What is Weighted GPA?

Weighted GPA takes into account the difficulty level of the courses a student has taken during their high school years. Unlike a standard GPA, which assigns equal weight to all courses, a weighted GPA assigns additional points for honors, Advanced Placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. The rationale behind this is to acknowledge the extra effort and rigor required to excel in more challenging academic pursuits.

How is Weighted GPA Calculated?

To calculate a weighted GPA, each course is assigned a specific point value based on its level of difficulty. Typically, honors courses are given an additional 0.5 points, while AP or IB courses may receive 1 extra point. Once these additional points are factored in, the weighted GPA is calculated by averaging the weighted grades of all the courses a student has taken. This calculation provides a more comprehensive representation of a student's academic performance, especially for colleges and universities that consider weighted GPA in their admissions process.