Columnist Nicole Lee 3--GPA in U.S. High Schools: 4.0 vs. 5.0

Are you a high schooler in the United States? Chances are, you’ve heard of something called GPA (Grade Point Average). The words “weighted” and “unweighted” are thrown around a lot, but what do they mean? Keep reading to find out. Hello, I’m Nicole Lee and I’m a columnist for the Southern Chinese News Group. Today, we’ll go over the important distinction between unweighted and weighted GPA, as well as how to calculate both.

GPA is a defining metric of a student’s academic performance. Colleges, scholarships, and summer programs often require applicants to submit their high school transcript as part of the application process. Depending on the high school, a transcript can include unweighted (UW) GPA, weighted (W) GPA, or both. But here’s something that confuses many people: one person can have a lower unweighted GPA than someone else, but a higher weighted GPA. How does that happen?

What is Unweighted GPA?

The unweighted GPA system is the most commonly used system, and the most straightforward. The highest possible score is a 4.0, achieved when a student earns an A grade in every class per grading cycle. All classes are factored equally, regardless of difficulty.

Here’s how Unweighted GPA is calculated:

Let’s say a student takes seven courses and receives the following grades: A, A, B, C, A, A, A. Their UW GPA can be calculated by adding the number of GPA points awarded per course and dividing by the number of courses the student takes. 

(4.0 + 4.0 + 3.0 + 2.0 + 4.0 + 4.0 + 4.0) ÷ 7 = 3.57

The process is simple to understand. However, unweighted GPAs don’t reflect course difficulty. A student who receives an A in On-Level English III gets 4.0 GPA points, the same as a student who receives an A in AP English Language and Composition (a college-level course). Unweighted GPAs don’t paint a full picture of a student’s academic capabilities.

What is Weighted GPA?

To encourage students to take more challenging classes—such as Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB)—many schools use a weighted GPA system. Under this system, GPA will differ between students with varying course rigor.

In a typical weighted GPA system:

• A in an On-Level class = 4.0
• A in an Honors class = 4.5
• A in an AP/IB class = 5.0

However, depending on the school, an A in an Honors class may be weighted at 4.0, 4.25, or even 5.0.

Here’s how Weighted GPA is usually calculated for AP classes:

Let’s take another look at the student from before:

Their W GPA can be calculated by adding the number of GPA points awarded per course and dividing by the number of courses the student takes. 

(4.0 + 5.0 + 4.0 + 3.0 + 4.0 + 4.0 + 4.0) ÷ 7 = 4.00

The student has a 3.57 UW GPA and a 4.00 W GPA. Because the student took three AP classes, they were rewarded with a higher weighted GPA. 

Do colleges care more about weighted or unweighted GPA?

Well, they care about both. They look at weighted GPA to see if you challenged yourself with tough courses, and they look at unweighted GPA to evaluate academic performance without bonus points. Some colleges will recalculate your GPA based on their own system, especially if your transcript only shows one or the other.  So ideally, you want both: strong grades and strong rigor.

Quick Recap:

Unweighted GPA is calculated on a 4.0 scale and doesn’t factor in course difficulty. Weighted GPA is typically calculated on a 5.0 scale and does factor in course difficulty. Taking Honors and AP courses will reward you with a higher weighted GPA. Let’s revisit the question: “Why can someone have a lower unweighted GPA than someone else, but a higher weighted GPA?” The answer is that they took more challenging classes, such as AP or Honors courses, which are often weighted on a 5.0 scale. In short: a high unweighted GPA is great, but a high weighted GPA is even better.