Weighted GPA Calculator
Add your classes and mark each as Regular, Honors, or AP/IB to calculate your weighted GPA — with the bonus points advanced classes earn.
Weighted GPA
Unweighted GPA
Honors adds +0.5 and AP/IB adds +1.0 to each class's grade points. Weighted GPA can exceed 4.0.
How weighted GPA works
| Class type | Bonus | An "A" counts as |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | +0.0 | 4.0 |
| Honors | +0.5 | 4.5 |
| AP / IB | +1.0 | 5.0 |
So a B in an AP class (3.0 + 1.0 = 4.0) is worth exactly as much as an A in a regular class. That single fact drives most of the strategy around course selection, and it is worth sitting with before you decide whether to drop an advanced class.
A worked example
Take five classes, each one credit: an A in AP Biology, a B in AP Calculus, an A in Honors English, a B in regular History, and an A in regular Art.
- AP Biology, A → 4.0 + 1.0 = 5.0
- AP Calculus, B → 3.0 + 1.0 = 4.0
- Honors English, A → 4.0 + 0.5 = 4.5
- History, B → 3.0
- Art, A → 4.0
That totals 20.5 across five credits, giving a weighted GPA of 4.10. The same transcript unweighted — where every A is 4.0 and every B is 3.0 — comes to 18.0 ÷ 5 = 3.60. The half-point gap is entirely the bonus.
Weighted or unweighted: which one gets used?
Both, for different purposes, which is why students get conflicting answers about which number is “real”.
- Class rank and valedictorian are usually decided on the weighted GPA, because that is what rewards taking the harder schedule.
- Many college applicationsrecalculate your GPA from your transcript using their own formula, discarding your school's weighting entirely. Some strip out non-academic courses too.
- Scholarship and NCAA eligibility cutoffs are frequently written against an unweighted 4.0 scale, so a weighted 4.1 may still need checking against a 3.6 unweighted threshold.
The practical consequence: know both of your numbers. Reporting a weighted GPA where an unweighted one was expected looks like an error at best.
Bonus scales are not standardised
The +0.5 / +1.0 convention above is the most common one in US high schools, but it is a local policy, not a national standard. Real variations include schools that award +1.0 for honors as well as AP, schools that cap the weighted GPA at 5.0 regardless of course load, schools that weight only core subjects, and districts that use a 100-point scale with bonus percentage points rather than grade points at all.
Because of that, a weighted GPA is only comparable within a single school. Comparing your 4.3 to a friend's 4.6 at another district tells you almost nothing. Check your student handbook for the exact bonus your school applies before treating any figure as official.
Related tools
Want the flat 4.0 version? Use the unweighted high school GPA calculator. To combine several terms into one figure, use the cumulative GPA calculator. College grade-point values differ by institution, so it is worth confirming yours on your school's page.
Frequently asked questions
How is weighted GPA calculated?
Start from each class's grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, …), add the class-type bonus (Honors +0.5, AP/IB +1.0), multiply by credits, then average. That's why a weighted GPA can be higher than 4.0.
How much does an AP class raise my GPA?
On the most common scale, an AP or IB class adds +1.0 to that class's grade points (so an A in AP counts as 5.0), and an honors class adds +0.5.
Can a weighted GPA be above 4.0?
Yes. With honors and AP/IB bonuses, weighted GPAs commonly range up to 5.0, depending on how many advanced classes you take.
Is a B in an AP class better than an A in a regular class?
For weighted GPA they are identical — a B in AP is 3.0 + 1.0 = 4.0, exactly the same as an A in a regular class. For unweighted GPA the regular A is clearly better. Since many colleges recalculate GPA unweighted while your school ranks you weighted, the honest answer is that it depends which number is being read.
Which GPA do colleges actually look at?
Many recalculate it themselves from your transcript using their own formula, ignoring your school's weighting entirely — and some drop non-academic courses while they are at it. Class rank is usually weighted, while scholarship and NCAA cutoffs are often written against an unweighted 4.0 scale. Know both of your numbers.
Do all schools use +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP?
No. It is the most common convention but not a standard. Some schools give +1.0 for honors too, some cap the weighted GPA at 5.0 however many advanced classes you take, some weight only core subjects, and some use a 100-point scale with bonus percentage points instead. Your student handbook is the authority.
Can I compare my weighted GPA to a friend's at another school?
Not meaningfully. Because each district sets its own bonus rules and caps, a weighted GPA is only comparable within one school. An unweighted GPA travels much better between institutions.