Weighted GPA

A weighted GPA gives additional grade points for courses designated as honors, Advanced Placement, or International Baccalaureate level, recognizing that these classes require more rigorous academic work. Under a typical weighted system, an A in a regular class earns 4.0 points, an A in an honors class earns 4.5, and an A in an AP or IB class earns 5.0.

Weighted GPAs allow students who challenge themselves with advanced coursework to be rewarded rather than penalized for potentially earning lower grades in harder classes. A student earning a B in AP Chemistry, worth 4.0 weighted points, is recognized for undertaking greater academic challenge than a student earning an A in regular Chemistry, also worth 4.0 unweighted.

College admissions offices often recalculate GPAs using their own weighting systems, so a weighted GPA on a high school transcript is just one part of the picture. Many selective universities consider course rigor independently from GPA, looking at whether students took the most challenging courses available to them. Understanding both weighted and unweighted GPA helps students make informed decisions about their course selections.