If you're taking AP, IB, or honors courses, your regular GPA calculator is giving you the wrong number. Weighted GPA accounts for course difficulty — and it's what many colleges care about most when evaluating your transcript.
This guide explains exactly how weighted GPA is calculated, what the 5.0 scale means, and how to figure out your own number.
Weighted GPA is a grade point average that gives extra credit for harder courses. An A in an AP class counts more than an A in a standard class, because the coursework is more demanding.
The standard system works like this:
| Grade | Regular | Honors | AP / IB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
You don't divide by 4 (number of years) — you divide by the number of courses. Here's the method:
Example: You take 5 courses — AP Chemistry (A = 5.0), Honors English (B+ = 3.8), Regular Math (A− = 3.7), Regular History (B = 3.0), AP Spanish (A = 5.0). Total = 20.5 ÷ 5 = 4.1 weighted GPA.
Skip the math — use our free weighted GPA calculator.
Calculate My Weighted GPA →Both. Colleges typically recalculate your GPA on their own scale, but they look at your weighted GPA alongside your course rigor. A 3.8 weighted GPA with 6 AP classes looks better than a 4.0 unweighted GPA from all regular courses.
Selective colleges (Ivy League, Stanford, MIT) expect to see 4.5+ weighted GPA with many AP or IB courses. For most state universities, a 3.5+ weighted GPA is competitive.
Most merit scholarships require maintaining a 3.0 or 3.5 GPA — and many specify unweighted GPA. Always check your scholarship agreement for the exact requirement. If you're close to the threshold, use our GPA Calculator to track your standing each semester.