How to Calculate Semester GPA (With Examples)
Your semester GPA measures how well you performed in a single term. Unlike your cumulative GPA, which covers your entire academic history, your semester GPA covers just one term’s courses — the fall, spring, or summer semester you just finished.
Quick answer: Semester GPA = total grade points ÷ total credit hours for that term. Three courses worth 4, 3 and 3 credits with grades of A, B and B+ give (16.0 + 9.0 + 9.9) ÷ 10 = 3.49.
If you’re trying to figure out whether you made the dean’s list, kept your scholarship, or met your academic goals, your semester GPA is the number to check. Here’s exactly how to calculate semester GPA.
The Semester GPA Formula
The formula for semester GPA is the same one used for cumulative GPA — you just apply it only to the courses you took in the current semester:
Semester GPA = Total grade points earned ÷ Total credit hours attempted
- Convert each letter grade to grade points (A = 4.0, A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B− = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0).
- Multiply each course’s grade points by its credit hours to get quality points.
- Add up all quality points and all credit hours.
- Divide total quality points by total credit hours.
Worked Example: Calculating Semester GPA
Let’s say you took four courses this semester:
| Course | Grade | Grade Points | Credits | Quality Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English 101 | A | 4.0 | 3 | 12.0 |
| Calculus I | B+ | 3.3 | 4 | 13.2 |
| Biology 110 | A− | 3.7 | 3 | 11.1 |
| History 201 | B | 3.0 | 3 | 9.0 |
| Totals | 13 | 45.3 |
Now divide total quality points by total credits:
Semester GPA = 45.3 ÷ 13 = 3.48
So this student’s semester GPA is 3.48.
Semester GPA vs. Cumulative GPA
It’s easy to confuse these two, but they measure different things:
- Semester GPA includes only the courses from a single semester. It resets every term, so it reflects your most recent performance.
- Cumulative GPA includes every graded course you’ve ever taken at the institution. Each new semester’s grades are folded into the running total.
A strong semester GPA will pull a low cumulative GPA up, but only gradually — one great term can’t erase several weak ones, because cumulative GPA weights every credit equally.
Try It Yourself
Doing the math by hand is great for understanding the formula, but you don’t have to calculate it manually every time. Try the free Semester Grade Calculator to get your semester GPA instantly — just enter your grades and credits.