High School GPA Calculator: Track Your GPA for College
Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is one of the most important numbers on your college application. Colleges look at both your unweighted GPA (all classes count equally) and your weighted GPA (honors and AP classes get bonus points).
This calculator is built for high school students in 9th-12th grade. Enter your courses by year, mark which ones are honors or AP, and the calculator shows both your unweighted and weighted GPAs. You can track your GPA across all four years of high school and see how it changes as you add new courses.
Colleges use your GPA to decide admissions and scholarships, so it is important to know where you stand.
Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA
Your high school transcript shows two GPAs:
Unweighted GPA (4.0 scale). All classes are treated equally. An A in a regular class = 4.0. An A in an AP class = 4.0. The maximum is 4.0.
This is what most colleges use when they report average GPAs for admitted students.
Weighted GPA (often 5.0 scale). Advanced classes get bonus points. An A in an honors class = 4.5. An A in an AP class = 5.0. The maximum can be above 4.0 (often 5.0 or higher).
Colleges use weighted GPA to see if you challenged yourself with hard classes. A 3.8 weighted GPA with 5 AP classes looks better than a 4.0 unweighted GPA with no advanced classes.
This calculator shows both. Enter your courses, mark the level (standard, honors, AP/IB), and toggle “Show weighted GPA” on to see both numbers.
How Course Levels Affect Your GPA
High schools offer courses at different levels. Here is how they affect your weighted GPA:
Standard (Regular) No bonus. An A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0.
Honors +0.5 bonus. An A = 4.5, B = 3.5, C = 2.5.
AP / IB +1.0 bonus. An A = 5.0, B = 4.0, C = 3.0.
Dual Enrollment +1.0 bonus (same as AP). College courses taken while in high school.
The bonus only applies to your weighted GPA. Your unweighted GPA treats all classes equally, so an A is always 4.0 regardless of level.
Colleges prefer AP and honors courses because they’re more rigorous. Taking these classes (and doing well) shows academic rigor.
Organizing Courses by Year
The calculator lets you enter courses by grade level: 9th grade (freshman), 10th grade (sophomore), 11th grade (junior), 12th grade (senior).
This helps you see how your GPA changes over time. Maybe you had a rough freshman year (3.2 GPA) but improved sophomore year (3.6 GPA). Or maybe you took more AP classes junior year, and your weighted GPA jumped from 4.1 to 4.5.
The calculator shows:
- Year GPA: Your GPA for that grade (unweighted and weighted)
- Cumulative GPA: Your overall GPA, including all years so far
You can add courses for future years, like if you are a sophomore planning your junior year schedule, to see how different courses affect your projected GPA.
Core vs. Elective Classes
When you add courses, you can mark them as core academic or elective.
Core classes are the main academic subjects: English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language. These are what colleges care about most.
Electives are everything else: PE, Art, Music, Computers, etc.
The calculator shows a separate Core GPA, your GPA for just the core academic classes. Some colleges recalculate your GPA using only core classes, ignoring electives like PE or Art.
For example, if you got straight A’s in academics but a B in PE, your overall GPA might be 3.95, but your core GPA is still 4.0.
Mark your courses correctly so you see the GPA colleges will actually use.
What is a Good High School GPA?
GPA expectations vary by college:
4.0 unweighted (or close): Top-tier schools (Ivy League, Stanford, MIT). You need nearly straight A’s in the hardest classes.
3.7–3.9 unweighted: Competitive schools (UC Berkeley, University of Michigan, UVA). Mostly A’s with a few A-‘s or B+’s.
3.5–3.69 unweighted: Good state schools. Mix of A’s and B’s.
3.0–3.49 unweighted: Most state schools, many private colleges. Mostly B’s with some A’s.
Below 3.0: Community college or less selective schools.
Weighted GPAs are higher. A 4.3 weighted GPA with AP classes is strong. A 4.7+ weighted GPA is excellent.
These are rough guidelines. Colleges also look at test scores, extracurriculars, and essays. But GPA is the most important factor.
When to Calculate Your GPA
Freshman year (9th grade): Check your GPA after each semester to make sure you are on track. Freshman GPA matters, but there is time to improve.
Sophomore year (10th grade): This is when GPA starts to matter more. Colleges look at the 10th-12th grade closely.
Junior year (11th grade): The most important year. Take harder classes (AP, honors) and keep your GPA high. This is what colleges see when you apply.
Senior year (12th grade): First semester matters for college apps. Second-semester matters for keeping admission (do not slack off after being accepted).
Track your GPA every semester. It is easier to maintain a good GPA than to fix a bad one.
How Colleges Use Your GPA
Colleges use GPA in several ways:
Admissions decisions: Your GPA (along with test scores) determines if you get in. Higher GPA = better chances.
Scholarship eligibility: Many scholarships require a minimum GPA (often 3.0, 3.5, or 3.7).
Honors programs: Some college honors programs require a 3.5+ GPA to join.
Course rigor: Colleges don’t just look at the number; they look at whether you took hard classes. A 3.7 with 6 AP classes is better than a 4.0 with no AP classes.
GPA recalculation: Some colleges recalculate your GPA using their own formula (core classes only, specific weighting, etc.). Your school’s GPA might not match what colleges see.
Use this calculator to understand both your unweighted and weighted GPAs. Colleges want both numbers.
FAQ: High School GPA Calculator
Do colleges care more about weighted or unweighted GPA?
Both. Colleges use unweighted GPA to compare students fairly since schools weight differently, but they also look at weighted GPA to see if you took hard classes. Report on your applications.
Can my weighted GPA be above 5.0?
Yes, if you take many AP classes. Some students have weighted GPAs of 5.2, 5.5, or even higher. The maximum depends on how many advanced classes you take and your school’s weighting policy.
What if my school does not offer honors or AP classes?
Colleges know what courses your school offers. If your school does not have AP, you won’t be penalized. But if your school has 20 AP classes and you took zero, that looks bad.
Should I use my GPA from my transcript or from this calculator?
Use your official transcript. This calculator is a tool for estimating and planning, but your transcript is the official record. If the numbers are close, that’s good. If they’re very different, check your inputs.
How do I improve my GPA?
Take harder classes (honors, AP) to raise your weighted GPA. Get better grades in all classes to raise your unweighted GPA. The earlier you start, the easier it is. A bad freshman year can be fixed with strong sophomore and junior years.
Do colleges look at all four years?
Most colleges look at 9th-12th grade. Some (like the UC system) recalculate using only 10th- and 11th-grade data. Check each college’s policy.
When to Use This vs. the General GPA Calculator
Use this high school when:
- You are in 9th-12th grade
- You want to track your GPA by year (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th)
- You need to see the weighted vs. the unweighted GPA
- You’re taking honors or AP classes
Use the GPA calculator when:
- You are in college or graduate school
- You do not need year-by-year tracking
- You just want a general GPA calculation
The line: this tool is built for high school (grades, year tracking, weighted GPA). The general GPA calculator works for any level but doesn’t have high school-specific features.
Your high school GPA matters for college admissions and scholarships. Track both your unweighted GPA (all classes equal) and weighted GPA; honors/AP get bonuses.
Enter your courses by year, select the level standard (e.g., honors, AP), and the calculator shows your GPA progression across all four years of high school. Use it to plan your schedule and see where you stand.