High School GPA Calculator
Calculate your unweighted (4.0 scale) and weighted GPA side by side. Supports regular, honors, and AP/IB courses with automatic bonus points applied.
Weighted GPA bonus points
Many colleges recalculate your GPA using their own scale during admissions, often removing the weighted bonus and counting only academic courses.
Weighted vs Unweighted High School GPA
High school GPA comes in two flavours: unweighted and weighted. Understanding the difference matters enormously when applying to college, because different colleges use different versions when reviewing applications.
Unweighted GPA (4.0 Scale)
An unweighted GPA treats all courses as equal regardless of difficulty. An A in a regular English class earns the same 4.0 as an A in AP Physics. This is the most universally comparable scale and the one most colleges use when they recalculate your GPA from scratch.
Weighted GPA
A weighted GPA rewards students who challenge themselves with difficult courses. The typical bonus is +0.5 for honors courses and +1.0 for AP or IB courses, pushing the maximum possible GPA above 4.0. A student with a 4.5 weighted GPA has the same grades as a 4.0 student but in harder classes.
Most selective colleges recalculate GPAs on their own scale, removing electives and using only core academic courses. The reported GPA on your transcript (weighted or unweighted) is a starting point, not the final word on how colleges evaluate you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 3.9 unweighted GPA good for college admissions?
A 3.9 unweighted GPA is excellent and competitive at nearly all colleges and universities, including highly selective schools. At the most elite institutions (acceptance rates below 10%), even students with 4.0 GPAs are often denied — admissions at that level goes well beyond GPA to include course rigor, test scores, essays, extracurriculars, and more.
Does a W on a high school transcript hurt GPA?
A course withdrawal in high school typically does not affect GPA, since the grade isn't recorded. However, it may appear on your transcript and could prompt questions from admissions officers about why the course was dropped. A pattern of withdrawals is more concerning than a single instance.