Set GPA Goals

Calculate Semester GPA

Calculate Cumulative GPA

Knowing how to calculate your GPA will help you to assess your academic progress and create realistic academic goals.

Information Needed

To calculate your GPA, you will need two pieces of information:

• quality points earned
• credit hours attempted

Quality Points Earned

Each letter grade equals a certain number of quality points: A=4 points, B+=3.3 points, B=3 points, etc. Multiply the number of quality points for the letter grade by the number of credit hours for the course; for example, if you earned a B in a 3 credit hour course, you would earn 9 quality points (3.00 quality points x 3 credit hours) for that course. The list of letter grades and quality points are:

Credit Hours Attempted

Do not include a WP, WF, or W in your GPA calculations. You do not earn quality points or credit hours when you withdraw from a course.

Calculating your GPA is more complicated if you have repeated a class with “repeat forgive” or taken a course and earned a CR, NC, I, NP. If you have any of these grades on your transcript, consult with an academic advisor to learn how this may impact your GPA.

Setting GPA Goals

After calculating your semester, cumulative, or major GPA, you may set goals to improve your academic success.  Utilize our GPA Goal Setting Calculator to help you calculate how you can raise your GPA based on your predictions.

Know the GPA cut-offs for President’s List, Dean’s List, probation, and suspension at JMU as you set GPA goals.

Semester GPA

Calculate your semester GPA by dividing the number of quality points you have earned by the total number of credit hours you have attempted for that semester. You must count the credit hours for the courses that you failed. 

Semester GPA Calculator: Calculate Semester GPA for the grades you predict for this semester.

Cumulative GPA

Calculate your cumulative GPA by dividing the number of total quality points you have earned for all your semesters by the total number of credit hours you have attempted in all your semesters (even those courses you have failed). In your first semester, your semester GPA and cumulative GPA will be the same.

Cumulative GPA Calculator: Calculates how the grades you project for this semester will affect your cumulative GPA.

Major GPA

Calculate your major GPA by dividing the number of total quality points you have earned for all of the classes that were required for your major by the total number of credit hours you have attempted for these classes (even those courses you have failed).

Sample GPA Calculations

45.1÷16 = 2.818   Semester GPA     Good Standing

31.1÷16 = 1.943     Semester GPA     Academic Probation

57÷16 = 3.562   Semester GPA    Dean’s List

When in doubt, it is always a good idea to double-check your calculations with your academic advisor to make sure that they are accurate.

Ethical GPA Practices

When calculating your GPA for your resume, or applications for jobs, internships, or graduate programs, make sure that you follow these guidelines:

• Use your current cumulative GPA (including all semesters in your calculations, accurate to the 2nd decimal point; example: 2.98).
  • New transfer or graduate students: Use your cumulative GPA from previous institution. Replace with JMU GPA upon completion of first semester.
  • First year students: Use "0.00" as your cumulative GPA. Replace with JMU GPA upon completion of first semester.
• NEVER round your GPA up.
• Do not combine your GPA from other institutions with your JMU GPA.
• Do not use your semester GPA instead of your cumulative GPA. If you use your major or minor GPA, make sure that it is clearly labeled as such.
• Update your GPA on resumes, applications, and your Handshake academic profile at the end of each semester so it will be up to date.