Grades and study · GPA and overall averages
Calculate a cumulative GPA over several terms
A 18-credit fall semester outweighs a 12-credit summer. The cumulative figure is therefore not the plain average of your term GPAs.
Calculate
How the calculator works
Each term’s grade points are rebuilt by multiplying its GPA by its credit hours, the products are added, then the total is divided by all credit hours. It is the same mechanics as a single-term GPA, one level up. Practical consequence: a 4.0 in a 6-credit summer session does not cancel a 3.0 in an 18-credit fall.
Formula and method
cumulative = Σ(GPA × credits) ÷ Σ(credits)
Weighted by credit hours earned in each term.
term points = GPA × credits
Rebuild the points before combining terms.
The calculation assumes each term GPA you enter is already correct and that the credits are those actually earned. Withdrawn courses, transfer credits and retakes with grade replacement follow each registrar’s own rules and are not modelled here. The official cumulative GPA remains the one on the transcript.
Worked example
Three uneven terms
3.5 on 15 credits — 3.0 on 15 credits — 3.8 on 12 credits.
- Points: 52.5 + 45 + 45.6 = 143.1.
- Credits: 42.
- 143.1 ÷ 42 = 3.4071.
A cumulative GPA of 3.41.
Why this is not the average of the GPAs
4.0 on 6 credits and 3.0 on 18 credits.
- Points: 24 + 54 = 78.
- Credits: 24.
- 78 ÷ 24 = 3.25.
3.25, not 3.50: the heavy term dominates.
Input notes
- Terms
- Format “GPA;credits”. GPA may sit between 0 and 5 so weighted scales still fit.
Assumptions and limits
Assumptions
- Each term is weighted by credit hours earned.
- The GPAs entered share one scale.
- No course is left out of the cumulative figure.
Limits
- No transfer credits and no dual-enrolment equivalencies.
- No grade replacement after a retake.
- No split between weighted and unweighted GPAs.
How to read the result
Cumulative GPA moves slowly, and more slowly as credits pile up. After 90 credits, a perfect 15-credit semester shifts the cumulative figure by only a few hundredths. That is why freshman year weighs so heavily: it sets the base that everything else is averaged against. Dean’s list and scholarship cutoffs usually look at this number, not at last term alone.
Common mistakes
Averaging the term GPAs without the credits.
Weight by credit hours, or a light summer counts as much as a full fall.
Typing contact hours instead of credit hours.
The credits on the transcript weight the average, not weekly class time.
Mixing weighted and unweighted term GPAs.
Combine figures computed on the same scale.
Comparison
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Plain average | True cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 on 6 | 3.0 on 18 | 3.50 | 3.25 |
| 4.0 on 12 | 3.0 on 12 | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| 4.0 on 18 | 3.0 on 6 | 3.50 | 3.75 |
Related calculations
- GPA calculatorEnter a letter and credits per course. The GPA is the sum of grade points times credits, divided by total credits.
- Weighted GPAHarder courses earn extra points: +0.5 for honors, +1.0 for AP. The resulting GPA can therefore go above 4.0.
- Course grade by categoryOne line per category, with its score and its syllabus weight. The result is normalised, and the page tells you if weight is still missing.
- Weighted averageEach line is a value and its coefficient. The mean is the sum of (value × weight) divided by the sum of weights — not the average of the values then of the weights.
Frequently asked questions
How is a cumulative GPA calculated?
Weight each term by its credit hours.
Multiply each term GPA by its credits, add the products, then divide by total credits. Three terms at 3.5 on 15, 3.0 on 15 and 3.8 on 12 give 3.41.
Can one strong semester repair a weak one?
Less and less as time goes on.
The more credits you already have, the less a new term can move the cumulative GPA. With 90 credits earned, a 15-credit semester is only one sixth of the total.
Do transfer credits count?
That depends on the registrar.
Many US colleges accept the credits from a transfer but leave the grades out of the GPA. This page does not decide: enter what your official transcript actually includes.
Author and update
Written by Rédaction HexaCalc (editorial team). Content last updated: August 25, 2026. No third-party medical or financial review is claimed.
- Les Éléments, Livre I (théorème de Pythagore) et Livre VII (algorithme d’Euclide) — Tradition mathématique euclidienne
Need a single-term GPA?
The GPA calculator starts from each course’s letter and credit hours.
GPA calculatorCategory: Grades and study