Cumulative GPA Calculator
Add each semester's GPA and credit hours to calculate your overall cumulative GPA, correctly weighted so that heavier course loads count proportionally more.
How the Cumulative GPA formula works
A credit-weighted average across every semester:
Cumulative GPA = Σ(Semester GPA × Semester credits) / Σ(Semester credits)
Step-by-step calculation
- Multiply each semester's GPA by that semester's credit hours.
- Sum those results across every semester.
- Divide by the total credit hours across all semesters.
Worked example
Semester 1: 3.4 GPA, 15 credits. Semester 2: 3.8 GPA, 12 credits. Cumulative GPA = (3.4×15 + 3.8×12) / (15+12) = (51+45.6)/27 ≈ 3.58.
Frequently asked questions
Why weight by credits instead of just averaging the GPAs?
A simple average would treat a light 12-credit semester the same as a heavy 18-credit semester, which doesn't reflect actual academic performance — weighting by credits ensures semesters with more coursework count proportionally more toward the cumulative figure, matching how most institutions actually calculate it.
Does this match what appears on my official transcript?
It uses the standard credit-weighted method most institutions use, but exact transcript calculations can include details like repeated courses or transfer credit policies that vary by school — treat this as a close estimate and your official transcript as the authoritative record.