What's Different About College GPA
In college, courses commonly range from 1 to 5 credit hours depending on lab requirements, seminar format, or course intensity. This makes credit-weighting even more important than in high school, where most classes carry equal credit.
Worked Example
| Course | Grade | Points | Credits | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Chemistry (w/ lab) | B | 3.0 | 5 | 15.0 |
| Calculus II | A- | 3.7 | 4 | 14.8 |
| Intro to Sociology | A | 4.0 | 3 | 12.0 |
| Seminar | A | 4.0 | 1 | 4.0 |
| Total | 13 | 45.8 |
45.8 ÷ 13 = 3.52 GPA
Major-Specific GPA
Some programs also track a separate "major GPA" using only courses within your field of study - relevant for BCPM majors (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math), for example, where pre-med and pre-health programs specifically evaluate this subset. Try the BCPM GPA calculator if this applies to you.
For your full college GPA across all courses, use the college GPA calculator.