Use it for an undergraduate or general graduate record, selecting the correct career for coterminal coursework. Stanford MBA/MSx, Law, M.D., and Physician Assistant programs use different grading systems and should not use the general calculator for those grades.
Table of Contents
- How to Use the Stanford GPA Calculator
- How Stanford GPA Works
- What Counts Toward Your Stanford GPA
- How Repeated Courses Affect Your GPA
- Plan Your Cumulative and Target GPA
- What Your GPA Means at Stanford
- Stanford Graduate and Professional School Rules
- What GPA Do You Need to Get Into Stanford
- Stanford GPA FAQs
- Official Stanford Resources
- Disclaimer
How to Use the Stanford GPA Calculator
Enter each course’s units and its Stanford grade under Completed courses. Use Add planned course when you want to test a possible future grade; those rows affect the projected GPA only. You can group courses by quarter and add your previous GPA and the GPA-bearing units behind it to estimate a new cumulative GPA. “Try a sample” shows how the calculator works without opening the target planner.
Your current result appears below the courses once enough information is entered. A projected GPA appears when you add planned courses. Open Target GPA Planner when you want to know the average needed over a specific number of future units; it will also show when a target is mathematically out of reach. The separate Repeat Impact tool estimates a standard eligible second attempt. You can save your entries on this device, export CSV, download a report, or print/save the report as a PDF. A report includes valid target and repeat calculations when those planners are open.
Good to know: Stanford A+ is 4.3, so a Stanford GPA can exceed 4.0. Enter the grade shown on your record rather than translating it through a generic 4.0 scale.
How Stanford GPA Works
Stanford multiplies the point value of each GPA-bearing grade by that course’s units. It adds those grade points, then divides by the total GPA-bearing units. A five-unit course therefore affects your GPA more than a one-unit course with the same grade.
Stanford GPA = total grade points ÷ total GPA-bearing units
| Grade | Points | Grade | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.3 | C+ | 2.3 |
| A | 4.0 | C | 2.0 |
| A− | 3.7 | C− | 1.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 | D+ | 1.3 |
| B | 3.0 | D | 1.0 |
| B− | 2.7 | D− | 0.7 |
| NP | 0.0 | L | 2.0 temporarily |
For example, an A+ in five units, B+ in four units, and A− in three units earn 21.5 + 13.2 + 11.1 = 45.8 grade points. Dividing by 12 units gives 3.816666…, displayed here as 3.817. That three-decimal display is a calculator choice, not a claim about every official Stanford rounding boundary.
What Counts Toward Your Stanford GPA
The grade alone does not always tell the full story. Most students can use the default Stanford course type. Open Special course type for an eligible GSB course with its separate grading basis, or for external transfer work you want listed as excluded from the Stanford GPA. Ordinary Stanford BOSP coursework uses the standard Stanford grade selection.
| Grade or source | GPA treatment | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| A+ through D− | Included | Points are multiplied by units. |
| NP | Included at 0.0 | Units remain in the denominator. |
| L | Temporary 2.0 | Replace with the final grade when posted. |
| CR, S, NC | Excluded | These marks do not enter GPA. |
| I, W, N, N−, RP, GNR | Excluded while recorded this way | Some may change when coursework is resolved. |
| Undergraduate external transfer | Excluded | Accepted units do not import the outside grade. |
| Standard Stanford BOSP course | Included if its grade is GPA-bearing | It is registered and graded as Stanford coursework. |
Watch the difference: An NP contributes zero points and keeps its course units in the calculation. An NC contributes neither points nor GPA-bearing units. An A in four units plus an NP in four units gives 2.000; substituting NC leaves the GPA at 4.000.
An Incomplete does not affect GPA while it remains I. Ordinarily, an unresolved I changes after a year to NP in letter-graded coursework or NC in nonletter coursework, which can change its eventual GPA effect. A temporary L currently counts as 2.0 and changes when the final grade is reported. Check your updated record before relying on an earlier estimate.
For undergraduate transfer work, credit acceptance and GPA inclusion are separate decisions. Stanford may grant degree units for an outside class without carrying its grade into your Stanford GPA. BOSP courses registered through Axess are Stanford coursework, while a non-Stanford study-abroad class may instead be evaluated as transfer work.
How Repeated Courses Affect Your GPA
For an ordinary course that is not repeatable for credit, Stanford normally replaces the first completed attempt when you take it a second time for the same number of units. After the second attempt has a final grade and the repeat policy is applied, the first entry becomes RP and its original grade points and units stop contributing to cumulative GPA. The second attempt contributes instead. A withdrawal marked W is not a completed attempt for this rule.
Suppose a four-unit C is already included alongside a four-unit A−. The original GPA is (8.0 + 14.8) ÷ 8 = 2.850. If the C course is repeated for four units and the new grade is A, the original C is replaced with RP; the resulting GPA for those courses is (16.0 + 14.8) ÷ 8 = 3.850. The calculator’s Repeat Impact tool models this standard second-attempt change from the current GPA you entered.
Repeat rule: A third attempt is a different situation. It is normally allowed only after an NP or NC on the second completed attempt, and undergraduate approval is required. The standard third attempt keeps the second and third attempts in the GPA calculation; ask an adviser about exceptions and cross-career repeats rather than using the simple second-repeat estimate.
Courses officially designated repeatable for credit do not automatically follow the ordinary RP replacement pattern. The official record may also update after the quarter’s repeat process, rather than the instant a second grade appears.
Plan Your Cumulative and Target GPA
Start with the result you need. For an updated cumulative GPA, enter your previous GPA and the GPA-bearing units behind it, then add completed courses. To explore projected GPA, add possible future grades under Planned courses. The Target GPA Planner answers a different question: what average do you need over a set number of future GPA-bearing units?
Example: raise a 3.400 GPA to 3.500
Suppose your current GPA is 3.400 over 60 GPA-bearing units, and you plan to complete 15 more units. Here is how to find the average needed to finish at 3.500:
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Grade points earned so far | 3.400 × 60 | 204.0 |
| Total units after the next 15 | 60 + 15 | 75 |
| Grade points needed for a 3.500 GPA | 3.500 × 75 | 262.5 |
| Grade points needed in future courses | 262.5 − 204.0 | 58.5 |
| Average needed over the next 15 units | 58.5 ÷ 15 | 3.900 |
Open the Target GPA Planner to calculate your own required average, then add Planned course rows and try realistic grades. The projected GPA shows whether that combination reaches your goal. If your previous GPA was already rounded, the combined result is an estimate because the exact underlying grade-point total is unknown.
Planning limit: Stanford’s highest ordinary grade value is 4.3. If your goal requires an average above 4.3 in the remaining units, the planner shows the highest GPA you could reach with those units. It cannot certify academic standing or degree progress.
What Your GPA Means at Stanford
Academic progress and graduation
Stanford undergraduates generally need a 2.0 cumulative GPA for academic progress and a bachelor’s degree. Academic progress also includes earned-unit requirements: typically at least 9 units in a quarter and 36 units over the most recent three enrolled quarters. Students already on academic notice or probation have additional conditions, including quarterly GPA and new-unit requirements. A GPA result alone cannot determine your status.
Distinction and honors
Stanford’s bachelor’s degree With Distinction goes to the top 15% of the graduating class, using cumulative GPA through Winter Quarter. There is no fixed GPA that guarantees it. Departmental and interdisciplinary honors have their own requirements, so do not treat the calculator as an honors eligibility check.
Financial aid
For undergraduate federal and state aid, Stanford’s satisfactory academic progress rules include a 2.00 cumulative GPA, at least 60% cumulative pace, and a maximum timeframe equivalent to 18 undergraduate quarters, alongside other conditions. Transfer and test credit can affect pace without entering the Stanford GPA. The calculator covers the GPA arithmetic, not the full aid review.
Stanford Graduate and Professional School Rules
Most general graduate coursework uses Stanford’s General University grade values, but graduate degree progress can apply a distinct 3.0/B requirement in courses applicable to the degree. Coterminal students should keep undergraduate and graduate career records separate; an undergraduate GPA is not the same as a graduate program GPA.
| Context | How to use this calculator |
|---|---|
| General undergraduate or graduate coursework | Select the matching academic record. |
| Non-MBA/MSx student in an eligible GSB course | Select GSB course; Stanford publishes H 4.14, HP 3.54, P 3.24, LP 2.94, and U 0.00 equivalents for this context. |
| MBA/MSx, Law, M.D., or Physician Assistant program | Do not use the general 4.3 calculation for that program’s separate grading system. |
Graduate transfer, exchange, degree applicability, and unusual cross-career repeats may require a program or Registrar review. Do not add them as ordinary Stanford GPA-bearing courses without confirming how they appear on the appropriate record.
What GPA Do You Need to Get Into Stanford
Stanford states that it has no minimum GPA requirement for undergraduate admission. It reviews transcripts and academic preparation in context; strong grades in a rigorous program matter, but no calculator result can predict admission. A GPA earned at Stanford after enrollment is also a different measure from an applicant’s high-school record.
Stanford GPA FAQs
Is Stanford A+ 4.3 or 4.33?
4.3 under Stanford Student Services’ current General University GPA guide. A department calculator still displays 4.33; use the universitywide Stanford GPA calculation guide for this calculator’s point values.
Does NP lower your Stanford GPA?
Yes. NP is 0.0 and its units remain in the GPA denominator, so it can lower your average considerably.
Does NC lower your Stanford GPA?
No. NC is excluded from the GPA calculation, although it may matter for course credit or other academic requirements.
Can your Stanford GPA exceed 4.0?
Yes. A+ is worth 4.3, so enough A+ grades can produce a GPA above 4.0.
Does an Incomplete count in GPA?
An I is excluded while pending. If it remains unresolved, the General University grading policy describes its eventual conversion to NP or NC according to the course’s grading basis.
Does Stanford replace a grade after a retake?
Usually for an eligible second completed attempt in a course not repeatable for credit, with matching units. The original becomes RP once the repeat process applies. Read the official repeated-course policy for third attempts and exceptions.
Do transfer grades count toward Stanford GPA?
Undergraduate external transfer grades do not. Stanford may award units, but the undergraduate transfer-credit policy says the outside grades are not factored into the Stanford GPA.
Does Stanford BOSP study abroad count?
Ordinary GPA-bearing BOSP courses registered as Stanford courses count under the relevant Stanford grading rules. Outside study-abroad coursework handled as transfer credit is a different case.
What GPA do undergraduates need to graduate?
At least a 2.0 cumulative GPA, plus the unit and degree requirements. The undergraduate academic progress policy explains the separate unit thresholds and academic statuses.
Is there a fixed GPA for Stanford Distinction?
No. It is based on the top 15% of the graduating class using GPA through Winter Quarter, so the cutoff varies by class.
What GPA do you need for Stanford admission?
Stanford publishes no minimum undergraduate GPA. Its holistic admission guidance explains how it reviews academic records in context.
Official Stanford Resources
- Stanford Student Services GPA calculation and grade values
- Stanford General University grading system
- Stanford repeated-course policy
- Stanford undergraduate transfer-credit policy
- Stanford BOSP registration and academics
- Stanford undergraduate academic progress policy
- Stanford baccalaureate honors and Distinction policy
- Stanford undergraduate financial-aid progress policy
- Stanford graduate academic policies
- Stanford undergraduate holistic admission guidance
Disclaimer
GPAcalculator.net is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Stanford University. Calculator results are estimates; Stanford’s official academic record and current university, school, program, and financial-aid policies control, and requirements can change. Results are not official decisions about academic standing, graduation, honors, financial aid, scholarships, admission, repeat treatment, major or program eligibility, or academic progression.