Grade Point Calculations

Each course has an assigned credit value (i.e. 3 credits). When the course is completed by a student, a letter grade is issued which reflects the course result for the student. Each letter grade has a corresponding point value (A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0, F=0.0). Course grade points are a total of the assigned credit value times the letter grade point value. The GPA is calculated by taking the number of grade points a student earned in a given period of time divided by the total number of credit hours completed (HRS). Please note that at CWC, pre-college level courses are not calculated into a student’s GPA.

Ex: ENGL-1010 – 3 credits; ‘A’ grade (4.0 points) = 12 course grade points. GPA = 12/3 = 4.0

A Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) is a calculation of the average of all of a student’s grades for all courses completed so far. A combination of courses for a term will have a corresponding term GPA calculated, and all terms combined calculate the student’s cumulative GPA.

Because the GPA is an average of all course points, the more courses you have, the harder it will be to reverse a GPA ‘trend’. If you have good grades and receive one bade grade, it probably won’t affect your GPA too significantly. However, if you have a number of poor grades, it may take more time than you realize to get your GPA back up to an acceptable level. If you need assistance in determining your GPA, contact your Success Coach or Academic Advisor.