Grade & GPA
Average Grade Calculator
The plain average of your grades — for when every assessment counts equally.
Average Grade Calculator
About the Average Grade Calculator
Sometimes every assessment really does count the same — ten quizzes, six lab reports, a set of weekly problem sheets. When that is true, you want a plain average, not a weighted one. This calculator gives you the arithmetic mean of any list of grades, along with the letter grade it lands on.
It reports the median alongside the mean, which is more informative than it sounds. When the two numbers diverge, one unusual score is dragging your average around. It also shows what your average becomes if the lowest score is dropped, since plenty of courses have exactly that policy.
Enter grades as percentages or as points out of a shared maximum. Just keep them consistent. If your assessments carry different weights, this is the wrong tool — use the weighted grade calculator instead.
How to use the Average Grade Calculator
- Paste or type your grades.
- Select Calculate average.
- The median is shown alongside the mean — they differ when one score is an outlier.
- The drop-lowest row shows the effect of a common course policy.
- For weighted assessments, use the Grade Calculator instead.
How to find the average of your grades
Add every grade together, then divide by how many grades there are. That is the arithmetic mean, and it is the number people mean by "average" almost every time.
Average = sum of all grades ÷ number of grades
Worked example
Six quiz scores: 88, 92, 76, 95, 84 and 90.
They add to 88 + 92 + 76 + 95 + 84 + 90 = 525. There are six of them.
525 ÷ 6 = 87.5% — a B+
Drop the lowest score of 76 and the remaining five average 89.8%, which crosses into A− territory. One weak quiz was costing more than two full points.
Mean and median: why both are shown
The mean adds everything and divides. The median is the middle value once the scores are sorted. When they agree, your scores are evenly spread. When they pull apart, an outlier is at work.
| Scores | Mean | Median | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| 82, 84, 85, 86, 88 | 85.0 | 85 | Consistent work |
| 0, 84, 85, 86, 88 | 68.6 | 85 | One missed assessment |
| 60, 62, 85, 96, 98 | 80.2 | 85 | Very uneven performance |
Row two is the one to watch. A single zero pulls a solid B down to a D+, while the median barely moves. If your mean sits far below your median, chase the missing assignment before you change anything about how you study.
Dropping the lowest grade
Many syllabi drop the lowest quiz or homework score. How much that helps depends on how far the low score sits below the rest, and on how many grades there are.
- Few grades, big effect. Dropping one of five scores changes the average far more than dropping one of twenty.
- A zero is worth the most. Removing a genuine zero usually gains several points; removing a merely weak score gains a fraction of one.
- It applies once. Two zeros mean one still counts, and that one does real damage.
The calculator shows the drop-lowest figure automatically, so you can see the gain rather than guess at it.
When a plain average is the wrong tool
Use the weighted calculator instead if any of these apply:
- Assessments carry different weights — a final worth 40% next to quizzes worth 2% each.
- The assessments have different maximums. Averaging "18 out of 20" with "45 out of 50" as raw numbers is meaningless; convert each to a percentage first with the grade scale converter.
- You are averaging course grades to find a GPA. That needs credit weighting — use the GPA calculator.
- Categories have their own internal rules, such as a homework average that is itself worth 20% of the course.
Common mistakes
- Averaging percentages that came from different maximums without converting them first.
- Leaving out ungraded assignments. If a zero will eventually be recorded, include it — otherwise the average flatters you.
- Rounding each grade before averaging. Round once, at the end.
- Averaging letter grades directly. Convert to points or percentages first; letters are not numbers.
How to find average: any set of numbers
How to take an average of something: add the values up, then divide by how many there are. That is all an average is, whether it is grades, prices or times.
Finding an average takes two steps. It works for grades, prices, scores — anything.
- Add all the numbers together.
- Divide by how many numbers there are.
Average (mean) = sum of the numbers ÷ count of the numbers
Worked example
Five test scores: 72, 85, 90, 64 and 89.
Add them: 72 + 85 + 90 + 64 + 89 = 400. There are 5 scores.
400 ÷ 5 = 80 — an average of 80%
Average of averages: a common trap
Do not average two averages unless the groups are the same size. Say you averaged 90% on 2 quizzes and 70% on 8 quizzes. The true average is not 80%.
Total points: (90 × 2) + (70 × 8) = 180 + 560 = 740. Total quizzes: 10. So the real average is 74%. When groups differ in size or weight, use the weighted grade calculator instead.
Average, median and mode in one line each
- Mean (average) — add up and divide. Pulled around by very high or low scores.
- Median — the middle value once sorted. Ignores outliers.
- Mode — the value that appears most often.
For a full set of statistics on any list, try the median calculator.
Other ways to use this calculator
The same average works for any list of numbers, not just grades.
- Find the average calculator — type any numbers to get their mean, median and range.
- Average of numbers calculator — decimals and negative numbers work too.
- College class grade calculator — enter each graded score to see your plain average in the class.
- Weighted average calculator for grades — when categories carry different weights, use the weighted grade calculator instead.
- Class average calculator — enter every student’s score for the mean grade of the class.
- Average of grades and grade average — how to calculate average marks: add them and divide by how many there are.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Add all your grades together and divide by how many there are. Six quizzes scoring 88, 92, 76, 95, 84 and 90 add to 525, and 525 ÷ 6 = 87.5%. This works only when every assessment counts equally. If some are worth more than others, you need a weighted average instead — the grade calculator handles that.
The mean adds everything up and divides by the count. The median is the middle value after sorting. For 60, 62, 85, 96, 98 the mean is 80.2 but the median is 85, because two low scores drag the mean down while the middle value stays put. A large gap between them signals an outlier — usually a missed assignment worth chasing.
Use the plain average only when every assessment carries equal weight, such as ten equally-weighted quizzes. Use a weighted grade whenever they do not — a final worth 40% alongside quizzes worth 2% each. Your syllabus settles it. If it lists percentages next to categories, the course is weighted and the plain average will give you the wrong number.
It depends on how low the score is and how many grades you have. Dropping a 76 from six scores averaging 87.5 lifts you to 89.8 — more than two points. Dropping a zero helps far more; dropping a merely weak score helps little. And with twenty grades instead of six, the same drop barely registers. The calculator shows your exact figure both ways.
Add all the numbers together, then divide by how many numbers there are. For 72, 85, 90, 64 and 89, the sum is 400 and there are 5 numbers, so the average is 80.
Add all the numbers together and divide by how many numbers there are. The average of 82, 90 and 76 is 248 divided by 3, which is about 82.7. If some grades count more than others, use a weighted average instead.
Sources and further reading
- Indiana University Registrar — Grading system — letter grade bands applied to the average
- University of Illinois Registrar — Courses and grades — grade point values
- Academic grading in the United States — context on grading systems and drop-lowest policies