How to Convert (Calculate) Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale – BigFuture (2024)

High schools often report GPA (grade point average) on a 4.0 scale. The top grade is an A, which equals 4.0. You calculate your overall GPA by averaging the scores of all your classes. This is a common scale used at most colleges, and many high schools also use it.

To convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale:

The chart is an example to assist in understanding the components to calculate a GPA. Your school may use a different grading scale.

Keep in mind that your high school reports your GPA to your prospective colleges. The GPA listed on your high school transcript might not be what is used by college admissions, since there is a lot of variation in high school grading scales, additional points added for honors, advanced, AP, IB courses.

For admissions, many colleges will recalculate student GPA so there is consistency/equity across applicants based on institutional standards and may not include all high school coursework or weights.

Contact your high school counselor or colleges on your list to learn more about GPA and use in the admissions process. You can also look up the academic requirements of your favorite colleges using College Search and see how your GPA compares to students who got in and enrolled.

What are letter grades and how do they convert into percentages?

Common examples of grade conversion are: A+ (97–100), A (93–96), A- (90–92), B+ (87–89), B (83–86), B- (80–82), C+ (77–79), C (73–76), C- (70–72), D+ (67–69), D (65–66), D- (below 65).

However, the way letter grades convert to percentages can vary slightly from college to college and may even vary between departments in the same college.

How do you calculate your GPA in high school?

To calculate your high school GPA, add together your grades on the 4.0 scale after converting them from letter grades, and divide the sum by the number of classes you are taking.

Additionally, many high schools use a secondary GPA system called a "weighted GPA system." The weighted GPA system adds extra weight to courses at the Honors, AP, and IB levels. The weighted GPA system can vary between school districts, so talk to your counselor about how your particular high school’s weighted GPA system works.

What is the average GPA?

The average GPA across all U.S. high schools is 3.0 while the average GPA across all U.S. colleges is 3.1. These numbers will vary significantly between school districts and colleges. If you’re wondering what the average GPA is for the college’s you are interested in, you can see the GPA range for admitted students on BigFuture’s college profiles.

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