Unweighted GPA: grades only
An unweighted GPA converts every grade to the standard 4.0 scale and ignores course difficulty. An A in an AP course and an A in a regular course are both 4.0. Credits still matter at the college level, but at high school each course is usually worth the same. The result is a number bounded by 4.0 that means roughly the same thing at every school — which is exactly why it is the version used for comparison.
Weighted GPA: grades plus rigour
A weighted GPA adds bonus points before the average is taken: most commonly +0.5 for Honors and +1.0 for AP or IB, with the total capped at 5.0. A B in an AP course (3.0 + 1.0 = 4.0) ends up worth exactly as much as an A in a regular course. That is the design intent: it makes a harder schedule worthwhile in the numbers, so students are not penalised for taking on more demanding work.
The same transcript, two numbers
- Unweighted: A- in AP English (3.7) + B+ in Honors Algebra (3.3) + A in Biology (4.0) + B in History (3.0) = 14.0 ÷ 4 = 3.50
- Weighted: 4.7 + 3.8 + 4.0 + 3.0 = 15.5 ÷ 4 = 3.875
- The bonus lifted the GPA by 0.375 — more than a third of a letter grade
Which one colleges use
Selective US colleges generally recalculate an unweighted GPA from the transcript on their own scale, because weighted scales vary too much between schools to compare directly. They then look at the weighted figure or the school profile to judge rigour, and often list both in admissions data. The practical advice is consistent across counsellors: report unweighted when asked for a 4.0-scale GPA, report weighted only if the transcript states it.
Which one scholarships and graduate schools use
Scholarships mostly specify an unweighted 4.0 minimum because it is the only comparable number. Graduate and professional programmes generally do the same, sometimes adding a last-60-credit or major GPA. If you exceed 4.0 because of weighting, expect a scholarship portal with a 4.0 maximum to reject the value — convert to unweighted before entering it.
When weighting works against you
Weighting helps only when grades hold up in the harder courses. A weighted GPA built from B grades in AP classes can sit close to an unweighted GPA built from A grades in easier ones, and admissions readers notice which pattern produced which number. Weighting also varies by school: some weight only AP, some cap at 4.5, some allow nothing above 5.0. Comparing a weighted GPA across schools without the school profile is comparing different units.