4.0 means straight As.
What does GPA mean?
A GPA turns a list of letter grades into a single number that’s easy to compare. The University of Delaware’s registrar, for example, defines GPA as quality points divided by quality hours. In plain terms, that’s each class’s grade points times its credits, divided by the credits that count in your GPA.
The College Board describes it simply as “the overall number that represents your academic performance.” High schools and colleges both use it, and it appears on your transcript.
The 4.0 GPA scale
Most US schools use a 4.0 scale. The main grades usually look like this:
| Letter grade | Grade points |
|---|---|
| A | 4.0 |
| A− | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B− | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
On an unweighted scale, 4.0 is the highest GPA. Weighted scales, used by many high schools, add a bonus for Honors, AP or IB classes, so a weighted GPA can go above 4.0. What is the highest GPA? covers each scale’s maximum.
How GPA is calculated (the short version)
GPA = total (grade points × credits) ÷ total credits
Example: an A in a 4-credit class, a B in a 3-credit class and a C in a 1-credit lab.
- Grade points × credits: (4.0 × 4) + (3.0 × 3) + (2.0 × 1) = 16 + 9 + 2 = 27
- Total credits: 4 + 3 + 1 = 8
- GPA: 27 ÷ 8 = 3.375, which rounds to 3.38
A plain average of A, B and C would be 3.0. The GPA is higher because the A was in the class worth the most credits. That’s why credits matter. In many high schools every full-year class has the same credit, so the GPA is just the average of the grade points.
For step-by-step instructions, see how to calculate GPA. What are credit hours? and what are quality points? explain the two pieces of the formula.
Types of GPA
- Term GPA (semester GPA): your GPA for one term only.
- Cumulative GPA (overall GPA): your GPA for every term at your school combined. This is the number most people mean by “your GPA.”
- Unweighted GPA: every class uses the same 4.0 scale.
- Weighted GPA: Honors, AP or IB classes earn extra points, so the GPA can go above 4.0. See weighted vs unweighted GPA.
- Recalculated GPA: colleges may recalculate your high school GPA with their own rules. The College Board says they may leave out non-core classes such as physical education or electives, or remove honors weighting so applicants from different schools can be compared fairly.
What is GPA used for?
- College admissions. Colleges look at your high school GPA, often recalculated their own way, along with the classes you took.
- Academic standing in college. Many colleges require a minimum cumulative GPA to stay in good standing. The University of Nebraska at Kearney, for example, asks undergraduates to keep at least a 2.0.
- Federal financial aid. To keep federal aid, students must meet their school’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. For programs longer than two academic years, federal rules require that policy to check for at least a C average (or its equivalent) by the end of the second year. Academic standing consistent with graduation also counts.
- Scholarships, honors and programs. Many scholarships, honor societies and programs set a minimum GPA. Check each one’s rules.
What’s a good GPA?
A 3.0 is a solid B average. For comparison, US high school graduates in 2019 had an average GPA of 3.11, according to the federal High School Transcript Study. Whether a GPA is “good” depends on your goals, so see what is a good GPA? for a chart of what each GPA means, and how to raise your GPA if you want a higher one. To find your own number, see how to check your GPA.
GPA outside the US
GPA isn’t used everywhere. Grading systems vary by country, and some universities report a cumulative GPA (often called CGPA) on scales other than 4.0. What is CGPA? explains how it’s calculated and converted. If you’re converting grades for an application, follow the receiving school’s own conversion rules. The GPA scale chart covers common scales.
Frequently asked questions
What does GPA stand for?
GPA stands for grade point average: the average of the grade points you’ve earned, usually weighted by credits.
What is an overall GPA?
Your overall GPA is your cumulative GPA: the GPA for all the classes you’ve taken at your school, across every term. It’s different from a term GPA, which covers one semester.
Is a 4.0 GPA good?
Yes. On an unweighted 4.0 scale, a 4.0 is usually the highest possible GPA and means straight As. With a weighted GPA, it’s possible to go above 4.0.
Do all classes count in my GPA?
Usually only classes with a letter grade count. Pass/fail classes and withdrawals typically don’t affect your GPA, and transfer credits often don’t count at your new college. Colleges reviewing applications may also leave out non-core classes.
What’s the difference between GPA and CGPA?
CGPA means cumulative grade point average, the same thing US schools call cumulative or overall GPA. The term is common outside the US, where the scale may differ from 4.0. See what is CGPA?.
Sources
- University of Delaware Registrar: Unofficial transcripts (GPA = quality points ÷ quality hours; term and cumulative GPA; checked 10 November 2026).
- College Board BigFuture: How do you calculate your GPA in high school? (definition; colleges may recalculate GPA; checked 10 November 2026).
- University of Nebraska at Kearney: Academic requirements for good standing (2.0 cumulative GPA; checked 8 November 2026).
- 34 CFR 668.34, Satisfactory academic progress (Cornell Legal Information Institute) (C average or equivalent by the end of the second year; checked 10 November 2026).
- National Assessment Governing Board: High School Transcript Study press release (average GPA 3.11 in 2019; checked 4 November 2026).