GPA vs. percentage: what each one measures
A percentage measures one course; a GPA averages letter grades across courses using credit hours. How the conversion works on a 4.0 scale, and why a grade calculator stops at the course.
Students often ask a grade calculator for their GPA. The two numbers are related but not the same thing, and the step between them belongs to your school.
Percentage
Earned ÷ possible × 100, or the weighted version of it, for one course. This is what every MyGradePlan calculator produces, and it is exact given your scores and rules.
Letter grade
Your school maps the percentage to a letter using its scale. The common scale is in the grading scale guide. Rounding policy matters here: 89.5% can be a B+ or an A− depending on the instructor.
GPA
Each letter has a point value (A = 4.0, B = 3.0 and so on). Multiply each course’s points by its credit hours, add them up, and divide by the total credit hours.
Three-course semester
| Course | Grade | Points | Credits | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus | B+ | 3.3 | 4 | 13.2 |
| Writing | A | 4.0 | 3 | 12.0 |
| Chemistry lab | C | 2.0 | 1 | 2.0 |
| GPA | 8 | 27.2 ÷ 8 = 3.40 |
Why MyGradePlan stops at the course
The letter-to-points table, plus/minus handling, honors weighting and repeat-course rules vary by institution. Guessing them would give you a confident wrong number. Use the course percentage and letter here, then your registrar’s published GPA rules.