Guide

How to Calculate Your Cumulative GPA

Your cumulative GPA covers your entire academic record, not just one term. Here's how it's actually calculated.

Your cumulative GPA is the average of every grade you've earned across all semesters and classes, weighted by how many credit hours each class was worth — not just a simple average of your semester GPAs.

The steps:

  1. Convert each letter grade to grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, etc.)
  2. Multiply each course's grade points by its credit hours to get "quality points"
  3. Add up all quality points across every course you've ever taken
  4. Divide by your total credit hours

A 4-credit class with an A affects your cumulative GPA more than a 1-credit class with an A, because it's weighted by credit hours. This is why a single bad semester in a heavy course load can shift your cumulative GPA more than the same grades in a lighter semester.

Calculate Your Cumulative GPA →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cumulative GPA the same as overall GPA?
Yes, these terms are used interchangeably — both refer to your GPA across your entire academic record, not just one term.
Does a low GPA in freshman year ruin my cumulative GPA?
It has more impact than later grades relative to total credits, but it becomes a smaller fraction of your overall total as you complete more credit hours.