See how your new semester affects your overall GPA — instantly.
Cumulative GPA is calculated by combining all grade points across every semester and dividing by total credits earned — not by averaging semester GPAs. Two semesters with a 3.0 and 3.8 GPA (15 credits each) produce a cumulative GPA of 3.40. More credits on record means a harder GPA to move.
Your cumulative GPA is the overall average of all grades you've earned across every semester, weighted by credit hours. Unlike a semester GPA — which only reflects one term — your cumulative GPA represents your entire academic history at an institution.
It appears on your official transcript and is the number employers, graduate schools, and scholarship committees reference when evaluating your academic record.
Example: You have a 3.20 GPA with 45 credits. You just finished a semester with a 3.60 GPA earning 15 credits. (3.20 × 45 + 3.60 × 15) ÷ (45 + 15) = (144 + 54) ÷ 60 = 3.30.
The impact of a single semester decreases as you accumulate more credits:
| Current GPA | Credits Done | Semester GPA | New Credits | New Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.00 | 30 | 4.00 | 15 | 3.33 |
| 3.00 | 30 | 2.00 | 15 | 2.67 |
| 3.00 | 60 | 4.00 | 15 | 3.20 |
| 3.00 | 60 | 2.00 | 15 | 2.80 |