👨🎓️ What Is High School GPA?
GPA means Grade Point Average. This is a way to measure a student'sacademic performance in high school or college.
To count a GPA, one has to divide the total number of grade points earned by the totalnumber of credits taken. The GPA is usually calculated on a scale of 0 to 4.0, with 4.0being the highest possible GPA.
As an excellent way to reflect a high school student's academic ability and potential, GPAis essential in college admissions.
Most colleges and universities have minimum GPA requirements for admission, and a high GPAcan make a student a more competitive applicant. It is also crucial for students to maintaina high GPA to stay in good academic standing and be eligible for scholarships and financialaid programs.
⚖️ Weighted and Unweighted GPA: Why Calculate It?
The most difficult part about calculating your current GPA is thedifference between weighted and unweighted courses.
- How to know if your school gives extra points for certain classes?
- How to transform your letter grade into a percentage if the course is weighted?
- Are there any advantages of taking AP or Honors classes?
In this chapter, we’ll answer all these questions. Just keep reading!
Unweighted GPA
Usually, you get letter grades for passed courses throughout the year. There’s nothingdifficult in converting those letters into a percentage (read the next chapter to figure outhow exactly) until there are weighted courses.
With unweighted GPA system, there are possibilities of having a regular letter grading orone with pluses and minuses.
In this case, every letter with plus or minus has its own GPA values, except for A and A+that both equals 4.0.
Weighted GPA
This is where everything becomes more complicated, but we’re here to help!
In many schools, there are classes with higher standards. They are usually calledAP(Advanced Placement) programs. Their mission is to give more information than regularcourses do and prepare you for a college. These classes also are a great chance to earnpoints in your future college while you’re still a high-school student.
APs are usually scored on a scale of 1.0 to 5.0 but can also be higher, depending on yourschool’s decision.
Why take those courses?
The entire period that you spend in high school, you’re fighting for the place in a college.The majority of colleges appreciate it when you take challenges during your studies. Even ifyou get a B, it still shows you as a dedicated student, and, by the way, when converted intoGPA, AP’s B equals 4.0, which is A or A+ in your regular courses. It also introduces you tothe college program, and you may try out your skills and learn your weaknesses.
Along with regular and AP classes, there are alsoHonorsones. Their scores are more challenging to achieve, that’s why they usually are estimated0.5 higher than regular courses.
For example, if you get B- it equals 2.7 for regularcourses and 3.2 for Honors courses.
In conclusion, we must say: you don’t have to attend every weighted class. It’s stillimportant to gain as high grades as you can during regular classes, prepare for SAT, andparticipate in clubs and scholarships.
Weighted & Unweighted GPA Calculators
The difference between an unweighted and weighted GPA calculator is that the latter takesinto account you’re the type of the course: regular, AP, or honors.
When computing your GPA, be careful to use the calculator that suits your requirements.
In other words, if you’re a student who attends AP or Honors classes and wants to know theexact GPA, use only those calculators that consider weighted courses.
🧮 How to Calculate GPA in High School?
There are several excellent tools for GPA calculating online. Using one of them is the bestway to figure out all you want to know in a short period.
Don’t always have access to the internet? Then, we’ll teach you to calculate GPA without anytools.
This chapter is a detailed guide on how to do it on a piece of paper with the help of theformula and a couple of tables.
Step 1 – Make a Table of the Courses
Make a table with the list of the courses taken. See the example below. Be accurate whenfilling in your class types as they determine how high your letter grades are. Also, noticethat credit hours may be different for two courses.
| Course | Letter Grade | Credit Hours | Class type |
|---|---|---|---|
| History | A | 3 | Regular |
| Literature | B | 3 | Regular |
| English | B+ | 4 | Honors |
| Biology | A- | 4 | AP |
| Math | A+ | 3 | AP |
Step 2 – Convert Letter Grades into Percentages
After that, use the following table to convert letter grades into percentages. Make sure totake GPA score appropriate to your class type: Regular, Honors, or AP.
| Letter Grade | Percent Grade | Regular | Honors | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97-100 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| A | 93-96 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| A- | 90-92 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.7 |
| B+ | 87-89 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
| B | 83-86 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| B- | 80-82 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
| C+ | 77-79 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 3.3 |
| C | 73-76 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| C- | 70-72 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| D+ | 67-69 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.3 |
| D | 63-66 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| D- | 60-62 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| F | 0-59 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 |
Step 3 – Count the Grade Points
To do that, write down the score you you got for each of the classes and multiply it bycredit hours for every course. Also, determine the total credit hours during your semester.
| Course | Letter Grade | Credit Hours | Class type | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| History | A (4.0) | 3 | Regular | 3 x 4.0 = 12.0 |
| Literature | B (3.0) | 3 | Regular | 3 x 3.0 = 9.0 |
| English | B+ (3.8) | 4 | Honors | 4 x 3.8 = 15.2 |
| Biology | A- (4.7) | 4 | AP | 4 x 4.7 = 18.8 |
| Math | A+ (5.0) | 3 | AP | 3 x 5.0 = 15.0 |
| Total | 3 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 3 = 17 | 12.0 + 9.0 + 15.2 + 18.8 + 15.0 = 70 |
Step 4 – Count the Semester GPA
Divide the sum of the grade points by the sum of credit hours:
70/17 = 4.12
In our example, 4.12 is the student’s GPA.
Want to check your result? Use an online GPA calculator to estimate your current grade pointaverage.
Step 5 – Count the Total GPA
Many students have been asking about the overall GPA formula.
To figure out cumulative GPA, you need to know every semester’s GPA and total grade points.To know grade points, you should simply multiply GPA by credit hours. After that, divide thetotal number of grade points by the sum of credit hours:
| Semester | GPA | Credit Hours | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.5 | 13 | 3.5 x 13 = 45.5 |
| 2 | 3.7 | 14 | 3.7 x 14 = 51.8 |
| 3 | 5.0 | 14 | 4.0 x 14 = 56 |
| 4 | 4.6 | 12 | 4.6 x 12 = 55.2 |
| Total | 13 + 14 + 14 + 12 = 53 | 208.5 |
Grade Points sum / Credit Hours sum = Overall GPA
208.5/53 = 3.9
These were guidelines on how to calculate high-school GPA on a weighted scale (5.0) orunweighted scale (4.0). If you still have any questions, feel free to ask them in comments!
☝️ How to Raise Your High-School GPA?
This chapter is the last part of our guide but may be the most significant.
Once you figure out your GPA, you may want to make it even higher. That’s why we’vecollected some pretty helpful tips to show you the right direction.
Ready?
1. Keep the Balance
The most common problem students may have with GPA is when they start putting efforts onlyduring the last weeks. This attitude projects on all of your studies even if you catch upall the material at the end.
So, our tip is to have a nice start andhandle your procrastinationas soon as possible. Study every day to avoid putting 3-month’s material into the memory inthe last week.
2. Mind the Schedule
Determinethe hours at which you’re most productiveand include them in your schedule. Stick to the plan. Put all the efforts to follow yourschedule.
Organize not only your time but workplace and notes as well. The more structured yourlearning is, the easier it’s to get higher grades.
3. Revise
Any school program implies daily and weekly revisions of the material you get. Make sure youcatch up with understanding and remembering all the significant information.
Every week go throughyour notesto find out weaknesses and pass a quiz to memorize the topic better.
4. Ask Questions
The majority of teachers have office hours when you can discuss some challenging topics withthem or ask for help. Don’t be shy to use this opportunity as long as it helps to understandthe subject and shows your teacher you care about the studies.
5. Be Confident
It may seem boring or uncomfortable to participate in discussions in a class but give it atry. Your teacher wants to know which students care about their grades and make thechallenging work to improve.
The only way to show them is toparticipate in their lessons.
6. Challenge Yourself
You will never be fully prepared for difficult courses. So, take on some risks and subscribeto a couple of AP classes!
It’s significant to attend some because any college you’ll apply in future is interested inthis aspect of your academic achievements. The higher grades you have for AP classes, themore your GPA and chances to get into a good college are.
7. Learn for Tests
GPA isn’t everything. To raise your chances to get into a college of your dreams, you mayput a lot of efforts into studying for standardized tests likeSAT.
You can find a lot of worksheets and guides online to practice.
8. Choose the Place
Feel unfocused and procrastinate a lot? Try to change your studying place. At home or in adorm you may experience too loud noises and many distractions.
If you study at the library or in an empty class, things are different. You feel moreconcentrated and can accomplish more tasks at a time.
These were tips on how to raise your GPA, and now you’re definitely ready to know yourresult. We hope, our guide is helpful to calculate your high-school GPA whether using tools,detailed guidelines, or charts.
🏆 6 Best High-school GPA Calculators
Many students are puzzled by the question—how high-school GPA is calculated.
The point is:
If you have access to the Internet, you don’t need to figure it out on your own.
1.IvyPanda GPA Calculator
A high-school GPA calculator by IvyPanda is user-friendly and versatile. The tool issuitable for counting both weighted and unweighted GPA. Moreover, it allows you to useeither letter or percentage grading standard.
To calculate a semester GPA, you need to insert the course names, grades, credits, andcourse types in case you’re using the weighted version. Your semester GPA will be countedautomatically. To count an overall GPA for several semesters, you need to add anothersemester and insert all the necessary information once again.
2.GPACalculator.net
This one is both a letter and a percentage GPA calculator. You can easily switch betweenformats by clicking Grade Format button in the top right corner.
Then, you’re free to put data like course names, credit hours, and grades. If you wish, youcan add other semesters that are calculated automatically as long as you do.
Below the tool, you’ll find useful instructions on how to calculate. Although the tool issuper easy to use, you’ll find illustrative examples and detailed guidelines.
3.GPACalculator.io
Another good tool to know your GPA in seconds.
You can control the process by switching between weighted and unweighted grades. When youturn on weighted grades, you can choose Honors, IB, AP, and College credits.
Want to know your GPA for four years? Just add as many semesters as you need.
By the way, the cumulative GPA is presented within the pie—it’s comfortable to estimate yourabilities with such visualization.
4.Scholaro GPA Tool
Scholaro is an international GPA calculator that allows you to convert grades or points fromany country to the U.S. grades and calculate GPA.
Choose the country and grading scale, type your grades and find out your GPA. The tool alsoallows you to save the GPA report.
Scholaro will be especially helpful for international students who plan to apply to USschools, colleges or universities.
5.Studentshare GPA Tool
A fantastic tool to calculate GPA on the 12-point scale. Enter your data, e-mail, and getthe result!
The best part about this scoring calculator:
You don’t have to enter courses’ names and letter grades. Just choose them right on thepage.
The list of subjects is enormous—along with Math, Science, and History, you can chooseGenetics, Anthropology, Interpersonal Communications, Liberal Arts, Manufacturing, and more.
6.College Simply GPA Tool
This tool is developed for those who want easily know their GPA by using a weighted GPAcalculator. The difference between high-school and college GPA is that in high school, thereare often specific courses that have higher worth such as AP, Honors, or College.
They’re classified as weighted as long as they’re much harder to pass. This way, you get 0.5or 1 point higher grade than during regular classes.
For one class, you can choose only grade and course type (Regular, AP/Honors, College).
📝 High-school GPA Calculator: the Benefits
| 📍 Customizable | Choose if you need to calculate weighted or unweighted GPA. |
|---|---|
| 🧭 Intuitive | Follow the prompts calculate your GPA in percentage or letters. |
| 🤗 Multifunctional | Add SGPA to your GPA calculations if needed. |
| 💰 Free | Don’t pay anything with this high-school GPA calculator. |
❓ High School GPA Calculator FAQ
📌 What Is a Good GPA in High School?
In general, your GPA is between 0 to 4.0, with 4.0 being the highest possible GPA. A good GPA for college admissions is usually considered to be around a 3.0 or higher. This is equivalent to a B average. Some colleges might have higher GPA requirements for admission, especially for highly competitive programs or scholarships.
📌 What Is the Average High School GPA?
In the US, the average high school GPA is around 3.0. It is worth noting that the average GPA for females is 3.1, while the average male GPA is 2.9. For college applicants, however, the average GPA is around 3.5.
📌 How to Find Your High School GPA?
To find your high school GPA, you can either use an automated tool or make all the calculations manually. If you want to count your GPA by yourself, you need to make a table with the list of the courses taken, letter grades, credit hours, and class types. Then you need to convert letter grades into GPA scores using a special table. Multiply them by credit hours for each course, summarize, and then divide by the sum of credit hours.
📌 What Is SGPA?
SGPA stands for semester grade point average. It is a measure of a student's academic performance over a single semester. It is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points earned in a semester by the total number of credits taken. The SGPA is usually between 0 to 4.0, with 4.0 being the highest possible GPA.
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