📊 Cumulative GPA Calculator
Your cumulative average combines all credits earned so far, not just the latest period. Enter your previous average and the new results to see the updated total instantly, correctly weighted by credits.
Cumulative average
3.28
Total credits
75
Multiply each average by its credits: 3.2×60 + 3.6×15 = 246
Divide by the total credits: ÷ 75 = 3.28
Formula
Cumulative = (previous × previous credits + new × new credits) ÷ total credits
This is a weighted average where each average counts in proportion to the credits it was earned over. A period with many credits therefore weighs more heavily than one with few, even if the grades themselves look similar.
Steps
- 1Enter your previous average and the number of credits it was earned over.
- 2Enter the new average and the corresponding new credits.
- 3Read off the updated cumulative average and the total number of credits.
Effect of a new semester on a 3.0 average over 90 credits
| New credits (at 4.0) | Cumulative average |
|---|---|
| 10 | 3.10 |
| 20 | 3.18 |
| 30 | 3.25 |
| 40 | 3.31 |
| 60 | 3.40 |
The more new credits earned at the top grade (4.0), the more the cumulative average rises. Use the calculator above for your own figures.
commonMistakes
- Simply averaging the two figures without accounting for the credits behind each one.
- Using the number of courses as the weight instead of the number of credits.
- Only including the most recent semester and forgetting the credits earned previously.
useCases
- Updating your overall average after a new semester or term.
- Estimating in advance how an upcoming semester will affect your average.
- Comparing transcripts when transferring between institutions with different credit systems.