College grades are calculated as a numeric grade point average, or GPA. The GPA is a weighed average, based on the number of credits you earned for the class. This means that an "A" in a 4-credit class improves your GPA more than in a 2-credit class. Each grade is given a numeric representation, such as 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, etc, which is multiplied by the number of credits to assess "quality points" for the course.
Find out the grade scale for your college. Most colleges use 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0, 0.0 for "A," "B," "C," "D" and "F," but there may be slight differences with minuses and pluses, such as "A+" or "B-." Call your college's student help desk to find out the specific grade scale.
Multiply each numeric grade by the number of credit for the class. This will calculate the number of quality points obtained from the course. For an "F," you will usually have no quality points assessed for that class.
Add all the quality points together.
Add all the credits together, including those from failed classes.
Divide the total quality points by the total credits to calculate GPA.
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About the Author
C. Taylor embarked on a professional writing career in 2009 and frequently writes about technology, science, business, finance, martial arts and the great outdoors. He writes for both online and offline publications, including the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Samsung, Radio Shack, Motley Fool, Chron, Synonym and more. He received a Master of Science degree in wildlife biology from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences at College of Charleston. He also holds minors in statistics, physics and visual arts.
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