How to calculate GPA – the average score of a diploma or certificate
For admission to US universities, you must provide a GPA (Graduate Point Average) and a transcript of grades. How to correctly calculate the average score of a diploma or certificate for the American GPA system, we will tell in this article.
What is GPA
Grade Point Average (GPA) – the average score of a diploma (if you are applying for a master’s or doctoral program) or school certificate (if you are applying for a bachelor’s degree). It shows the student’s overall performance. In the American grading system, the highest score is 4.0, in the Russian one – 5.0.
In the US, information about the GPA is required not only for university admission, but also for employment. Also, each university determines its requirements for the GPA of prospective students and sets a lower threshold for the GPA. Therefore, it is worth checking the GPA for compliance with the requirements of a particular institution before filling out the Application Form.
The average lower GPA threshold across US universities is 3.0-3.5, but higher than 4.0 for prestigious Ivy League schools.
| Brown University | 4.08 |
| Dartmouth College’s | 4.09 |
| Columbia University | 4.12 |
| Harvard University | 4.18 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 3.9 | Princeton University | 3.9 |
| Yale University | 4.13 |
| Cornell University | 3.9 |
But why do some Ivy League universities have GPAs above the 4.0 maximum? Because top universities prefer to calculate the average score based on the complexity of the course. It’s called Weighted GPA.
GPA: Weighted and unweighted
The main difference between Weighted and Unweighted GPA is how they are calculated:
- Unweighted GPA – Average score, in which the score for each subject has the same weight.
- Weighted GPA – Average score that takes into account the difficulty and depth of the subjects that are graded.
For example, if a student has “excellent” in the subjects “Introduction to Microeconomics”, “Introduction to Sociology” and “Introduction to Philosophy”, then his average score will be lower than that of a student who took a full course of a specialized subject, consisting of three parts: “Introduction to Microeconomics”, “Microeconomics (I level)”, “Microeconomics (II level)”.
How to calculate GPA: calculator
To calculate GPA, use the calculator. To do this, you will need a certificate/diploma with grades and names of subjects, as well as the number of credits/hours for them.
Go to the site and select your country from the drop-down menu, and then enter data for each subject from the diploma / certificate — subject name, number of hours and grade in the table.
When you have entered all the data, press the left button Calculate GPA. Your result will appear.
How to calculate GPA yourself
You can calculate yourself, for example, if you want to check the calculator data. To do this with , follow our instructions.
Step 1. Convert Russian marks to American system.
| Russian score | Designation | 4-point scale (USA) |
| 5 | Excellent | 4 |
| 4 | Good | 3 | 3 | Fair | 2 |
| 2 | Unsatisfactory | 1 |
Example of translating grades:
| Item | Number of hours | Russian estimate | American estimate | Philosophy | 102 | Excellent | 4 |
| Domestic history | 189 | Good | 3 |
| Russian language and culture of speech | 151 | Good | 3 |
| Math | 200 | Satisfactory | 2 |
Step 2. Multiply your American grades by the number of hours for each subject and add it all up.
4*102 (Philosophy) + 3*189 (National History) + 3*151 (Russian language) + 2*200 (Mathematics) = 1 828
We multiply the grade for Philosophy (4) by the number of hours (102) and add the grade for National History (3) multiplied by the number of hours (189), we make the same calculations with the rest of the subjects.
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Step 3. We count the total number of hours in all subjects:
102+189+151+200 = 642
Step 4. Divide the sum of grades including hours (1,828) by the total number of hours (642).
1828 ÷ 642 = 2.84
Total: Your GPA in four subjects is 2.84.
Calculations are made with all subjects that have a grade in your diploma/certificate.
When calculating GPA, credits and coursework are usually not taken into account. But check with the university what rules they use to calculate GPA: sometimes credits can be equated to an “excellent” grade, and if you do not specify them, then your GPA will be lower.
You will learn from the book how to enter an American university and move to the USA in two months “How to Get into a US University in 2 Months”.
What to do if GPA is low
If you have already graduated from a school/university, you will not be able to change the GPA of your certificate/diploma. However, in addition to GPA, other factors also influence the success of entering a university: an essay, a motivation letter, recommendations, the results of international exams: IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT. Do not lose hope and try to compensate for the low GPA with other achievements, work experience and excellent entrance exams.
And in your motivation letter, can you explain why your GPA leaves much to be desired. For tips on how to write such letters, see our “Write – Do” guide.
American university transcript
Together with the GPA, foreign universities are asked to provide a transcript in English.
What is a transcript
A transcript is the same insert in a Russian diploma that records academic performance, courses/subjects taken and their duration.
- For admission to the undergraduate program, you must provide information for grades 9-11.
- For admission to the master’s program, the transcript must contain information about the subjects taken in within the bachelor’s program.
The official transcript for the certificate can be obtained from the school administration. If you have not yet graduated from school/university, you can make a preliminary transcript of grades. For this you need:
- For students: write down the final grades received for grades 9–11 and count the number of hours in each subject.
- For students: make an independent transcript according to the information from the grade book.
The transcript must be translated into English and notarized. A explanatory note must be attached to the translation which contains information about the grading system in your country.
Seal the transcript and the explanatory note in an envelope, put the stamp of the university and ask the dean of the faculty or the director of the school to sign. On the envelope, you must indicate the return address of the educational institution, as if the letter was sent from there.
Need help with calculating GPA, translating diploma into English and collecting documents for admission to overseas university? Sign up for a consultation on higher education with our experts, who themselves entered and graduated from prestigious US universities. They will evaluate your chances and help you to enter the university of your dreams!
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