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GPA CollegeCalculator

Major GPA calculator

Enter all your courses, then untick the ones that do not count toward your major. Only the ticked rows go into the average.

The default at most US colleges. A and A+ are both worth 4.0.

Major GPA

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Add a course and pick a grade to see your GPA.

Everything you type stays in this browser. Nothing is sent to a server, and your entries are saved locally so you can come back to them.

Working out which courses count

Your degree audit is the authority. It lists exactly which courses satisfy major requirements and which are filling general education or free elective slots. Work from that rather than from memory, because the edge cases are where the number goes wrong.

The three that catch people out:

  • Support courses from other departments. Calculus required by an economics major, or organic chemistry required by a biology major. Some departments include these in the major GPA and some do not.
  • Prerequisites you took before declaring. An introductory course usually counts if it appears in the major requirements, even though you took it before you chose the major.
  • Courses that overflow into electives. Take more courses in your department than the major requires and the surplus often counts as free electives rather than major credit, which means it may not belong in this calculation.

Departmental honors

Many departments award honors in the major separately from university-wide Latin honors, and the two use different GPAs. Departmental honors typically needs a major GPA around 3.5 plus a thesis or capstone project, while Latin honors is calculated on your cumulative GPA across everything. It is common to qualify for one and not the other.

When the two numbers disagree

A major GPA meaningfully above your overall GPA is a good story for graduate applications, and worth stating explicitly rather than hoping a reader notices. It says your weaker grades sit outside the field you intend to pursue.

A major GPA below your overall GPA is worth taking to an advisor early. It can mean the major is the wrong fit, but it more often means a specific sequence of courses went badly and can be repaired. To see how the major courses affect your whole record, run everything through the cumulative GPA calculator.

Common questions

What is a major GPA?
It is the average of only the courses that count toward your major, calculated the same credit-weighted way as your overall GPA. Departments use it for progression requirements, departmental honors and graduation eligibility within the major.
Which courses count toward my major GPA?
The courses your department lists as major requirements, which usually means upper-level courses in the subject plus any required prerequisites. General education and free electives are excluded. Departments differ on whether required courses from other departments, such as calculus for an economics major, are included, so check your degree audit.
Why is my major GPA different from my overall GPA?
Because it covers a different set of courses. Students often have a higher major GPA because they are studying something they chose and are good at, while general education requirements outside their strengths pull the overall figure down. The reverse happens too, and a major GPA well below the overall GPA is a signal worth discussing with an advisor.
Do employers or graduate schools ask for major GPA?
Graduate programs frequently do, particularly when it is stronger than your overall GPA, because it speaks directly to your ability in the field. Some applications ask for it explicitly. Employers ask less often, though listing a strong major GPA on a resume is a reasonable move when your overall figure is weaker.
Is there a minimum major GPA to graduate?
Most departments require at least a 2.0 in major coursework, and many require a C or better in each individual major course regardless of the average. Competitive programs such as nursing, engineering and business often set higher bars for both admission to the major and continued progression.

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