How GPA Is Defined at Harvard University
At Harvard University, “GPA” is not a single, university-wide calculation. GPA rules are set and reported by individual Harvard schools (for example, Harvard College under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences versus Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), and some schools do not publish or do not report a GPA at all.
For Harvard College (Faculty of Arts and Sciences), the GPA is defined as the numerical average of grades received in letter-graded courses taken under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for degree credit, using the Faculty’s published 4-point grade-to-points scale. Some course work is explicitly excluded from the computation, and some cross-registered work is included only under specific conditions.
Who This GPA Calculator Is For
| Applies To | Does Not Apply To |
|---|---|
| Harvard College students (including School of Engineering and Applied Sciences students) whose grades fall under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences GPA rules for letter-graded courses taken for degree credit | Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences students (no GPA calculated) |
| Harvard College students including applicable Harvard Summer School degree-credit courses included under FAS GPA rules | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health students (separate GPA rules and scale details) |
| Harvard College students where failing grades from certain non-FAS Harvard/MIT courses are included as specified by FAS policy | Harvard Law School students (school-specific grading; GPA scale/points are not published as a Harvard College-style table in the HLS academic policy handbook) |
| Harvard Business School students (school-specific grading categories; not a Harvard College-style GPA table) |
Before You Use the GPA Calculator
- Confirm you are calculating Harvard College / FAS GPA (not a different Harvard school’s GPA).
- Use only letter-graded courses that the FAS rules say are included for degree credit.
- Exclude course work that FAS rules say is not used in GPA computation (for example, out-of-residence work).
- Treat cross-registration exactly as the policy specifies (some cross-registered work is excluded except in limited documented cases).
This calculator matches the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (Harvard College) grade point average rules for included letter-graded courses taken for degree credit.
Types of GPA Reported at Harvard University
Harvard documentation describes different GPA practices by school. Where GPA is calculated and reported, it may appear as:
- Cumulative GPA
- Annual GPA (reported as an annual basis where documented)
- Term GPA (where a school explicitly defines term GPA and provides a term calculation)
Not all students will see all GPA types, because not all Harvard schools calculate or report GPA.
This calculator matches the Harvard College / FAS GPA (and not the separate GPA systems used by other Harvard schools).
Undergraduate GPA
Harvard College (under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences) calculates GPA using a published 4-point grade-to-points scale and defined inclusion/exclusion rules for which courses count.
Faculty / School GPA Distinction Table
| Faculty / School | GPA Calculated? | GPA Scale | Important Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard College (Faculty of Arts and Sciences) | Yes | 4-point letter-grade scale published by FAS | GPA is based on letter-graded courses taken under FAS for degree credit; certain non-FAS/MIT grades are excluded except failing grades as specified; out-of-residence work is excluded. |
| School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) undergraduate (via Harvard College / FAS policies) | Yes | 4-point letter-grade scale published by FAS | SEAS undergraduates follow Harvard College/FAS undergraduate GPA rules for included courses under FAS. |
| Harvard Extension School (undergraduate credit students) | Not university-wide; school-specific | Not documented here as a single Harvard-wide rule | Extension School issues letter grades; GPA practices depend on the Extension School’s published rules and the specific program context. (Not the same as Harvard College GPA rules.) |
| Other Harvard undergraduate contexts | Varies | Varies | Harvard’s GPA is not defined as a single cross-school calculation; use the registrar/policy documentation for the specific school. |
Official GPA Scale
Faculty of Arts and Sciences (Harvard College) 4-point scale
| Grade | Grade Points |
|---|---|
| A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.67 |
| B+ | 3.33 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.67 |
| C+ | 2.33 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.67 |
| D+ | 1.33 |
| D | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.67 |
| E | 0.00 |
| ABS | 0.00 |
| UNS | 0.00 |
| EXLD | 0.00 |
A+ is not listed in the published FAS grade-to-points scale table used for grade point averages.
Which Courses Count Toward GPA
Harvard College / FAS GPA inclusion rules (as documented)
| Included in GPA | Not Included in GPA |
|---|---|
| Letter-graded courses taken under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for degree credit | Course work “done out of residence” (excluded from GPA computation) |
| Harvard Summer School courses taken for credit that are included under the FAS GPA policy | Passing grades from courses given by other Harvard faculties or MIT (excluded), unless a documented exception applies |
| Certain cross-registration courses taken and approved for concentration credit prior to July 1, 2024 (as specified by FAS policy) | Grades from non-FAS Harvard faculties or MIT that are excluded by policy (except failing grades as specified) |
Common miscounts happen when students try to include:
- Passing grades from non-FAS/MIT courses that FAS policy says do not compute into the FAS GPA
- Out-of-residence work that FAS policy says is excluded
- Cross-registration courses outside the specific inclusion conditions documented by FAS
How Course Units Affect GPA at Harvard University
For Harvard College (FAS), GPA is defined as the numerical average of grades received in the included set of letter-graded courses taken under FAS for degree credit, using the published grade-to-points scale.
The published FAS GPA definition is course-based (an average of the included grades under the policy). If you are working with courses that have different credit/weighting rules outside Harvard College (for example, some graduate/professional schools), do not apply Harvard College assumptions—use that school’s published GPA formula instead.
How GPA Is Calculated
Harvard College / FAS (published definition)
- Convert each included letter grade to grade points using the FAS 4-point scale.
- Compute the numerical average across the included set of letter-graded courses taken under FAS for degree credit, applying the documented inclusion/exclusion rules.
Because the published Harvard College/FAS definition is an “average of grades received” across the included course set, the calculator uses the grade-point values above and averages them across the courses you include.
One realistic example (Harvard College / FAS)
Assume a student has 4 included letter-graded courses under FAS for degree credit:
- A- (3.67)
- B+ (3.33)
- A (4.00)
- B (3.00)
Average = (3.67 + 3.33 + 4.00 + 3.00) ÷ 4 = 14.00 ÷ 4 = 3.50
Course Repeats or Special GPA Rules
Harvard College / FAS
If you are looking for a Harvard College/FAS rule about repeating courses and how repeats affect GPA, include only what is explicitly stated in the official FAS/Harvard College policies for grade point averages and grading. If your program’s published documentation does not define a repeat/forgiveness calculation rule for GPA, do not assume one.
Example of a school-specific repeat replacement rule (not Harvard College / FAS)
Some Harvard schools explicitly define how a retaken course affects degree progress and/or internal calculations. For example, Harvard Law School’s academic policy handbook describes how a higher grade can replace an earlier grade for certain degree-progress determinations, while both grades remain on the transcript and the original grade may still be used for Latin honors determination. That rule is specific to HLS policy and is not a Harvard College GPA rule.
Transcript Grades vs GPA Calculations
At Harvard, some transcript grades and notations may appear on your record but do not compute into the GPA, depending on the school’s policy and the grade type. Always apply the “included vs not included” rules for your specific Harvard school and GPA type.
Graduate GPA
Graduate GPA is not uniform across Harvard schools.
- Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS): No GPA calculated. “No GPA reported.”
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: GPA is calculated (including a term GPA method and a published grade-to-points table). The Chan School also documents which grading options do and do not compute into GPA (for example, Pass is not calculated in GPA, while Fail is calculated).
- Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE): GPA is calculated under HGSE’s published rules and grade point scale in its student handbook.
- Harvard Law School (HLS): The HLS academic policy handbook references “grade point average” in the context of academic progress standards, but does not present a Harvard College-style grade-to-points scale table in that document. Do not use a Harvard College GPA calculator for HLS.
- Harvard Business School (HBS): HBS uses school-specific grading categories and policies; do not apply Harvard College GPA rules.
If your graduate program is outside the schools listed above, use that school’s registrar/handbook documentation before calculating GPA.
Common GPA Mistakes Students Make
- Mixing Harvard College (FAS) GPA rules with a different Harvard school’s GPA rules.
- Including courses that FAS policy says are excluded (for example, out-of-residence course work).
- Including passing grades from other Harvard faculties or MIT in the Harvard College/FAS GPA when the policy says they do not compute (except failing grades as specified).
- Treating a transcript notation (for example, certain non-letter grades) as if it automatically counts in GPA.
- Assuming cross-registration always counts the same way across Harvard schools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Harvard calculate a GPA?
Harvard does not have one single university-wide GPA rule. GPA is calculated and reported by individual Harvard schools, and some schools do not calculate a GPA at all.
For example, Harvard College (FAS) calculates GPA for included letter-graded courses under its published scale, while Harvard Griffin GSAS does not calculate GPA.
Does Harvard Griffin GSAS report a GPA?
No GPA reported. Harvard Griffin GSAS documentation states that grade point averages are not calculated for GSAS students. If you are in GSAS, do not use a Harvard College GPA calculator.
What is the official Harvard College GPA scale?
Harvard College (FAS) publishes a 4-point grade-to-points scale used to average its letter grades for GPA. The scale includes plus/minus grades such as A-, B+, and B-, and assigns specific point values to each letter grade.
Do cross-registered courses count in Harvard College GPA?
Only under specific documented conditions. Harvard College/FAS policy describes when cross-registration is included (including a date-based condition for certain concentration-credit approvals). Do not assume all cross-registered courses compute into the Harvard College/FAS GPA.
Do non-letter grades affect GPA?
Not always. Whether a grade counts depends on the Harvard school and the grade type. For Harvard Chan, the school explicitly documents that some grades (like Pass) do not compute into GPA while Fail does; Harvard College/FAS GPA is based on letter-graded courses included under its policy.
Is my Harvard College GPA calculated annually or cumulatively?
Harvard College/FAS policy describes GPA as calculated on both a cumulative and annual basis. If you are looking for term-by-term GPA, use only what your school’s documentation explicitly provides.
Can I use this calculator for Harvard Chan or HGSE?
No. Harvard Chan and HGSE have their own published GPA rules and (for Harvard Chan) a documented term GPA calculation method and grade-to-points table.
Use a calculator built to match the specific school’s published scale and formula.
Related Official University Links (END OF PAGE)
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences “Grade Point Averages” (Information for Faculty)
- FAS Registrar: Transcripts (includes GSAS GPA statement)
- FAS Registrar: Honors (Harvard College GPA basis statement)
- Harvard College Student Handbook
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Student Handbook 2024–2025 (PDF)
- Harvard Law School Handbook of Academic Policies 2025–2026 (PDF)
- Harvard Extension School: Grades
- Harvard Summer School: Grades
- Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies
Accuracy Disclaimer
This page is written from publicly available Harvard University school registrar/handbook documentation linked above. Official transcripts, school registrars, and the controlling academic policies for your specific Harvard school govern final GPA reporting and interpretation.