Weighted GPA Calculator
This weighted GPA calculator handles the 5.0 scale used for honors, AP, and IB coursework: each course gets its base 4.0-scale points plus a level bonus (+0.5 for honors, +1.0 for AP/IB), capped at 5.0. Enter up to four courses with their level and see your weighted GPA alongside the unweighted equivalent, so you can compare against both scales at a glance.
Letter grade earned in this course.
Course level — advanced courses earn bonus points.
Letter grade earned in this course.
Course level — advanced courses earn bonus points.
Letter grade earned in this course.
Course level — advanced courses earn bonus points.
Letter grade earned in this course.
Course level — advanced courses earn bonus points.
Weighted GPA
4.13
- Weighted GPA (5.0 scale)
- 4.125
- Unweighted GPA (4.0 scale)Same grades with no level bonuses.
- 3.5
- Total bonus pointsExtra points from honors/AP levels.
- 2.5
- Courses counted
- 4
How it was calculated
- Course 1: 4.0 base + 0.0 bonus = 4.0 (capped at 5.0).
- Course 2: 3.3 base + 0.5 bonus = 3.8 (capped at 5.0).
- Course 3: 3.7 base + 1.0 bonus = 4.7 (capped at 5.0).
- Course 4: 3.0 base + 1.0 bonus = 4.0 (capped at 5.0).
- Weighted GPA: 4.0 + 3.8 + 4.7 + 4.0 = 16.5 ÷ 4 = 4.125.
How it works
Each course contributes min(5.0, base points + level bonus). Base points come from the standard 4.0 table (A = 4.0 … F = 0); the bonus is +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP/IB.
The 5.0 cap means an A in an AP class is worth 5.0, not 6.0 — the bonus rewards rigor but cannot push a single course past the scale ceiling.
The weighted GPA is the mean of the four weighted values. The unweighted figure alongside it is the same mean without bonuses, for comparison with 4.0-scale requirements.
Worked examples
A regular, B+ honors, A− AP, B AP
Weighted: 4.0 + 3.8 + 4.7 + 4.0 = 16.5 ÷ 4 = 4.125. Unweighted: (4.0 + 3.3 + 3.7 + 3.0) ÷ 4 = 3.500. The advanced levels add 2.5 bonus points total.
Two AP As, honors B, regular C
Weighted: 5.0 + 5.0 + 3.5 + 2.0 = 15.5 ÷ 4 = 3.875 (the AP As hit the 5.0 cap). Unweighted: 3.250. Same transcript, two very different numbers — which is why colleges ask which scale you used.
How to measure
- Classify each course by how YOUR school weights it — some schools give honors +1.0 or AP +0.5, the reverse of the defaults here.
- Use the transcript letter grade, not the percent; the base table already encodes plus/minus granularity.
- Dual-enrollment college courses usually count at the AP bonus level — confirm with your counselor.
- If your school reports only weighted GPA, the unweighted row here is what most scholarship forms expect you to convert back to.
Assumptions & limitations
Planning estimate
- Bonus values (+0.5 honors, +1.0 AP/IB) are the most common US convention, not a universal rule — some districts use different bonuses or none.
- Equal credit hours are assumed for all four courses; varying credits need the College GPA Calculator (its result will differ slightly).
- Each course is capped at 5.0 weighted points; schools that allow higher caps will compute slightly higher GPAs.
- The base table is the standard 4.0 plus/minus scale (A = 4.0 … F = 0).
Frequently asked questions
Unweighted GPA caps every course at 4.0. Weighted GPA adds bonuses for harder courses — typically +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP/IB — on a 5.0 scale. A student with Bs in AP classes can therefore outscore a student with As in regular classes on the weighted scale.
No — 5.0 per course is the ceiling in this calculator, matching the most common convention. An A in an AP class earns the full 5.0, and nothing pushes a single course higher. (A few schools use 6.0 scales, but they are rare.)
Most selective colleges recalculate GPA on their own unweighted scale to compare applicants fairly, then consider course rigor separately. State schools and scholarships more often take the weighted number at face value. Report whichever the form asks for.
In the standard convention used here, yes: honors adds 0.5 while AP/IB adds 1.0, reflecting the college-level difficulty of AP exams. Your district may differ — check the student handbook for its official bonus table.
Usually one of three reasons: different bonus values, unequal credit hours, or a different cap. Match this calculator’s assumptions (0.5/1.0 bonuses, equal credits, 5.0 cap) and the arithmetic will agree exactly.