LSAC GPA Calculator
Recalculate your GPA exactly as law schools will see it — with A+ = 4.33, all repeated course attempts counted, and WF withdrawals as F.
What Is LSAC GPA and Why Does It Matter?
Your undergraduate GPA is important, but it is not the number law schools use. The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) recalculates every applicant's GPA from scratch using a single standardized system — regardless of which university you attended or what grading scale your school uses. The result is your LSAC GPA, and it is the primary academic figure used in law school admissions decisions.
Law schools are required by the American Bar Association (ABA) to report the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile LSAC GPAs of their entering classes. These percentile grids — published in the LSAC Official Guide and on each school's ABA-required disclosures — are the benchmarks every applicant is measured against. Knowing your LSAC GPA before you apply lets you build a realistic, well-targeted school list.
Who Should Use This Calculator
US Law School Applicants
Anyone applying to ABA-approved US law schools through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Your LSAC GPA appears on every CAS report sent to schools.
Canadian & International Applicants
Canadian applicants applying to US law schools via CAS. International applicants use this to estimate how their grades might be interpreted before official transcript evaluation.
Pre-Law Students Planning Ahead
Undergraduates who want to see how their current transcript will look to law schools — and what grades they need in remaining semesters to hit a target LSAC GPA.
Applicants With Repeated Courses
Students who retook classes expecting grade replacement. This calculator shows the real impact of both attempts on the LSAC GPA, which may differ significantly from the school GPA.
Pre-Law Advisors
Academic advisors and pre-law counselors who need a quick, accurate LSAC GPA estimate to guide students on school selection, LSAT targets, and addendum strategy.
Students With Difficult Semesters
Anyone with WF grades, failed attempts, or unusual transcript events who wants to understand exactly how those entries affect their official LSAC number before submitting applications.
How LSAC Calculates Your GPA
LSAC applies the same formula every university uses — total quality points divided by total credit hours — but with three critical differences from most school GPAs.
The Formula
LSAC GPA = Σ(Grade Points × Credits) ÷ Σ(Credits)
Applied to all undergraduate credit attempts on all transcripts from all institutions attended.
1. A+ Grades Are Worth 4.33, Not 4.0
LSAC awards 4.33 grade points for an A+ — the only value above 4.0 in their system. Most universities cap their scale at 4.0. If you earned multiple A+ grades in high-credit courses, your LSAC GPA can legitimately exceed 4.0. This is not a bug; it is an intentional feature of the LSAC scale.
2. All Attempts of Repeated Courses Are Counted
If you failed Calculus I and retook it, both grades are included in your LSAC GPA — the F from the first attempt and whatever you earned on the second. Your university may have replaced or forgiven the original grade, but LSAC goes back to the original transcript and counts everything. This is the most common source of surprise LSAC GPA drops.
3. WF (Punitive Withdrawal) = F
A WF (Withdrawal Failing) is treated exactly like an F with 0.0 grade points. A plain W or WP (non-punitive withdrawal) is excluded from the calculation entirely and does not affect the GPA in either direction. Make sure you know which type of withdrawal appears on your transcript before you calculate.
Other Rules You Should Know
- Graduate coursework: Excluded. Only undergraduate credits are counted in the LSAC GPA.
- Incompletes (I): Excluded unless they lapse into a grade of F, in which case the F is counted.
- Pass/Fail and Credit/No Credit: Excluded — these courses do not affect the GPA either way.
- Transfer credits: All undergraduate credits from all institutions are included, even if your home university ignored them in its GPA.
- Community college work: Included if it was undergraduate credit, regardless of where you transferred.
School GPA vs. LSAC GPA: Side-by-Side
These two numbers measure the same thing — your academic performance — but they often differ because of different rules about what counts and how grades are valued. The table below shows every key difference.
| Feature | Your University GPA | LSAC GPA |
|---|---|---|
| A+ grade value | Usually capped at 4.00 | 4.33 — can push GPA above 4.0 |
| Failed / retaken courses | Often forgiven or replaced by school policy | Both the original F and the repeat grade are averaged in |
| Transfer credits | Often excluded from home institution GPA | All undergraduate credits from all institutions included |
| Winter / Summer terms | Varies by school | Always included |
| Punitive withdrawals (WF) | Varies — some schools count, some don't | Always counted as F (0.0 grade points) |
| Non-punitive withdrawals (W) | Excluded from GPA | Excluded from GPA |
| Graduate coursework | Included if you took it as undergrad | Excluded — undergraduate credits only |
| Community college work | Sometimes excluded from university GPA | Included if undergraduate credit |
| Pass/Fail courses | Excluded | Excluded |
| Scale maximum | Typically 4.0 | 4.33 (due to A+) |
Step-by-Step: How to Use This Calculator
Gather all your transcripts
Pull up official transcripts from every undergraduate institution you attended, including community colleges and transfer schools. LSAC uses all of them.
Enter every course with grade and credits
Add each course, its grade exactly as it appears on your transcript (A+, B, WF, W, etc.), and its credit hours. Use the LSAC grade reference in the calculator for guidance.
Enter repeated courses twice
If you retook a course, add it as two separate rows — once for each attempt. LSAC counts both; your school may only show one. The calculator will include both in the LSAC GPA and show the impact.
Use WF for punitive withdrawals, W for non-punitive
Check your transcript carefully. A 'WF' appears as F (0.0) in the LSAC calculation. A 'W' or 'WP' is excluded. Getting this distinction right matters for accuracy.
Review the side-by-side result and breakdown
The calculator shows your LSAC GPA, your approximate school GPA, and a plain-language explanation of any difference. The per-course breakdown shows exactly which entries affected your LSAC GPA.
Common LSAC GPA Mistakes to Avoid
The Official LSAC Grade-to-Point Conversion Table
LSAC uses this conversion table to translate every letter grade on every transcript into a numerical grade-point value.
| Letter Grade | LSAC Grade Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.33 | Above standard 4.0 scale — unique to LSAC |
| A | 4.00 | |
| A- | 3.67 | |
| B+ | 3.33 | |
| B | 3.00 | |
| B- | 2.67 | |
| C+ | 2.33 | |
| C | 2.00 | |
| C- | 1.67 | |
| D+ | 1.33 | |
| D | 1.00 | |
| D- | 0.67 | |
| F | 0.00 | |
| WF | 0.00 | Punitive withdrawal — treated as F |
| W / WP | Excluded | Non-punitive — no effect on GPA |
| I | Excluded | Unless it lapses to F, then counted as 0.00 |
| P / CR | Excluded | Pass/Credit — not factored into GPA |
LSAC GPA Frequently Asked Questions
Next Steps After Calculating Your LSAC GPA
Your LSAC GPA is one piece of your law school application. Here is how to use it effectively.
Compare to Law School Medians
Use the LSAC Official Guide or the 509 Required Disclosures to compare your LSAC GPA against the 25th/50th/75th percentiles at your target schools.
Plan Your Remaining Semesters
If you are still in school, use the GPA Planner to calculate exactly what grades you need in upcoming semesters to hit your LSAC GPA target.
Explore Other Professional School GPAs
Considering medicine or other health professions? AMCAS, AACOMAS, and CASPA all recalculate GPA differently, similar to LSAC.
Model Different Grade Scenarios
Run 'what if' scenarios — what happens to your LSAC GPA if you retook that C+ in Constitutional Law? Use the Scenarios tool to explore.