How credit hours change your GPA
GPA is not usually a simple average of your course grades. A 4-credit course contributes twice as much as a 2-credit course. Multiply each grade-point value by its course credits, add the resulting quality points, then divide by total GPA-counted credits.
A calculation you can check
| Course | Grade | Credits | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | A (4.0) | 4 | 16.0 |
| History | B (3.0) | 3 | 9.0 |
| Writing | A− (3.7) | 3 | 11.1 |
The result is 36.1 quality points ÷ 10 credits = 3.610 GPA. The “Try an example” button loads these exact courses.
The grade scale used here
This tool uses a 4.0 scale with no course-difficulty bonus. An A in an AP, Honors, or college course is still 4.0 in this model. Some institutions use different plus/minus points or an A+ above 4.0; check your school’s policy.
Semester GPA versus cumulative GPA
Semester GPA covers the entered courses. Cumulative GPA combines their points with your earlier GPA multiplied by earlier counted credits. Do not include the same courses in both the earlier total and the course rows.
If you already know each semester GPA and want to plan a future target, use the cumulative GPA planner. If you are weighting course difficulty in high school, use the weighted GPA calculator.
Source and school-specific rules
The University of Illinois registrar’s GPA guide explains credit-weighted calculation. Its institutional rules are an example, not a universal policy. See our methods and limitations for the precise assumptions used here.