Weighted GPA is the version of your grade point average that gives extra credit for harder classes. If you take Honors, AP, IB or dual-enrollment courses, your school may report a weighted GPA alongside an unweighted one. This guide shows how to calculate weighted GPA by hand, with clear examples. Policies differ by school, so treat the numbers here as worked illustrations and confirm the exact scale in your handbook.
If you need the basic unweighted method first, start with how to calculate GPA. This post goes deeper on the weighting step.
Weighted vs unweighted in one sentence
- Unweighted GPA uses the same grade-point scale for every class (commonly a 4.0 scale).
- Weighted GPA adds extra grade points for approved advanced classes, then uses the same quality-points math.
The formula does not change. Only the grade points you assign to some classes change.
Step 1: Know your school's weighting rules
Before you multiply anything, write down your school's policy. Common patterns in U.S. high schools include:
| Class type | Example boost | Example A value |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | none | 4.0 |
| Honors | +0.5 | 4.5 |
| AP / IB / dual enrollment | +1.0 | 5.0 |
Some schools use different boosts, weight only semester grades of C or higher, cap the weighted scale, or publish a custom chart. Colleges often recalculate GPA with their own rules when you apply, so a campus weighted GPA is most useful for ranking and local awards inside your school.
Also confirm whether plus/minus grades shift the base points (for example, B+ = 3.3 before any boost).
Step 2: Convert each class to weighted grade points
Take every class on the transcript or report card you are averaging:
- Convert the letter grade to the regular (unweighted) grade points.
- Add the boost if the class qualifies.
- Write the weighted grade points next to the credits.
Example using a common +0.5 Honors / +1.0 AP scheme:
| Class | Type | Letter | Base points | Boost | Weighted points | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English 10 Honors | Honors | A− | 3.7 | +0.5 | 4.2 | 3 |
| AP Biology | AP | B+ | 3.3 | +1.0 | 4.3 | 4 |
| Geometry | Regular | A | 4.0 | 0 | 4.0 | 3 |
| World History | Regular | B | 3.0 | 0 | 3.0 | 3 |
| Spanish II | Regular | A | 4.0 | 0 | 4.0 | 2 |
| PE | Regular | A | 4.0 | 0 | 4.0 | 1 |
Your letter-to-points chart may differ. For percent-to-letter context, see the letter grade scale.
Check your weighted grade or what you need on the final — free, in your browser.
Open the free grade calculator →Step 3: Multiply by credits to get quality points
Quality points for each class = weighted grade points × credit hours.
Using the table above:
| Class | Weighted points | Credits | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| English 10 Honors | 4.2 | 3 | 12.6 |
| AP Biology | 4.3 | 4 | 17.2 |
| Geometry | 4.0 | 3 | 12.0 |
| World History | 3.0 | 3 | 9.0 |
| Spanish II | 4.0 | 2 | 8.0 |
| PE | 4.0 | 1 | 4.0 |
| Total | 16 | 62.8 |
Step 4: Divide total quality points by total credits
- Weighted GPA = total quality points ÷ total credit hours
In the example: 62.8 ÷ 16 = 3.925, which many schools would report as about 3.93.
If every class had the same credits, you could average the weighted grade points. Credits are what make a 4-credit AP class matter more than a 1-credit elective.
Compare with the unweighted GPA on the same grades
Using the same letters without boosts:
| Class | Unweighted points | Credits | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| English 10 Honors | 3.7 | 3 | 11.1 |
| AP Biology | 3.3 | 4 | 13.2 |
| Geometry | 4.0 | 3 | 12.0 |
| World History | 3.0 | 3 | 9.0 |
| Spanish II | 4.0 | 2 | 8.0 |
| PE | 4.0 | 1 | 4.0 |
| Total | 16 | 57.3 |
Unweighted GPA = 57.3 ÷ 16 ≈ 3.58.
Same work, two numbers: about 3.58 unweighted and 3.93 weighted. That gap is exactly the Honors and AP boosts working through the credit hours.