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What a physical therapy school GPA calculator does and when to use it
This tool predicts the GPAs PTCAS shows physical therapy programs: overall, science, BCP (biology, chemistry and physics) and non-science. It adds two figures some PT programs ask for, a prerequisite GPA and a last-60-credits GPA.
Use it once you’ve finished a good share of your prerequisites, or when you’re weighing one more science course against an elective. It is built for letter grades from US colleges, so enter credits as they appear on your transcript.
How to use the physical therapy school GPA calculator
Start a year
Set the year picker at the top of the block, then enter each course’s Grade and Credits.
Sort by subject
Choose Other science for courses such as geology or astronomy: they count in science but stay out of BCP.
Turn on extras
Open Options to Add year or tick Mark prerequisite courses, then check Prereq on each required course. Load common prerequisites, above an empty course list, adds a typical PT list with Prereq ticked and grades blank; programs vary, so delete any yours doesn’t ask for.
How PTCAS calculates your science and BCP GPAs
Science GPA = BCP and other science quality points ÷ their credits
BCP
Biology, biochemistry, chemistry and physics.
Science
BCP plus other sciences, such as earth science or astronomy.
Non-science
Math and every other subject.
Say your senior year mixes BCP courses, other sciences and non-science courses, like this.
| Course and subject | Grade · value × credits | Quality points |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 202 College Physics II Physics | B · 3.0 × 4 | 12.0 |
| BIOL 340 Exercise Physiology Biology | A− · 3.7 × 3 | 11.1 |
| GEOL 110 Earth Science Other science | B+ · 3.3 × 3 | 9.9 |
| ASTR 101 Astronomy Other science | A · 4.0 × 3 | 12.0 |
| PSYC 310 Lifespan Development Non-science | A · 4.0 × 3 | 12.0 |
| STAT 220 Statistics Math (non-science) | B · 3.0 × 3 | 9.0 |
BCP: 12.0 + 11.1 = 23.1 ÷ 7 credits = 3.30. Science adds the two other sciences: 23.1 + 9.9 + 12.0 = 45.0 ÷ 13 = 3.46.
Non-science, statistics included: 12.0 + 9.0 = 21.0 ÷ 6 = 3.50.
Overall: 66.0 quality points ÷ 19 credits = 3.474. The calculator shows Undergraduate GPA (PTCAS) 3.47, Science GPA 3.46, BCP GPA 3.30 and Non-science GPA 3.50.
How to read your PTCAS GPA result
Undergraduate GPA (PTCAS) is the big number, and the badge beside 3.47 shows B+. Each subject GPA shows a dash until you enter a course in that group.
Example
Say your BCP courses average 3.2 over 24 credits and you add an A in a 3-credit astronomy course. Science GPA becomes (76.8 + 12) ÷ 27 = 3.29, while BCP GPA stays at 3.2.
BCP GPA sits next to Science GPA. Tick prerequisites and Prerequisite GPA appears too; reach 60 credits and so does Last 60 credits.
Check each program’s admissions page for the GPA figures it looks at, and compare yours with those. Open GPA planner to test what your next credits would need to average to lift your undergraduate, science, BCP or prerequisite GPA.
What changes your PTCAS GPA
Other science lifts science, not BCP. In the example, the two other science courses add 21.9 points to Science GPA and the overall but nothing to BCP GPA.
Pick the subject PTCAS gives the course. Kinesiology and exercise science courses can be filed under different subjects. Match the Subject to your PTCAS coursework entry; moving a course from Other science to Biology brings its points into BCP too.
Last 60 counts whole courses. This calculator walks back from your newest course and keeps adding courses until it reaches 60 credits; the course that crosses 60 counts in full. Graduate courses count when they’re among the newest, and programs differ on that, so check each one.
Tip
Enter your years oldest first. Last 60 credits counts back from the newest course in the bottom block, so a year out of order changes which courses it keeps.
Every attempt counts. PTCAS keeps each grade for a repeated course, so a retaken anatomy class shows up twice.
WF scores zero. A withdrawal while failing counts like an F, and a plain W or a fail in a pass/fail course counts for nothing.
Quarter schools. If your college runs on quarters, Options has My school uses quarter credits; PTCAS multiplies quarter hours by 0.667 and so does this tool.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between science GPA and BCP GPA for PT school?
BCP GPA takes only biology, chemistry and physics courses. Science GPA adds other sciences such as geology or astronomy.
Does PTCAS calculate a prerequisite GPA?
Each PT program works out its own prerequisite GPA from its own course list. You can estimate it here by ticking Mark prerequisite courses and checking each required course.
Does PTCAS replace repeated grades?
No, PTCAS counts every attempt. Both the original grade and the retake stay in your GPAs.
Is math a science on PTCAS?
No, math and statistics count as non-science for PTCAS. Both still count in your overall GPA.
Do graduate courses count in my PTCAS GPA?
They get their own Graduate GPA and stay out of the undergraduate figures, though this calculator keeps them in the prerequisite and last-60 GPAs. Post-baccalaureate courses count as undergraduate work.
Sources
- PTCAS: Calculating Your GPAsPTCAS Applicant Help Center
- PTCAS: Grade ValuesPTCAS Applicant Help Center
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