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Weighted GPA calculator: what rigor adds, and why it doesn't travel.

An A in AP Calculus can count as 5.0, an Honors A as 4.5. Enter your courses, pick your school's weighting system, and see exactly how much of your GPA comes from course level. Then see why the same transcript scores differently at another school.

1 · YOUR COURSES
Honors +0.5, AP/IB +1.0, no bonus on F. The most common system.
COURSETYPEGRADECR.POINTS
4.00
4.50
3.50
5.00
3.00
WEIGHTED4.00
UNWEIGHTED3.60
Where the weighted number comes from
Grades: 3.60Rigor bonus: +0.40
3 advanced courses add 0.40 to the average. The unweighted 3.60 is what a college recalculation would usually start from.
Σ weighted points × credits = 20.00÷ 5 credits = 4.00
2 · SAME TRANSCRIPT, FOUR SCHOOLS

Why you can't compare weighted GPAs

There's no national standard for weighting. Your courses above, scored under common rule sets:

CommonHonors +0.5, AP/IB +1.0, no bonus on F. The most common system.4.00
Flat +1.0Honors and AP/IB both +1.0.4.20
FractionalSmaller steps; a few schools use thirds.3.87
Capped at 4.0Bonuses apply, but no course counts above 4.0, so the weighted GPA can't exceed 4.0.3.70
UnweightedWhat many colleges recalculate to3.60

The same courses range from 3.70 to 4.20 depending only on the school's rules. That's why many colleges strip the weighting and recalculate every applicant on one scale, reading course rigor separately.

3 · IS THE HARDER CLASS WORTH IT?

Standard A, or AP with a lower grade?

Pick the grade you'd expect in each version of the course, under the weighting system chosen above.

Standard, weighted4.00
AP / IB, weighted4.00
Standard, unweighted4.00
AP / IB, unweighted3.00
On the weighted GPA it's a tie. Under this system you need at least a B in the AP / IB version to match a standard A. Unweighted, only the letter grade counts, and colleges also read the course level itself.
HOW WEIGHTING WORKS

A bonus per course, before averaging

The bonus is added to each course's grade points, then the usual credit-weighted average is taken. An AP B (4.0) ties a standard A (4.0); that's the point. Many schools give no bonus for a failing grade, and some cap the result at 5.0 or even 4.0.

A weighted GPA has no percentage equivalent: a 4.5 isn't 105%. If you need a percentage, convert from the unweighted GPA and treat it as a ballpark.

GRADESTANDARDHONORSAP / IB
A+4.004.505.00
A4.004.505.00
A−3.704.204.70
B+3.303.804.30
B3.003.504.00
B−2.703.203.70
C+2.302.803.30
C2.002.503.00
C−1.702.202.70
D+1.301.802.30
D1.001.502.00
D−0.701.201.70
F0.000.000.00
Under the system selected above. A+ is capped at 4.0 base here, as at most schools.
FREQUENTLY ASKED

Convert each grade to base points, add the course bonus (typically +0.5 Honors, +1.0 AP/IB), multiply by credits to get quality points, add them up and divide by total credits.

Grades measure the work. Curious about reasoning?

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