Weighted GPA Calculator
Calculate your weighted GPA on the 5.0 scale. Mark each course as AP, IB, honors, or regular, and this weighted GPA calculator applies the right bonus points automatically.
A weighted GPA gives extra credit for harder courses, so an A in AP Chemistry counts for more than an A in a regular elective. This weighted GPA calculator handles the standard bonus system used by most US high schools: +1.0 grade points for AP and IB courses, +0.5 for honors courses, on a scale capped at 5.0.
Use it to check your class rank standing, see how your course choices affect your average, or compare your weighted and unweighted figures side by side. The guide below explains the 5.0 scale, which courses earn bonuses, and how the math works.
Course Grade Calculator
Add your categories (weighted) or assignments (points-based) and get your current grade.
Weights should add up to 100%.
Final Exam Grade Needed
What do you need on the final to hit your target grade?
If your final has two parts and you already took part 1, fill both fields and we will tell you what part 2 needs.
What-If Scenario
See how a future score changes your grade before it happens.
GPA Calculator
Semester or cumulative GPA — weighted or unweighted.
Scale: A/A+ = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, C- = 1.7, D+ = 1.3, D = 1.0, D- = 0.7, F = 0.
Quick Quiz Grader
For students checking a score — and teachers grading a stack.
Grade Calculator for Your LMS
Each platform grades a little differently. Pick yours — we'll load the right setup into the Course Grade calculator.
Canvas
Uses assignment groups with weights (e.g. Homework 30%, Quizzes 20%, Exams 50%). Matches the Weighted mode.
Blackboard
Weighted totals per category. Same math as Canvas — categories with percentage weights.
Moodle
Gradebook aggregates by mean of grades, often points-based with categories. Start points-based.
Google Classroom
Simple points-based gradebook. Start points-based and enter your scores.
After loading a setup, open the Course Grade tab — your categories are pre-filled. Just enter your scores.
What is a weighted GPA?
A weighted GPA is a grade point average that adds bonus points for advanced coursework. The idea is simple: a student who earns a B in AP Calculus has arguably achieved more than a student who earns an A in a basic elective, so the GPA should reflect that difference. Weighting adds the reward directly into the number.
The most common system in US high schools works like this: AP (Advanced Placement) and IB (International Baccalaureate) courses get +1.0 bonus points, honors courses get +0.5, and regular courses get no bonus. The scale tops out at 5.0 instead of 4.0. So an A in an AP course is worth 5.0 grade points, an A in an honors course is 4.5, and an A in a regular course stays 4.0.
Not every school weights the same way. Some districts give +1.0 to honors as well, some cap the weighted GPA at 4.5, and some do not weight at all. The system in this weighted GPA calculator matches the most widely used version, but if your school publishes its own weighting rules, follow those for the number that appears on your transcript.
How weighted GPA is calculated
The formula is the same as a regular GPA, with one extra step: add the course bonus to each grade point value before multiplying by credit hours.
The standard bonuses are +1.0 for AP and IB courses and +0.5 for honors courses. Plus and minus grades keep their usual values underneath the bonus: a B+ is 3.3 before the bonus, so a B+ in an AP course is 4.3, and a B+ in an honors course is 3.8.
Worked example. Consider a semester with a mix of course levels:
- AP Calculus: A (4.0 + 1.0 bonus = 5.0) × 4 credits = 20.0 quality points
- AP English: B+ (3.3 + 1.0 bonus = 4.3) × 3 credits = 12.9 quality points
- Honors Chemistry: A- (3.7 + 0.5 bonus = 4.2) × 4 credits = 16.8 quality points
- US History (regular): A (4.0, no bonus) × 3 credits = 12.0 quality points
Total quality points: 20.0 + 12.9 + 16.8 + 12.0 = 61.7. Total credits: 4 + 3 + 4 + 3 = 14. Weighted GPA = 61.7 ÷ 14 = 4.41. The same courses on an unweighted scale would give 48.3 ÷ 14 = 3.45, so the advanced coursework lifts this student's GPA by nearly a full point. Enter these courses in the weighted GPA calculator above, marking each course level, to see the identical result.
One detail worth noting: a B in an AP course (4.0 weighted) equals an A in a regular course. That single fact drives a lot of course-selection strategy in high school, and it is exactly what the weighted system was designed to do.
The 5.0 weighted GPA scale
This table shows the standard grade point values with bonuses applied. Your school's version may differ, particularly for honors courses, so treat this as the common reference and confirm against your handbook.
| Letter grade | Regular | Honors (+0.5) | AP / IB (+1.0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ / 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 |
| C- | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.7 |
| D | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| F | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Note that an F earns zero grade points at every level: there is no bonus for failing an advanced course. The bonus only rewards grades actually earned.
Which courses count as weighted?
Whether a course earns bonus points depends on how your school classifies it, not just on the course name. The categories most schools recognize:
- AP (Advanced Placement): College Board courses with a standardized exam in May. Nearly always weighted at +1.0 where weighting exists.
- IB (International Baccalaureate): the IB Diploma Programme and individual IB courses. Usually weighted the same as AP, at +1.0.
- Honors: advanced courses designated by the school or district. Usually +0.5, though some districts use +1.0.
- Dual enrollment / college courses: courses taken at a local college for both high school and college credit. Many schools weight these like AP; some do not weight them at all.
- Regular / standard: no bonus, graded on the straight 4.0 values.
The tricky cases are courses that sound advanced but are not officially designated, like a "pre-AP" class or an accelerated track without the honors label. If the course is not coded as honors, AP, or IB in your school's system, it typically earns no bonus. When in doubt, your transcript or counselor's course list is the authority, not the course title.
Why schools use weighted GPAs
Weighting exists to solve a fairness problem. Without it, a student taking all regular courses could outrank a classmate taking AP everything, simply because straight As are easier to earn in less demanding classes. That would punish ambition, which is the opposite of what schools want to encourage.
The main practical use of the weighted GPA is class rank. Where schools publish rank, it is usually computed from the weighted average, so the valedictorian is typically the student who combined top grades with the hardest schedule. Weighted GPA also feeds into honors designations like cum laude at graduation in many districts.
For college admissions, the picture is mixed. Some universities use the weighted figure directly, especially large public schools with formula-based review. Many others recalculate every applicant on an unweighted 4.0 scale for comparability, then evaluate course rigor separately from the transcript. Keeping both numbers current, which the weighted GPA calculator above lets you do with one toggle, means you are ready for either process.
Weighted GPA and class rank
Class rank is where the weighted GPA has its most visible effect. In schools that publish rank, the ordering is usually computed from the weighted average, which means two students with identical unweighted grades can be ranked far apart based on course difficulty. A student with a 4.2 weighted GPA built on AP courses will outrank a student with a 4.0 weighted GPA from regular courses, even if both earned straight As.
This creates real strategic pressure around course selection. Each additional AP course is a chance to add 5.0-point grades to the average, but also a risk: a B in an AP course (4.0 weighted) contributes less than an A in an honors course (4.5 weighted), and a C in an AP course (3.0 weighted) can actually drag down an average that regular-course As would have protected. The students who rank highest are usually not the ones who took the most AP courses, but the ones who took the most advanced courses they could earn As and Bs in.
If your school ranks, run your planned schedule through the weighted GPA calculator before the term starts. Enter your courses with realistic grade estimates at each course level, and compare the projected weighted GPA against your current standing. It will not tell you your exact rank, since that depends on classmates, but it shows whether a schedule helps or hurts your position. And if your school does not publish rank, remember that the weighted number still matters for honors designations and for the colleges that accept it directly.
How to use this weighted GPA calculator
Open the GPA tab and switch the scale toggle to Weighted (+1 AP / +0.5 Honors). For each course, enter the name, select your letter grade, enter the credit hours, and choose the course level: Regular, Honors, AP, or IB. Click + Add course for each class, then Calculate GPA.
The result shows your weighted GPA alongside total quality points and credits. Flip the toggle back to unweighted at any time to see the straight 4.0 version of the same record: the gap between the two numbers is a direct measure of how much your course difficulty is contributing.
If your school uses non-standard bonuses, for example +1.0 for honors, you can still use the tool by mentally adjusting: the structure of the calculation is identical, only the bonus values change. And as always, the Share result button generates a link that replays your exact inputs.
Weighted GPA calculator FAQs
How do I calculate my weighted GPA?
Add the course bonus to each grade's point value (+1.0 for AP/IB, +0.5 for honors), multiply by credit hours, total the quality points, and divide by total credits. The weighted GPA calculator above does this when you set the scale toggle to Weighted and mark each course level.
What is the highest possible weighted GPA?
On the standard 5.0 scale, the maximum is 5.0, earned with straight As in AP or IB courses. In practice, very few students reach a perfect 5.0 because it requires top grades exclusively in the hardest courses. Some schools cap weighted GPA lower, such as 4.5, so check your district's policy.
Is a B in an AP class better than an A in a regular class?
On the standard weighted scale they are equal: a B in AP is 4.0 weighted, and an A in a regular course is 4.0. On an unweighted scale, the A wins (4.0 vs 3.0). This is why the two scales can tell different stories about the same transcript, and why many students track both.
Do colleges look at weighted GPA?
Some do, particularly large public universities. Many others recalculate applicants on an unweighted 4.0 scale and assess course rigor from the transcript separately. Keep both figures ready. Our unweighted GPA calculator gives you the 4.0 version of your record.
Do honors classes count the same as AP for weighting?
Usually not. The common system gives +1.0 to AP and IB but only +0.5 to honors. Some districts weight honors at +1.0 as well. Your school's published weighting policy decides, so confirm which bonus your honors courses actually carry.
Can my weighted GPA go down if I take regular electives?
Yes. An A in a regular course adds 4.0 quality points per credit, which pulls down an average built on 5.0-point AP courses. This is normal and not a reason to avoid electives you enjoy; it is simply how the math works. Run both scenarios in the weighted GPA calculator to see the effect before you choose.
What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?
Weighted GPA adds bonus points for advanced courses on a 5.0 scale; unweighted GPA treats every course equally on a 4.0 scale. For the full comparison, see weighted vs unweighted GPA.
Is this weighted GPA calculator accurate?
Yes, for the standard +1.0 AP/IB and +0.5 honors system. If your school uses different bonuses, the structure is identical and only the bonus values change. Enter your grades, credits, and course levels correctly and the result will match your transcript's weighted figure. See our disclaimer.