Understanding your high school GPA is crucial when applying for college or university. It reflects your academic performance and plays a significant role in admissions decisions.
How To Calculate GPA High School
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you determine your high school GPA:
Step 1: Gather Your Grades
First, I need to collect all my final grades for each class. Each subject’s grades should be in letter form (A, B, C, etc.).
Step 2: Know the Grade Points
I need to understand the grade points associated with each letter grade. Here’s a standard scale used in many U.S. high schools:
- A = 4.0
- B = 3.0
- C = 2.0
- D = 1.0
- F = 0.0
If I took honors, AP (Advanced Placement), or IB (International Baccalaureate) courses, these might be weighted differently. For instance:
- A in an AP/IB/Honors class = 5.0
- B in an AP/IB/Honors class = 4.0, etc.
Step 3: Assign Grade Points to Each Class
For each class, I’ll assign the corresponding grade points. For example:
- English: A (4.0)
- Math: B (3.0)
- Science: A (4.0)
- History: C (2.0)
- Spanish: B (3.0)
- AP Physics: B (4.0 because it’s an AP class)
Step 4: Multiply Grade Points by Credits
Each class usually has a credit value, often 1.0 for a full-year course or 0.5 for a semester course. I’ll multiply the grade points by the number of credits each class is worth. For example:
- English: 4.0 (grade points) × 1.0 (credits) = 4.0
- Math: 3.0 × 1.0 = 3.0
- Science: 4.0 × 1.0 = 4.0
- History: 2.0 × 1.0 = 2.0
- Spanish: 3.0 × 1.0 = 3.0
- AP Physics: 4.0 × 1.0 = 4.0
Step 5: Calculate Total Grade Points and Credits
Now, I’ll add up all the grade points and credits:
- Total Grade Points: 4.0 + 3.0 + 4.0 + 2.0 + 3.0 + 4.0 = 20.0
- Total Credits: 1.0 + 1.0 + 1.0 + 1.0 + 1.0 + 1.0 = 6.0
Step 6: Divide Total Grade Points by Total Credits
To find my GPA, I’ll divide the total grade points by the total number of credits:
Formula:
GPA = Total Grade Points ÷ Total Credits
GPA = Total Grade Points ÷ Total Credits = 20.0 ÷ 6.0 = 3.33
My GPA would be 3.33.
Review and Verify
Finally, I’ll double-check my work to ensure all the calculations are correct and I’ve accounted for any weighted classes appropriately.
That’s it! Now, I know how to calculate my GPA in high school.