Grade point average, or GPA, is a formula for determining the average of your academic grades in the United States. A cumulative GPA is a weighted average of the individual grades in all the eligible courses you have taken at a particular school. You can usually figure it out on your own, as well, by dividing your total credits by the number of classes you’ve taken (Kamenetz, 2011).
During the purposes of this article, we shall restrict our discussion to high school. Accordingly, in this situation, the term “cumulative GPA” refers to measuring a particular student’s grade point average for the entirety of high school until the relevant period.
How to Calculate Your Cumulative GPA
Video: How do you calculate cumulative GPA for semesters?
Calculating your cumulative GPA might seem daunting at first, but with a little guidance, it can be a straightforward process. Understanding this calculation allows you to track your academic progress and set realistic goals for improvement. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you determine your cumulative GPA:
1. Gather Your Grades
First, you'll need a list of all the courses you’ve taken, along with the corresponding grades you've received. Make sure to include every course that counts towards your GPA.
2. Convert Your Grades to the GPA Scale
Each letter grade is assigned a numeric value on the GPA scale. Typically, this is as follows for an unweighted scale:
| Grade | GPA Scale |
| A | 4.0 |
| B | 3.0 |
| C | 2.0 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
If your school uses a weighted scale, honors or advanced placement (AP) classes may have higher values (e.g., A = 5.0).
3. Multiply Each Grade by Its Credit Hours
For each course, multiply the grade points by the number of credit hours the course is worth. For example, if you received an A (4.0) in a class worth 3 credits, that course contributes 12 grade points to your GPA (4.0 x 3 = 12).
4. Calculate Total Grade Points and Total Credit Hours
Add up all the grade points you've calculated for each course. Do the same for the total credit hours.
For example:
| Course | Grade | Grade Points | Credit Hours | Total Grade Points |
| English | A | 4.0 | 3 | 12.0 |
| Math | B | 3.0 | 4 | 12.0 |
| History | A | 4.0 | 3 | 12.0 |
| Science | C | 2.0 | 2 | 4.0 |
| Total | 12 | 40.0 |
5. Divide Total Grade Points by Total Credit Hours
Now, divide the total grade points by the total credit hours to get your cumulative GPA. Using the example above:
6. Review and Adjust for Weighted GPAs (if applicable)
If your school uses a weighted GPA system, ensure that you've applied the appropriate scale adjustments for honors or AP classes.
What Is the Use of Cumulative GPA?
Instead of focusing simply on a student’s academic accomplishments during a single quarter, the cumulative GPA provides a picture of their overall academic success throughout their high school career.
Because of this, the cumulative GPA of your 12th-grade year is significant when applying to colleges and universities. Most of the time, if not always, schools and universities base their admissions decisions on the applicant’s senior year cumulative GPA.
This is so that colleges may observe how a particular student’s academic performance has evolved throughout their entire high school experience. For some students, it may have improved, dropped, or in some other way changed. While each class is significant, rarely will a single test or grade have the final say about admissions.
How Differs Cumulative GPA from Overall GPA?
Video: What's The Difference Between A GPA & A Cumulative GPA? What Is A Weighted vs Unweighted GPA?
The terms "cumulative GPA" and "overall GPA" are often used interchangeably, but they can have distinct meanings depending on the context of your school or institution. Understanding these differences can help you accurately interpret your academic standing and make informed decisions about your education.
Cumulative GPA
A cumulative GPA is typically calculated based on the courses taken within a specific time frame, such as a semester, year, or program of study. It reflects your academic performance over a set period, allowing you to see how your grades have evolved throughout your high school or college experience. This GPA is updated at the end of each grading period, providing a snapshot of your progress at a particular point in time.
Overall GPA
On the other hand, the overall GPA encompasses all courses taken during your academic career, offering a more comprehensive view of your performance across multiple semesters or even years. This includes grades from different institutions if you’ve transferred schools or pursued advanced studies. The overall GPA provides a complete picture of your academic achievements and can be particularly important when applying for graduate programs or job opportunities where a long-term performance assessment is needed.
Key Differences and Similarities
While both cumulative and overall GPAs aim to evaluate academic performance, they differ in scope and purpose:
- Scope: Cumulative GPA often covers a shorter, specific period, while overall GPA includes your entire academic history.
- Updates: Cumulative GPA is regularly updated with each term’s grades, whereas overall GPA might only change if you complete a significant portion of your studies.
- Applications: Schools and employers may use cumulative GPA to assess recent performance trends, while overall GPA is often considered for long-term achievements.
When to Use Each GPA
Understanding when to focus on cumulative versus overall GPA can be crucial:
- Cumulative GPA: This is often emphasized in applications for programs or internships that value recent performance. It can highlight improvements or changes in your academic journey.
- Overall GPA: This is typically used in contexts that require a complete view of your academic history, such as graduate school applications or comprehensive academic assessments.
The terms cumulative GPA and overall GPA are comparable. However, there are apparent exceptions to the norm. To be safe, you must speak with your school to determine what each term means in the context of your particular situation.
Is The Cumulative GPA Weighted or Not?
Video: What is my cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale?
The response to this query could be different from one school to the next, but generally speaking, the cumulative GPA can be either weighted or unweighted.
Most people envision the standard 4.0 scale when they think of GPA measurements. The cumulative unweighted GPAs are calculated using the 4.0 GPA scale. Here’s how that works: A student’s grade point average (GPA) increases to 4.0 when they earn an A in a class. He receives a 3.0 grade for a B in a course. He obtains a 2.0 when he receives a C and a 1.0 when he receives a D. A cumulative GPA is calculated using these scores as their average.
You might wonder, How can cumulative GPA be weighted and unweighted simultaneously? Most colleges frequently show a weighted and an unweighted cumulative GPA separately on the same transcript (Day, 2020). This is similar to how they report quarter, semester, and annual GPAs. However, you should speak with your institution to confirm if that applies to your particular circumstance.
For all high school level courses, a cumulative GPA is determined using the number of credits earned, a 4.0 (unweighted), and a 5.0 (weighted).
What GPA Should I Have for College Admissions?
What constitutes an excellent cumulative GPA for college admissions is typically straightforward but occasionally unsatisfying— it depends on your circumstances and objectives. One “good” GPA or cumulative GPA does not exist; instead, there is a “good” cumulative GPA for a specific college or university.
Generally speaking, to have the best chance of admission, you should have a cumulative GPA that is at or above the median (or average, in some situations) for the colleges or institutions you wish to attend, ideally at or above their 75th percentile (together with SAT/ACT scores).
However, there are exceptions at elite schools. For the class of 2024 at Yale, nearly 95% of those accepted were among the top 10% of their high school graduating classes.
The majority had weighted cumulative GPAs of at least 4.0 and unweighted cumulative GPAs close to or at 4.0. Suppose your school uses a 4.0 unweighted scale. In that case, a “good” cumulative GPA is as close to 4.0 unweighted as possible and as high as possible in terms of weighted cumulative GPA to be admitted to Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, or any other country’s most selective institutions of higher learning. Keep in mind, these universities frequently also require outstanding essays, extracurricular activities, high SAT/ACT scores, and letters of recommendation.
While it may be easier to get into other highly selective universities around the nation than the schools mentioned above, many of them are tricky to accept without a comparably high cumulative GPA, among other things.
Let’s consider a different hypothetical situation where you wish to get accepted to a renowned, esteemed flagship state research university, like the University of Florida or the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, to name a couple (Brown, 2019).
According to Brown, the most recently admitted class at the University of Florida had a middle 50% cumulative GPA range of 4.4-4.6. In contrast, the most recently recognized course at the University of Michigan had a median cumulative GPA of 3.90 (Owen, 2022).
For another illustration, the middle 50% cumulative GPAs for the most recent first-year class at Florida Atlantic University, a reputable public university in Florida, were 3.23-3.81 for students starting in the summer term and 3.73-4.33 for students beginning in the fall term (Brown,2019). As you can see, each college has different statistics. Therefore, your ability to achieve an “excellent” cumulative GPA depends on your goals.
To find out what would be a “good” cumulative GPA range for you to aspire for and eventually attend the college of your dreams, you should examine college admission websites or consult with an admissions expert.
How Can I Find My Cumulative GPA?
Knowing how to find your cumulative GPA is crucial in understanding your academic progress and can be particularly helpful when applying to colleges or planning your academic future. While most schools provide this information on transcripts, it’s beneficial to know how to calculate it yourself. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Understand the Importance of Your Transcript
Your official school transcript is a comprehensive record of all your academic achievements, including the grades you have received in each course and your cumulative GPA. You can typically obtain this from your school’s registrar or guidance counselor. Reviewing your transcript is a good starting point to ensure that all the information is accurate and up to date.
2. Use Online GPA Calculators
Several online tools and GPA calculators can simplify the process of finding your cumulative GPA. Websites like College Board or Khan Academy offer free GPA calculators where you can input your grades and credit hours to receive an instant calculation. This method is particularly useful for double-checking your manual calculations or getting a quick estimate.
3. Consult Your School’s Resources
Many schools have their own GPA calculation tools available on their student portals. Log into your school’s website or contact the academic office to see if they offer a personalized GPA calculator. This resource can provide an accurate picture, considering your school’s specific grading policies and scales.
4. Verify Your GPA on Academic Reports
Most schools release academic reports at the end of each term that include your cumulative GPA. Reviewing these reports is an excellent way to stay informed about your academic standing. If there’s ever a discrepancy, address it promptly with your school’s administration to ensure that your records accurately reflect your performance.
5. Seek Guidance from Academic Advisors
If you are unsure about your GPA or how it’s calculated, academic advisors are invaluable resources. They can offer personalized advice and insights into how your GPA might impact your future plans. Additionally, they can help you understand the implications of different GPA scales, whether weighted or unweighted, and how these might affect your overall academic standing.
6. Track Your Progress Regularly
Regularly keeping track of your grades and GPA can help you identify patterns in your academic performance. Whether you use a spreadsheet or a dedicated app, maintaining a record of your progress allows you to take proactive steps in your education. By regularly checking your GPA, you can make informed decisions about course selections and areas that may need extra focus.
7. Engage with Peer Study Groups
Collaborating with peers can provide additional support and insight into calculating and understanding your GPA. Study groups or academic clubs often have members who are well-versed in academic strategies and can share tips on maintaining or improving your GPA. Engaging with others can offer new perspectives and motivate you to achieve your academic goals.
Empowerly Can Help You Ensure a Great GPA!
Students are empowered and assisted in becoming the most successful versions of themselves in college admissions and after their colleges. Thousands of students who used Empowerly successfully got into the programs of their dreams.
So, now that you know what a GPA is, the best GPA you may want to have, and how to calculate one, if you have any remaining questions, don’t be concerned. You can find further help from experienced, accurate consultants from Empowerly
Work With Empowerly Today!
Ready to turn your college admission dreams into reality? Join the 98% of students who have worked with Empowerly and been accepted into Ivy League and top 25 schools. Our college counselors are the best-rated in the country and have proven to improve college admission rates by 11x. Book your FREE consultation today.
Additional Resources
When considering college options, The Top 25 Colleges and Universities that Accept a 3.4 GPA can be an excellent starting point, offering a range of institutions that recognize potential beyond just numbers.
Similarly, exploring What Colleges Can I Get Into with a 3.5 GPA? provides valuable insights into your options, helping you make informed decisions about where to apply.
Additionally, knowing How to Study Effectively for Exams in a Short Time is crucial for managing academic stress and maximizing your performance, ensuring you present the best version of yourself in applications.
