Grade & GPA · Guide
How to Calculate Cumulative GPA
Your cumulative GPA is every grade you have earned, weighted by credits. Here is how to work it out by hand — and how to update it each term.
Want the answer for your own numbers? Use the free GPA Calculator — it does every step below for you.
What does cumulative GPA mean?
Cumulative GPA is your grade point average across all your terms so far. It is the number on your transcript, the one colleges, employers and scholarship panels ask for. Your term GPA (or semester GPA) covers just one term.
The key word is weighted. A 4-credit class counts twice as much as a 2-credit class. So you cannot simply average your term GPAs, unless every term had exactly the same number of credits.
How to calculate cumulative GPA from scratch
- Convert each grade to points on the 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B+ = 3.3, and so on).
- Multiply by the credits for that course. This gives "quality points".
- Add up all the quality points from every term.
- Add up all the credits you attempted for a grade.
- Divide total quality points by total credits.
Cumulative GPA = total quality points ÷ total graded credits
Example: two semesters
Fall: Biology (4 cr) A = 16.0; English (3 cr) B+ = 9.9; History (3 cr) B = 9.0. Total 34.9 points over 10 credits (GPA 3.49).
Spring: Chemistry (4 cr) B− = 10.8; Maths (3 cr) A− = 11.1; Art (2 cr) A = 8.0. Total 29.9 points over 9 credits (GPA 3.32).
Cumulative: (34.9 + 29.9) ÷ (10 + 9) = 64.8 ÷ 19.
Cumulative GPA = 3.41
Averaging the two term GPAs would give 3.405 — close here only because the credits were similar.
Calculate your new GPA using your current GPA
You do not need every old grade. Your transcript already gives you the current GPA and credits. Turn them back into quality points:
New GPA = (current GPA × current credits + term GPA × term credits) ÷ total credits
Example
Current GPA 3.1 over 45 credits = 139.5 points. This term: 3.7 over 15 credits = 55.5 points.
(139.5 + 55.5) ÷ 60 = 195 ÷ 60.
New cumulative GPA = 3.25
Why your GPA gets harder to move
Each new term is a smaller share of your total credits. A perfect 4.0 term moves a freshman a lot, but a senior very little.
| Credits so far (at 3.0) | Add 15 credits at 4.0 | New GPA |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | +15 | 3.50 |
| 30 | +15 | 3.33 |
| 60 | +15 | 3.20 |
| 90 | +15 | 3.14 |
The lesson: protect your GPA early. The GPA planner tells you the term GPA you need to hit a target.
The term GPA you need for a target
Flip the formula round to plan ahead:
Term GPA needed = (target × total credits − current points) ÷ term credits
Current 3.1 over 45 credits; target 3.3 after 15 more credits
Target points: 3.3 × 60 = 198. Current points: 3.1 × 45 = 139.5.
(198 − 139.5) ÷ 15 = 58.5 ÷ 15.
You need a 3.9 term GPA
If the answer comes out above 4.0, the target cannot be reached in one term. Spread it over two or three terms instead. The GPA planner does this for you.
What counts toward cumulative GPA?
- Usually counted: all graded courses at your current school, including failed ones.
- Usually not counted: pass/fail courses, withdrawals (W), and transfer credits from other schools (they count for credits, not GPA).
- Retakes: many schools replace the old grade or average the two. Check your school's repeat policy.
How a retake changes your GPA
Schools handle repeated courses in one of two main ways. Take a student with a 3.0 over 60 credits who retakes a 3-credit C and earns an A:
| Repeat policy | Calculation | New GPA |
|---|---|---|
| Grade replacement | (180 − 6 + 12) ÷ 60 | 3.10 |
| Both grades count | (180 + 12) ÷ 63 | 3.05 |
Grade replacement is clearly better for your GPA. Some schools limit how many courses you can replace, so check the policy before you plan a retake.
What is a good cumulative GPA?
- 3.7 and above — excellent; often Dean's List and honours territory.
- 3.3 to 3.6 — strong for most graduate programs and employers.
- 3.0 — a B average; a common minimum for scholarships and grad school.
- 2.0 — usually the minimum to stay in good academic standing.
Plug your courses into the GPA calculator to see your term and cumulative GPA in one go.
Frequently asked questions
Your grade point average across all terms combined, weighted by credit hours. It is the GPA shown on your transcript, unlike a term GPA, which covers a single semester or quarter.
Multiply each course's grade points by its credits, add all those quality points together, then divide by the total graded credits. 64.8 quality points over 19 credits gives a cumulative GPA of 3.41.
Only if every semester had the same number of credits. Otherwise weight each semester GPA by its credits, or the answer will be slightly off.
Multiply your target by your total credits after this term, subtract the quality points you already have, and divide by this term’s credits. From 3.1 over 45 credits, reaching 3.3 after 15 more credits needs a 3.9 term.
Usually, yes. If your school replaces the old grade, the improvement is larger. If both grades count, the new grade still helps, but less. Check your school’s repeat policy first.