Semester GPA Calculator
Your semester GPA — also called a term GPA — is your grade point average for one academic term: fall, spring, summer, or any intersession period. It reflects exactly how you performed during that specific term, not your entire academic career. This calculator computes your semester GPA instantly using your course names, letter grades, and credit hours, applying the standard weighted formula used by thousands of colleges and universities.
Use this tool whenever you need a quick, accurate snapshot of a single term — whether you're checking your grades mid-semester, verifying Dean's List eligibility, projecting what you need to pass a course, or reviewing performance after finals. For your cumulative (overall) average across all semesters, use our Cumulative GPA Calculator. To see how a single grade affects your standing, try the GPA Calculator.
Who Should Use This Semester GPA Calculator?
How to Use the Semester GPA Calculator
Select 4.0 (USA/Canada), 5.0, or another scale to match your institution's standards. If you're unsure which scale your school uses, check your registrar's website or your student handbook.
Most US colleges and universities operate on a 4.0 GPA scale, where an A equals 4.0, a B equals 3.0, a C equals 2.0, and so on. Some high schools and universities use weighted scales that award bonus points for AP, IB, or honors courses — our Weighted GPA Calculator handles those cases.
Enter each course you took during the semester — the course name (optional, for your reference), the letter grade you received or expect to receive, and the number of credit hours.
Add as many courses as needed using the + Add Course button. Most full-time semesters contain 4–6 courses totaling 12–18 credit hours.
If your school uses non-standard grades (e.g., A+ = 4.3, or a +/- system), click Edit Grade Map to customize the point values before calculating. This ensures accuracy.
The College Board and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) both publish resources on standard and institution-specific grade scales.
Click Calculate Semester GPA. The calculator applies the weighted average formula — multiplying each course's grade points by its credit hours, summing the quality points, and dividing by total credits.
Your result appears instantly in the Results panel on the right.
How Semester GPA Is Calculated
For each course: multiply grade points by credit hours to get quality points. Add all quality points together, then divide by total credits for the term.
| Course | Grade | Pts | Cr | QP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math 101 | A | 4.0 | 4 | 16 |
| English 200 | A– | 3.7 | 3 | 11.1 |
| Science 101 | B | 3.0 | 3 | 9 |
| History 200 | B– | 2.7 | 2 | 5.4 |
| Total | 12 | 41.5 | ||
41.5 quality points ÷ 12 credits = Semester GPA: 3.46
Semester GPA vs. Cumulative GPA: What's the Difference?
Scholarships and Dean's List: Often based on semester GPA only — a strong single-term performance can qualify you even with a lower cumulative average.
Academic probation: Institutions may place students on probation based on semester GPA dipping below 2.0, regardless of cumulative standing.
Graduate school applications: Programs typically evaluate cumulative GPA. A 3.0 cumulative GPA is often a minimum threshold.
Honors at graduation: Based on cumulative GPA. See Latin Honors GPA thresholds for cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude benchmarks by school.