Calculate Your GPA

Grade Point Average (GPA) is the numeric measure of a student's average performance in all completed letter-graded courses. UC GPA is the numeric measure of a student's average performance in all completed letter-graded courses at the University of California.

Step One: Determine Criteria and Courses to be Used in Factoring the GPA

Determine what type of GPA is desired; e.g., major, overall UC, quarterly. Review all coursework to identify which courses should be used to factor the GPA.

Do include courses that:

  • Are letter-graded; and,
  • Fall within established parameters for the type of GPA desired, e.g., all upper division courses used to satisfy major or all work completed at any UC; and,
  • Are units that count towards your degree.

Do not include the following:

  • Courses graded P, NP, S, U, IP, NG, Y, or I.
  • Excluded repeat units.
  • Units reduced from a course.
  • Units that fall outside of established criteria.
  • Illegal repeat units.
  • Courses that do not bear degree credit; e.g., workload courses.
  • Courses with an Enrolled-No Work Submitted (ENWS) notation.

Step Two: Calculate Grade Points for Each Course Being Used in the GPA

The official UC GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of attempted UC Units. These figures can be found on the official transcript. Attempted units are found in the ATTM column; grade points are found in the GPTS column.

Example:

  • A student has 116.40 grade points and 59.00 Attempted UC Units.
  • 116.40 grade points / 59.00 Attempted UC Units = 1.973 GPA.

Step Three: Calculate the GPA

Calculate the GPA by adding all the values identified in step two and dividing this number by the total units earned in these courses.

GPA = Total Grade Points/Total Attempted UC Units Earned

Example: If we want to find the quarterly GPA for when courses and grades for a particular term are:

Transcript GPA

  • Student completed 20 units; however, 4 of these units were P/NP. As these do not factor into the GPA calculation, this course adds nothing to the total values.
  • Quarterly GPA = 55.6 grade points/16 attempted UC units = 3.475.

About Grade Points

Grade points, also called "quality" points, are points that are assigned to every UC unit for which a student receives a letter grade. The grade point balance is a measure of how far a student is over or under the minimum performance standard—a GPA of 2.000. Grade points are commonly used in academic advising to set specific targets to reach a 2.000 GPA.

The grade point balance is particularly useful if a student's GPA is below 2.000, since it offers insight into what is necessary to get into good academic standing.

Each letter grade, except C, has an impact on the grade point balance. Each grade below C lowers the grade point balance, as indicated below; and each grade above C raises the grade point balance, as indicated below.

Grade Point values are assigned as follows:

  • A+    4.000
  • A      4.000–Excellent
  • A-    3.700
  • B+   3.300
  • B     3.000–Good
  • B-    2.700
  • C+   2.300
  • C     2.000–Fair
  • C-    1.700
  • D+   1.300
  • D     1.000–Barely passing
  • D-    0.700
  • F      0.000–Not passing (work so poor that it must be repeated to receive recognition)

NOTE: Workload units and courses that are assigned grades such as P, NP, S, U, NS, NG, I, Y, and H are not assigned grade points.

Example:

  • A student receives an A- in a 4-unit class so the course will provide 3.700 grade points for each unit.
  • 3.700 grade points x 4.00 Units = 14.8 total grade points for the course.

About Balance Points

Balance points are negative or positive points that are assigned to every UC unit for which a student receives a letter grade. Balance points are designed so that a student with a UC GPA of 2.000 will have 0 balance points (an overall 2.000 GPA is the minimum GPA allowed for a student to stay in good academic standing). The higher a student's UC GPA is above 2.000, the higher the student's positive balance point; the lower a student's UC GPA is below 2.000, the higher the negative balance point.

Balance point values are assigned as follows:

  • A+    +2.000
  • A      +2.000
  • A-    +1.700
  • B+   +1.300
  • B     +1.000
  • B-    +0.700
  • C+   +0.300
  • C     0.000
  • C-    -0.300
  • D+   -0.700
  • D     -1.000
  • D-    -1.300
  • F      -2.000

Example:

  • A student receives a B+ in a 4-unit course.
  • +1.300 balance points x 4.00 units = +5.200 balance points.

Example:

  • A student receives a D+ in a 3-unit course.
  • -0.700 balance points x 3.00 units = -2.100 balance points.