Weighted GPA Calculator — Honors & AP/IB GPA
Add your courses with grades, credit hours, and course level. GradeLab computes your weighted GPA — Regular +0, Honors +0.5, AP/IB +1.0 — right next to your unweighted GPA, so you can see exactly how much the harder courses lift you. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded or tracked.
How it works
Weighted GPA uses the same credit-weighted average as unweighted GPA, with one extra step: each course's grade points get a level bonus before averaging. An A in an AP course counts as 5.0, an A in Honors as 4.5, an A in a regular course as 4.0. Example: A in AP (4 credits) + B regular (3 credits) → weighted (20 + 9) ÷ 7 = 4.14, unweighted (16 + 9) ÷ 7 = 3.57.
Two honest limits: the +0.5 / +1.0 bonuses are the most common US convention, not a universal rule — check your school's handbook. And an F earns 0 points with no bonus, so a failed AP course still drags your GPA down.
Frequently asked questions
How is weighted GPA calculated?
Each course's grade points get a level bonus — Regular +0, Honors +0.5, AP/IB +1.0 — then the usual credit-weighted average: multiply each course's weighted points by its credits, add them up, divide by total credits. Example: A in AP (5.0) in a 4-credit course plus B regular (3.0) in a 3-credit course → (20 + 9) ÷ 7 = 4.14 weighted, versus 3.57 unweighted.
What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?
Unweighted GPA caps at 4.0 and treats every course equally. Weighted GPA rewards harder courses, so it can reach 5.0 when every course is AP/IB with an A. Colleges often recalculate GPA on their own scale, so treat the weighted number as your school's reporting figure, not a universal comparison.
Do all schools use Honors +0.5 and AP +1.0?
No. That is the most common US convention, which is why this calculator uses it — but some districts give AP only +0.5, cap weighted GPA at 4.0, or weight only certain courses. Check your school's handbook; if your school differs, it is the bonus that changes, not the arithmetic.
Does an F in an AP course still get the +1.0 bonus?
No. An F earns 0 grade points and no bonus — a bonus rewards passing harder work, it does not rescue a failure. The failed course's credits still count in the denominator, so it pulls both weighted and unweighted GPA down.
Can weighted GPA go above 5.0?
Not on this scale: the highest base grade is 4.0 and the largest bonus is +1.0, so the ceiling is 5.0. If your school reports weighted GPAs above 5.0, it uses a different scale (for example a 6.0 scale) and this calculator's numbers will not match it.
Is this weighted GPA calculator accurate?
The arithmetic is exact for the stated scale and bonuses. The uncertainty is never the math — it is which weighting your school applies. Confirm your school's Honors/AP bonus table before relying on the number for class rank or college applications.