High School GPA Calculator — Weighted, Unweighted, AP and Honors Courses

Your weighted GPA can exceed 4.0 because AP and honors courses earn extra grade points. An A in AP = 5.0 on a weighted scale, vs 4.0 on an unweighted scale. Enter your courses below — the calculator handles both systems.

Weighted vs Unweighted — Side by Side

Course	Grade	Unweighted (4.0)	Weighted (5.0)
English 11 (Regular)	A	4.0	4.0
AP US History	A	4.0	5.0
Honors Chemistry	B+	3.3	3.8
Algebra 2 (Regular)	A-	3.7	3.7
PE	A	4.0	4.0
AP English Language	B	3.0	4.0
	Unweighted GPA:	3.67
	Weighted GPA:		4.08

The AP/Honors Grade Point Boost

Letter Grade	Regular Course	Honors Course (+0.5)	AP/IB Course (+1.0)
A	4.0	4.5	5.0
A-	3.7	4.2	4.7
B+	3.3	3.8	4.3
B	3.0	3.5	4.0
B-	2.7	3.2	3.7
C+	2.3	2.8	3.3
C	2.0	2.5	3.0
D	1.0	1.5	2.0
F	0.0	0.0	0.0

Key insight: A B in AP (4.0 weighted) equals an A in a regular course (4.0). A C in AP (3.0 weighted) equals a B in a regular course (3.0). AP courses boost your weighted GPA only if you earn B or better.

What Colleges Actually Look At

Colleges recalculate your GPA on their own scale. Here is what admissions officers have said publicly:

• Course rigor first: Did you challenge yourself with available AP/honors courses?
• Grade trend: An upward trend (2.8 freshman year → 3.8 senior year) is viewed positively
• Core subject GPA: Some schools recalculate using only English, math, science, social studies, and language — dropping PE, art, and electives
• Context: A 3.5 at a school offering 20 AP courses where you took 10 is different from a 3.5 at a school offering 3 AP courses where you took all 3

Strategic AP Course Selection

Strategy	When It Works	When It Backfires
Take every AP available	Strong across all subjects	Overwhelmed → grades drop → lower GPA than fewer APs
Take AP only in strengths	Good at specific subjects	Miss out on showing breadth to colleges
Take AP in subjects you love	Genuinely interested	May skip "expected" APs (Calc, US History)
Avoid all AP courses	Stress reduction	Colleges see lack of challenge → hurts admission odds

The best strategy: take AP courses in subjects where you can earn a B or better AND that align with your intended major. Quality over quantity.

GPA Targets by College Tier

College Tier	Unweighted Target	Weighted Target	Examples
Ivy League / Top 10	3.9+	4.5+	Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton
Top 25	3.7+	4.3+	UCLA, Michigan, UVA, Georgetown
Top 50	3.5+	4.0+	Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
State University	3.0+	3.5+	Most state flagship schools
Community College	2.0+	N/A	Open enrollment in most cases

These are guidelines, not cutoffs. Students are admitted below these ranges with strong essays, test scores, extracurriculars, or compelling stories. GPA is one piece of a holistic review.

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