Average Calculator: Simple Average of Your Grades or Numbers
You have a list of numbers, test scores, assignment grades, quiz percentages, whatever, and you want to know the average. Not a weighted average where some items count more than others. Just the simple average: add them up, divide by how many there are, done.
This calculator does that. Enter your values as percentages, points, like 85 out of 100, or letter grades. The calculator converts all values to percentages as needed, then computes the simple average. No weights, no credits, no complicated math. Just the mean.
What “Simple Average” Means
A simple average treats all your values equally. Every item you enter counts the same in the final result, regardless of what it represents or how important it might be.
The formula is straightforward:
Average = sum of all values ÷ count of values
If you have five test scores, 85%, 90%, 78%, 92%, 88%, the average is: 85 + 90 + 78 + 92 + 88 ÷ 5 = 433 ÷ 5 = 86.6%.
That is different from a weighted average, in which some values carry more weight in the result. In a weighted average, you would assign weights like “this test counts twice as much as that quiz,” and the formula changes to account for those weights. This calculator does not do that. It is purely equal weighting. Every value counts the same.
Most of the time, when someone says “average” without any qualifiers, they mean simple average. That is what this calculator computes. If you need weighted averaging, where different items have different levels of importance, there are specific calculators for that. But if you need “add these numbers and divide by the count,” you are in the right place.
How to Use It
Each row represents one value. The default setup has four rows prepopulated, but you can add or remove rows to match the number of values you have.
For each row, you pick a Type:
- Points: You enter the score and the total possible, like 85 out of 100. The calculator converts this to a percentage.
- Percent (%): Enter the percentage directly, e.g., 88%.
- Letter: You pick a letter grade from the dropdown, like B+. The calculator converts it to a percentage based on the grading scheme you selected.
You can mix types in the same calculation. One row can be Points 46/50, another can be Percent 78%, another can be Letter A. The calculator converts everything to percentages behind the scenes, then computes the simple average.
Once you have entered all your values, hit Calculate. The result card shows your average percentage, the corresponding letter grade, the GPA equivalent, and the min and max values from your list.
The Summary Feature: Context for Your Average
Below the result card, you will see a summary sentence that puts your average in context.
It might say: “Your average is on the higher side compared with your entered values.”
Or: “Your average sits around the middle of your entered values.”
Or: “Your average is on the lower side. Check which items drag the average down.”
This is calculated based on where your average falls within the range of values you entered. If your values range from 70% to 95% and your average is 88%, that is on the higher side of the range, closer to the max than the min. If your average is 78%, that is on the lower side.
Why this matters: if your average is lower than you expected, the summary tells you whether that is because you have a few outliers dragging it down, in which case the average sits low in the range, or because your values are generally clustered in a lower range, in which case the average sits in the middle of a low range.
It is a quick diagnostic. If the summary says your average is low and you see one or two values significantly below the others, those are the outliers hurting your average. If the summary indicates your average is in the middle, your performance has been fairly consistent across all items.
Simple Average vs. Weighted Average: When to Use Which
The difference between a simple average and a weighted average is whether all your values count equally.
Simple average this calculator: Every value counts the same. If you have three test scores, 80%, 90%, 100%, the average is 80 + 90 + 100 ÷ 3 = 90%. All three tests had equal influence on the result.
Weighted average: Some values count more than others. If the first test had a weight of 1, the second a weight of 2, and the third a weight of 3, the weighted average is (80×1 + 90×2 + 100×3) ÷ (1+2+3) = 80 + 180 + 300 ÷ 6 = 93.33%. The third test raised the average because it carried the highest weight.
Use a simple average when:
- You are averaging test scores or assignment grades that all count equally.
- You are calculating a basic mean of any set of numbers.
- You do not have weights or importance levels assigned to your values.
- You need to know “what is the average of these numbers.
Use a weighted average when:
- Different values have different levels of importance.
- Your syllabus says things like “Homework 20%, Tests 50%, Final 30%.
- Some items should count more in the average than others
If you need a weighted average, use the weighted average calculator. If you are averaging course grades weighted by credit hours, use the grade average calculator. But if you need a simple, equal-weight average, this calculator is the right tool.
Min, Max, and Range: What They Tell You
The result card shows three additional values: Min, Max, and Count.
Min is the lowest value you entered. If you entered five test scores and the lowest was 78%, that is your min.
Max is the highest value. If the highest score was 95%, that is your max.
Count is how many values you entered. If you entered five scores, the count is 5.
The difference between max and min is the range, which is how spread out your values are. A narrow range, such as 85% to 92%, indicates your performance has been consistent. A wide range, like 65% to 98%, means you have some highs and lows that are not very close to each other.
The summary feature uses the range to put your average in context. If your average is 88% and your range is 78% to 95%, the average sits in the upper half of the range. If your range is 70% to 88%, the average sits at the top of the range.
These are not just extra numbers. They help you understand whether your average reflects consistent performance or whether it’s hiding some variability.
FAQ: Average Calculator
What is the difference between this and the weighted average calculator?
This calculator computes a simple, unweighted average in which all values count equally. The weighted average calculator lets you assign weights to each value so some count more than others. Use this one for basic averaging. Use the weighted average calculator when different values have different importance levels.
What is the difference between this and the grade average calculator?
The grade average calculator is designed to average grades from multiple courses, weighted by credit hours. This calculator is more general. You can average anything: test scores, assignment grades, or even non-grade numbers. If you are averaging course grades with credits, use the grade average calculator. If you are averaging assignments within a course or need a simple means of numbers, use this one.
Can I use this for non-grade-related averages?
Yes. Even though this calculator includes grade-specific features, letter grades, and GPA output, it works for any simple average. If you are averaging numbers that aren’t grades, enter them as percentages, or ignore the letter/GPA outputs and use the average percentage.
How are letter grades converted to percentages?
Letter grades are converted based on the grading scheme you selected: US, UK, ECTS, or Australian. For example, in the US scheme with default thresholds, A = 93%, B+ = 87%, B = 83%, etc. You can click “Edit thresholds” to adjust these if your institution uses different cutoffs.
Can I mix percentages, points, and letter grades in the same calculation?
Yes. Each row has a Type dropdown. Set different rows to different types, and the calculator converts everything to percentages before averaging. One row can be Points 85/100, another Percent 88%, and another Letter B+, and they all work together.
Why does the summary say my average is low when the percentage looks fine?
“Low” is relative to the values you entered, not to an external standard. If all your values are in the 85-95% range and your average is 87%, the summary might say it is on the lower side because it’s closer to the bottom of YOUR range. The summary compares your average to your own data, not to a grading scale.
How many values can I average?
There is no hard limit. Click “Add row” to create as many rows as you need. Most people have 3-10 values, but the calculator can handle more if needed.
Does this calculator save my data?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is stored unless you click a share button. If you refresh the page, your data is lost. Use the “Copy link” button to save your calculation as a shareable URL.
Related Tools
- Weighted Average Calculator: For calculating weighted averages where different values have different importance levels. Use this when you have weights assigned to your values.
- Grade Average Calculator: For averaging course grades weighted by credit hours. Use this when you are averaging final grades from multiple courses.
Sometimes you do not need a complicated calculator with weights, categories, or credit hours. Sometimes you need to know the average of a list of numbers.
That is what this does. Enter your values, as percentages, points, or letter grades, and get the simple average. No weights. No extra features. Just the mean.
It is the most straightforward calculator on this site, and sometimes that is exactly what you need.