Whether it is good or bad, you will want to know what your GPA is, but you may not know where to look to find your college GPA. Most professors or academic advisors don’t mention where to find your GPA. Luckily, there are several places where you can find your GPA.
A student’s GPA can be found on the school’s portal where they register for classes, and their grades are listed. It can also be located on their most recent grade report, Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS), and transcript. If students need help finding their GPA, they can contact the registrar’s office.
It is also a lot easier than expected to manually calculate your GPA. Find out how below.
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What is a GPA?
GPA stands for Grade Point Average, which is a singular number meant to represent your entire academic achievement at that school.
In the US, a 4.0 GPA scale is the standard way to measure how students perform academically. Your grades receive an equivalent grade point value where A= 4.0, B= 3.0, C= 2.0, D= 1.0 and F= 0.0. Your GPA is the average of how you have done in all your courses.
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How to find out your college GPA
Most colleges will have a school website or school portal where you can register for classes, pay your bill, and receive your grades. You should be able to find your GPA there.
For example, for ASU, you can go to My ASU, log in, and find the “My Classes” section. Click on the last semester that you completed, and it will show you your term GPA for the semester and your cumulative GPA:
If you want to see all your grades, click “Transcripts & Test Scores”:
Then click “Unofficial Transcripts”:
If you cannot find your GPA online or you can’t figure out how to log in, there are several other ways that you can find your college GPA:
- Access your DARS progress report to find your GPA listed there.
- Check your most recent grade report.
- Look at your transcript.
- Contact the registrar’s office. They can help you access the school portal or get an unofficial transcript.
- Contact your academic advisor.
How to find out your college GPA after graduating
Finding your college GPA after you graduate is pretty similar to finding your GPA while in school.
You may still have access to your school’s portal. Try to log in or reset your password if you still have your school email address or you used your phone number for verification purposes.
If you don’t still have access, then you can:
- Look at past emails or documents from your school. Check if you sent your transcript to anyone or if you included it on your resume.
- Contact the registrar’s office and ask them how to get an unofficial transcript.
How to manually calculate college GPA
Since there is some variation in how colleges calculate GPA, it is best to refer to your school’s official GPA scale. Still, it can be handy to know how to calculate your GPA manually.
The first step is to convert your grades (either letter grades or percentages) into grade point values. This just means getting the GPA equivalent of what your grade is worth.
There are some charts to make it simpler below.
How to calculate GPA on a 4.0 scale
Most colleges use a 0.0-4.0 GPA scale with each letter grade representing a grade point value:
| Letter Grade | GPA |
| A | 4.0 |
| B | 3.0 |
| C | 2.0 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
How to calculate GPA from letter grades or percentage grades
You can be more precise and calculate your GPA from letter grades that use pluses or minuses or from percentage grades.
Generally, minuses are worth ⅓ of a point less, and pluses are worth ⅓ of a point more. The exception is for an A+, which is generally worth a 4.0 for most colleges.
Here is what each letter grade or percentage grade is worth in grade point values:
| Letter Grade | Percentage Grade | GPA |
| A+ | 98.00 – 100.00 | 4.00 |
| A | 92.00 – 97.99 | 4.00 |
| A- | 90.00 – 91.99 | 3.67 |
| B+ | 88.00 – 89.99 | 3.33 |
| B | 82.00 – 87.99 | 3.00 |
| B- | 80.00 – 81.99 | 2.67 |
| C+ | 78.00 – 79.99 | 2.33 |
| C | 72.00 – 77.99 | 2.00 |
| C- | 70.00 – 71.99 | 1.67 |
| D+ | 68.00 – 69.99 | 1.33 |
| D | 62.00 – 67.99 | 1.00 |
| D- | 60.00 – 61.99 | 0.67 |
| F | below 60 | 0.00 |
and Numerical GradesNote: This table is the most exact and commonly used GPA scale, but there are some variations of the exact GPA between schools. Some schools round to one decimal point, so the pluses are worth .7, and the minuses are .3.
Some schools (such as ASU or Columbia) count an A+ as a 4.33 GPA. You can check out a GPA scale from Columbia.
There are also other schools, such as MIT, that use a 5.0 GPA scale.
Additionally, many schools outside the US do not use a 4.0 GPA scale; this information is for US students only.
You can find your school’s exact GPA scale in the student handbook or on their website.
How to calculate semester GPA
A semester GPA is the average of all the grades that you earned that semester.
To calculate your semester GPA, you need your grades for the semester, and you need to know how many credit hours (sometimes called units) each course was worth. This information is provided in the course, on the learning management system that the school uses (such as Blackboard or Canvas), or on your transcript.
To calculate semester GPA:
- Use the above charts or your college’s scale to find the grade point value for each letter grade you received.
- Multiply that grade point value by the number of credit hours each course was worth to find your grade points for each course. This number is also sometimes referred to as quality points or just total points.
- Add up all these grade points.
- Add all of the credit hours for the semester.
- Divide your total semester grade points by your total semester credit hours. This is your semester GPA.
Example of calculating semester GPA
| Class | Letter Grade | Grade Point Value | Credit Hours | Grade Point x Credit Hours |
| Math | C | 2.0 | 3 | 2 x 3= 6 |
| Sociology | A | 4.0 | 3 | 4 x 3= 12 |
| English | A | 4.0 | 3 | 4 x 3= 12 |
| Biology | B | 3.0 | 4 | 3 x 4= 12 |
| History | B | 3.0 | 3 | 3 x 3= 9 |
| Total: | 16 | 51 |
| Total grade points/ total credit hours = Semester GPA |
| 51/ 16 = 3.19 |
How to calculate cumulative (overall) GPA
Just to try to confuse us, people sometimes say cumulative GPA to refer to your semester GPA, but it means your overall GPA.
Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is the average of all the grades you received at your school. In other words, it is the average of all your semester GPAs. It represents your overall average academic achievement at your college.
To calculate your cumulative GPA, you:
- Add all the credit hours from each semester.
- Add all grade points from each semester. Find this by using the corresponding grade point value for the letter grade multiplied by the number of credits the course was worth. Or you can make this step go faster by taking your semester GPA and multiplying it by the number of credit hours you took that semester. Do that for each semester and then add them all up.
- Divide your total grade points overall by your total credit hours overall. This is your cumulative GPA.
For your first semester, your semester GPA will also be your cumulative GPA. Each semester after that will be averaged with all the others to make your cumulative GPA.
Example of calculating cumulative GPA
| Semester | Semester GPA | Credit Hours | Semester GPA x Semester Credit Hours |
| Fall 2020 | 4.0 | 12 | 4.0 x 12= 48 |
| Spring 2021 | 3.67 | 13 | 3.67 x 13= 47.71 |
| Summer 2021 | 3.42 | 12 | 3.42 x 12= 41.04 |
| Fall 2021 | 3.19 | 16 | 3.19 x 16= 51.04 |
| Total: | 53 | 187.79 |
| Total grade points/ total credit hours = Cumulative GPA |
| 187.79/ 53 = 3.54 |
| Total grade points/ total credit hours = Cumulative GPA |
| 187.79/ 53 = 3.54 |
Calculator: You can also use one of the many online GPA Calculators to help you calculate your GPA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do transfer credits affect GPA?
A common question when calculating your GPA is if you should count transfer credits in your GPA.
Grades you received for courses that are being used as transfer credits will not count toward your cumulative GPA at your new college.
Colleges will not give credit for a class unless you earn what they consider a passing grade (normally a B or C). If you earn below this, the college will not accept the transfer credit. If you earned a passing grade, they will transfer the credit, but it will not be factored into your GPA.
Check out my post on what GPA you need to graduate to determine what GPA you need for graduation eligibility or honors.
Do developmental classes affect GPA?
Developmental coursework (sometimes called remedial coursework) are courses that have a number prefix that is below the 100 level, such as MAT 098 or ENG 096. These courses are meant to prepare students for college-level courses. They do not count towards degree requirements and are not usually included in GPA.
Who can access your GPA?
Your GPA is private information. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) does not allow schools to disclose a student’s GPA or transcript without the student’s consent.
People at the school, such as those in the registrar’s office and academic advisors, can see your GPA. The registrar’s office can also verify some information without additional consent, such as that you attended, what you majored in, and if you obtained your degree. However, they cannot share your GPA. No one else can see your GPA unless you provide consent for them to be sent your transcripts.
When applying for a job, you may sign a statement that allows them to verify the information on your resume or application, which will allow them to request your transcripts.
Employers may also specifically ask for your transcript and require you to sign a consent form or send them your official transcript.
Grad schools will also ask to obtain your transcripts.
If you graduated with a low GPA and you know an employer or grad school will see your GPA, check out my post on “What to Do if You Graduate With a Bad GPA (Your Next Steps)“.
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