Can an unweighted GPA be above 4.0?

Not on a standard 4.0 scale. A few schools give an A+ extra points, so check how your school scores it.

Is a weighted GPA better than an unweighted GPA?

Neither is better. A weighted GPA rewards taking harder courses, while an unweighted GPA is easier to compare across schools.

Weighted vs unweighted GPA

Weighted vs Unweighted GPA

An unweighted GPA counts every class the same on a 4.0 scale. A weighted GPA adds bonus points for harder courses such as honors, AP and IB, so the same grades produce a higher number. With one A in AP, one B in honors and one A in a regular class, the unweighted GPA is 3.67 and the weighted GPA is 4.17.

Side-by-side example

Three one-credit courses with an honors bonus of 0.5 and an AP/IB bonus of 1.0. These bonus values are an example, not a rule.

Course	Grade	Level	Unweighted points	Weighted points
AP Calculus	A	AP / IB	4.0	5.0
Honors English	B	Honors	3.0	3.5
US History	A	Regular	4.0	4.0
GPA (average of the three)			3.67	4.17

What unweighted GPA means

An unweighted GPA ignores how hard a course is. Every course is graded on the same scale, so an A is worth 4.0 in a regular class and in an AP class. On the standard scale the top value is 4.0, which makes unweighted GPAs easy to compare across students and schools.

What weighted GPA means

A weighted GPA gives extra points for advanced courses. The school adds a bonus, often called a weight, to the 4.0-scale points of each honors, AP or IB course before averaging. Because the bonus is added on top, a weighted GPA can be higher than 4.0.

The size of the bonus and the courses that qualify are set by each school or district, so two students with identical grades can have different weighted GPAs at different schools.

Do colleges use weighted or unweighted GPA?

It varies. Some colleges recalculate GPA from your transcript using their own method, often on core academic courses and sometimes without school-specific bonus points. The admissions page of each college you apply to is the place to check.

Which GPA should you look at?

Use your school’s weighted GPA when it is the one used for class rank or honors, and your unweighted GPA when you want a like-for-like number across schools. To see both for your own courses, use the weighted GPA calculator and enter your school’s bonus points.

Same grades, two GPAs

The table above, averaged over three equal-credit courses.

Unweighted GPA: 3.67
Weighted GPA: 4.17
Difference: 0.50

The difference comes entirely from the bonus points on the honors and AP courses.

Grading & Weighting FAQs

Grade Calculator & Scoring FAQs

Clear, mathematically verified answers to common questions about weighted grade averages, grading scales, and final exam target scores.

An unweighted GPA counts every course on the same 4.0 scale. A weighted GPA adds bonus points for honors, AP or IB courses, so a harder class with the same letter grade counts for more.

It is your GPA when no course gets extra points for difficulty. An A is worth the same in every class, and on the usual 4.0 scale the highest possible value is 4.0.

Interactive Tools Available

Test a hypothetical score with our Target Grade Simulator above!