Plain 4.0 GPA with no difficulty bonuses — the version colleges recalculate.
Quick answer: An unweighted GPA caps every course at 4.0 regardless of difficulty: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0, with ±0.3 steps. It is the number most college applications compare across schools.
Weights: Honors +0.5, AP/IB +1.0, capped at 5.0
Course
Credits
Grade
Unweighted GPA
3.45
Total credits
14
Courses counted
4
Weighted equivalent
3.45
Quality points
48.3
How it is calculated
Each grade is converted to grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0, with ±0.3 steps). Points are multiplied by the course credits, summed, then divided by total credits.
Example: A (4.0) in a 3-credit course + B (3.0) in a 4-credit course = (4.0×3 + 3.0×4) ÷ 7 = 3.43.
Core facts
Price
100% free, no sign-up
Ceiling
4.0 (no bonuses)
Weighting
By credit hours only
Output
Unweighted GPA and letter equivalent
What is Unweighted GPA Calculator?
An unweighted GPA ignores course difficulty and measures only the grades themselves, on a scale that stops at 4.0. Every A is 4.0 whether it came from an AP seminar or a regular class; a B is 3.0 with a +0.3 step for a B+. Because it removes the bonus, it is the most comparable number across schools, which is why admissions offices typically recalculate an unweighted GPA from transcripts even when a high school reports a weighted one. Credit hours still apply at the college level, where a four-credit course carries twice the weight of a two-credit course.
Common Uses for Unweighted GPA Calculator
Produce the unweighted figure a scholarship form asks for
Compare grades fairly between an honours-heavy and a regular schedule
Recalculate a weighted transcript into 4.0 terms
Check a graduate programme's unweighted minimum
Weighted and unweighted tell different stories
Two students with the same 3.6 unweighted GPA may have very different weighted GPAs — one took a demanding schedule and the other did not. Reading both numbers together is how admissions offices separate rigour from results; looking at only one gives a partial picture.
The ±0.3 step is where students lose points
Because each letter step is 0.3, an A- costs 0.3 against an A and a B+ costs 0.4 against an A-. Over a semester of five courses those fractions add up to a difference of several tenths. The unweighted mode here shows the quality points as well as the GPA, so the cost of each grade is visible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would anyone use unweighted GPA?
Because it is comparable. Weighted scales vary by school — different bonuses, different caps — so a 4.5 means little without context. An unweighted 3.7 means roughly the same thing everywhere.
Is 3.0 unweighted a B average?
Yes, exactly. 3.0 is the grade-point value of a B, making it the standard benchmark for graduate school and many scholarships.
How do I convert a weighted GPA to unweighted?
Remove the bonuses: set every course level to Regular and recalculate. The bonus points are the entire difference between the two figures.
Do colleges recalculate GPA?
Most selective colleges do, usually unweighted and sometimes excluding non-academic subjects, which is why the number you self-report and the number they compute can differ.