Unweighted GPA
An unweighted GPA uses a flat 4.0 scale where an A is always 4.0 — no matter how hard the class is. It's the simplest measure and treats every course equally.
Weighted GPA
A weighted GPA rewards harder classes. The most common system adds +0.5 for honors classes and +1.0 for AP or IB classes. That means an A in an AP class can count as a 5.0, which is why weighted GPAs can go above 4.0.
Weighted GPAs let admissions officers see whether you challenged yourself with a rigorous course load — not just whether you earned high grades.
Which one do colleges use?
It varies. Many colleges recalculate your GPA using their own formula, and some ignore weighting entirely to compare applicants on a level playing field. The safest approach is to aim for strong grades in challenging classes — that looks good on any scale.
A worked comparison
Take five courses: an A in AP Biology, an A in AP US History, a B in Honors Precalculus, an A in standard English, and a B in standard Spanish.
Unweighted, that is 4.0 + 4.0 + 3.0 + 4.0 + 3.0 = 18.0 across five courses, for a 3.60 GPA.
Weighted on the common +1.0 for AP and +0.5 for honors system, the same grades become 5.0 + 5.0 + 3.5 + 4.0 + 3.0 = 20.5, for a 4.10 GPA. Same report card, half a point of difference, and only one of those numbers can go above 4.0.
Why weighted GPAs are hard to compare across schools
There is no national standard for weighting. Some districts add a full point for AP and half for honors; others add 0.5 for both, cap the weighted GPA at 5.0, weight only certain departments, or weight nothing at all. A few use a 6.0 scale.
That means a 4.3 from one high school and a 4.3 from another can represent quite different transcripts. It is also why admissions offices so often recalculate: stripping weighting back out, or applying their own, is the only way to compare applicants on consistent terms.
If you are comparing your GPA to a published admissions average, check which kind the school is quoting before drawing conclusions.
Which number should you report?
Report whatever the application asks for, and do not convert between the two yourself. If a form asks for unweighted GPA, giving a weighted figure overstates your record; most application systems ask your school to send an official transcript that settles it anyway.
When an application lets you provide context, use it. A 3.7 unweighted earned across four AP courses tells a stronger story than a 4.0 earned in standard classes, and that context is usually more persuasive than either number alone.