Cumulative GPA Calculator
Your Cumulative GPA:
—
Understanding and Calculating Your Cumulative GPA
Your Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) is a crucial metric that reflects your overall academic performance across all courses taken. It's a weighted average of your grades, taking into account the credit hours (or units) of each course. Understanding how to calculate it can help you track your progress, identify areas for improvement, and set academic goals.
How GPA is Calculated: The Basics
The GPA calculation involves assigning a numerical value to each letter grade and then multiplying that value by the credit hours for the course. The sum of these "grade points" is then divided by the total number of credit hours attempted.
Grade Point Equivalents (Common Scale):
- A = 4.0
- A- = 3.7
- B+ = 3.3
- B = 3.0
- B- = 2.7
- C+ = 2.3
- C = 2.0
- C- = 1.7
- D+ = 1.3
- D = 1.0
- F = 0.0
Note: Grade point values can vary slightly between institutions. Always check your school's official grading scale. Some schools use a +/- system, while others do not. This calculator uses a common +/- scale.
The Formula
The formula for calculating cumulative GPA is:
Cumulative GPA = (Sum of [Grade Points for each course * Credit Hours for that course]) / (Total Credit Hours Attempted)
Let's break this down:
- Grade Points: This is the numerical value assigned to your letter grade (e.g., 4.0 for an A, 3.0 for a B).
- Credit Hours: This is the weight of the course, typically representing the amount of time you're expected to spend in class per week. A 3-credit hour course counts more towards your GPA than a 1-credit hour course.
- Grade Points * Credit Hours: This calculation gives you the total grade points earned for that specific course. For example, an 'A' (4.0) in a 3-credit hour course yields 4.0 * 3 = 12.0 grade points.
- Sum of Grade Points * Credit Hours: You add up the results from the previous step for all courses you want to include in your GPA calculation.
- Total Credit Hours Attempted: This is the sum of the credit hours for all the courses included in the calculation.
Example Calculation
Let's say you took the following courses in a semester:
- Calculus I: 4 credit hours, Grade: B+ (3.3)
- Introduction to Psychology: 3 credit hours, Grade: A- (3.7)
- English Composition: 3 credit hours, Grade: B (3.0)
- Physical Education: 1 credit hour, Grade: A (4.0)
Calculation steps:
- Calculate Grade Points * Credit Hours for each course:
- Calculus I: 3.3 * 4 = 13.2
- Psychology: 3.7 * 3 = 11.1
- English: 3.0 * 3 = 9.0
- P.E.: 4.0 * 1 = 4.0
- Sum of Grade Points * Credit Hours: 13.2 + 11.1 + 9.0 + 4.0 = 37.3
- Total Credit Hours Attempted: 4 + 3 + 3 + 1 = 11
- Calculate Cumulative GPA: 37.3 / 11 = 3.39 (rounded)
So, the cumulative GPA for this semester's courses would be approximately 3.39.
Why Use This Calculator?
- Track Progress: Easily see how your grades in specific courses impact your overall GPA.
- Set Goals: Determine what grades you need in future courses to reach a target GPA.
- Simplify Calculation: Avoid manual errors and get instant results.
- What-If Scenarios: Input hypothetical grades and credit hours to see potential GPA outcomes.
Remember to be consistent with the grading scale and credit hours you use for an accurate calculation.
Course ${courseCount + 1}
A=4.0, A-=3.7, B+=3.3, B=3.0, B-=2.7, C+=2.3, C=2.0, C-=1.7, D+=1.3, D=1.0, F=0.0
`;
coursesContainer.appendChild(newCourseDiv);
}
function removeCourseInput(button) {
var courseEntry = button.parentElement;
courseEntry.remove();
// Renumber course titles for clarity
var coursesContainer = document.getElementById('courses-container');
var courseEntries = coursesContainer.getElementsByClassName('course-entry');
for (var i = 0; i < courseEntries.length; i++) {
var title = courseEntries[i].querySelector('h4');
if (title) {
title.textContent = `Course ${i + 1}`;
}
}
}
function calculateGPA() {
var totalGradePoints = 0;
var totalCreditHours = 0;
var coursesContainer = document.getElementById('courses-container');
var courseEntries = coursesContainer.getElementsByClassName('course-entry');
var isValid = true;
for (var i = 0; i < courseEntries.length; i++) {
var creditHoursInput = courseEntries[i].querySelector(`input[id^="creditHours_"]`);
var gradeInput = courseEntries[i].querySelector(`input[id^="grade_"]`);
var creditHours = parseFloat(creditHoursInput.value);
var grade = gradeInput.value;
var gradePoint = getGradePoint(grade);
// Input validation
if (isNaN(creditHours) || creditHours < 0) {
alert(`Please enter a valid number for Credit Hours for Course ${i + 1}.`);
isValid = false;
break;
}
if (grade.trim() === "") {
alert(`Please enter a grade for Course ${i + 1}.`);
isValid = false;
break;
}
if (gradePoint === 0.0 && grade.toUpperCase().trim() !== 'F') {
// Check if the grade is not F but returns 0.0, meaning it's an unrecognized grade
alert(`Invalid grade format "${grade}" for Course ${i + 1}. Please use standard letter grades (A, B+, etc.) or F.`);
isValid = false;
break;
}
totalGradePoints += gradePoint * creditHours;
totalCreditHours += creditHours;
}
var resultValueElement = document.getElementById('result-value');
if (isValid) {
if (totalCreditHours === 0) {
resultValueElement.textContent = "N/A";
alert("Please add at least one course with credit hours to calculate GPA.");
} else {
var cumulativeGPA = totalGradePoints / totalCreditHours;
resultValueElement.textContent = cumulativeGPA.toFixed(2); // Display GPA rounded to 2 decimal places
}
} else {
resultValueElement.textContent = "Error";
}
}
// Add a default course input when the page loads
window.onload = function() {
addCourseInput();
};