How to Calculate Cumulative GPA

A cumulative GPA combines every term you've completed into one running average, weighted by credits, not just the most recent term.

The formula

Cumulative GPA = (prior GPA × prior credits + new GPA × new credits) ÷ total credits

This treats your prior GPA as a single weighted block, then adds the new term's weighted points on top before dividing by the combined credit total.

Worked example

Say you have a 3.20 GPA across 60 completed credits, and you just finished a term with a 3.60 GPA across 15 credits. Weighted points: (3.20 × 60) + (3.60 × 15) = 192 + 54 = 246. Total credits: 60 + 15 = 75. Cumulative GPA: 246 ÷ 75 = 3.28.

Why one strong term moves the number less than you'd expect

The more credits you've already completed, the less a single term shifts your cumulative GPA, since it's averaged against a larger base. A 3.60 term barely moved the example above from 3.20 to 3.28, even though the new term itself was notably stronger, simply because 15 credits is a small share of 75 total.

Track this automatically, including a running history across terms, with the GPA calculator.