Admissions
UC GPA Calculator
The University of California recalculates your GPA its own way: only 10th and 11th grade A-G courses, no pluses or minuses, and a cap on honors points. Count up your semester grades below to get all three UC GPAs and see where you land at each campus.
Count your semester grades in A-G courses. A full-year class is two grades. Pluses and minuses don't matter: a B+ and a B- both count as a B.
California residents: count AP, IB, UC-transferable college courses, and honors courses your school has certified with UC.
Enter at least one grade to see your UC GPA.
How the UC GPA is calculated
- List every A-G course you took from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th grade.
- Convert each semester grade to points: A is 4, B is 3, C is 2, D is 1, F is 0. Drop the pluses and minuses.
- Add one point for each semester of honors-level work where you earned a C or better. For the capped GPA, stop at 8 semesters, with no more than 4 from 10th grade.
- Divide the total points by the number of semester grades.
A student with 12 As and 8 Bs has 72 grade points across 20 semesters, a 3.60 unweighted. With 10 honors semesters, 4 of them in 10th grade, the cap lets 8 count: 80 points over 20 semesters is a 4.00 capped. Counting all 10 gives a 4.10 fully weighted.
What the three UC GPAs show
The unweighted GPA shows your grades alone. The capped GPA limits how much honors courses can add, which keeps students comparable when their schools offer very different numbers of advanced classes. The fully weighted GPA counts every honors semester you took.
UC reads your grades in the context of your school, including which advanced courses it offers. The same capped GPA means something different at a school with six AP classes than at a school with thirty.
After the GPA
UC does not consider SAT or ACT scores, so the rest of the decision rests on your course rigor, activities, and Personal Insight Questions. Start with our guide to the Personal Insight Questions, run the CSU GPA calculator if you are also applying to Cal State, check the UC and CSU filing window, or compare all nine campuses in the college table.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate UC GPA?
Take every A-G course from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th grade. Give each semester grade 4 points for an A, 3 for a B, 2 for a C, 1 for a D, and 0 for an F, ignoring pluses and minuses. Add one extra point for each semester of UC honors-level work with a C or better, up to 8 semesters and no more than 4 from 10th grade. Divide the total by the number of semester grades.
What is the difference between weighted capped and fully weighted UC GPA?
Both add a point for honors, AP, and IB semesters. The capped GPA stops at 8 honors semesters, with at most 4 from 10th grade. The fully weighted GPA counts every honors semester you took. UC uses the capped GPA for its minimum requirement and campuses look at all three.
What is the minimum GPA for UC?
California residents need at least a 3.0 and out-of-state applicants need at least a 3.4 in A-G courses, with no grade lower than a C. Meeting the minimum makes you eligible for review. It does not make you competitive at the most selective campuses.
Do 9th and 12th grade count in the UC GPA?
No. The UC GPA uses only A-G courses taken from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th grade. UC still sees your 9th grade courses and your senior-year schedule, and it checks that you completed the A-G subject requirements, but those grades are not in the GPA.
Do plus and minus grades count?
No. A B+, a B, and a B- are all worth 3 points in the UC GPA.
Which courses get the extra honors point?
For California residents: AP courses, IB Higher Level and designated Standard Level courses, UC-transferable college courses, and school honors courses that UC has certified. For out-of-state applicants, only AP and IB courses get the extra point. A D or F in an honors course earns no extra point.
Does CSU calculate GPA the same way?
No. Cal State counts a-g courses through 12th grade, not just through 11th, and lets only 2 honors semesters from 10th grade count where UC allows 4. Use the CSU GPA calculator for that number.
GPA method and minimums: University of California, "GPA requirement" (admission.universityofcalifornia.edu). Campus ranges: UC first-year admit data for each campus, fall 2026 admitted class.
