GPA (grade point average) is an important and necessary part of college academics during your college career as well as after you graduate. You may have questions about GPA — how it affects scholarships or how to calculate it. We hope this information answers any questions you have regarding your grade point average!
How is GPA Calculated
To calculate your GPA, we start with a numerical value called quality point, which is equivalent to the letter grades you earn in each course. For example, a 3-hour credit class that receives an A equals 12 quality points. Here is the equation used to calculate your accumulated grade point average:
Total number of quality points earned, divided by total number of semester hours attempted (for which quality point values are assigned) = GPA.
The following scale of letter grades is used in recording a student’s academic progress:
| Grade | Percentage Range | GPA |
| A | 100–94% | 4.0 |
| A- | 93–90% | 3.67 |
| B+ | 89–87% | 3.33 |
| B | 86–84% | 3.0 |
| B- | 83–80% | 2.67 |
| C+ | 79–77% | 2.33 |
| C | 76–74% | 2.0 |
| C- | 73–70% | 1.67 |
| D+ | 69–67% | 1.33 |
| D | 66–64% | 1.0 |
| D- | 63–60% | 0.67 |
| F | 59–0% | 0.0 |
If you retake a course, the highest of the two grades received will be the one accounted for in your final GPA. The only way to change a grade shown on your permanent record is to go through an appeal process. If you are interested in calculating your projected GPA, you can do so through a tool within My Portal (JICS) under the Student tab, where there is a top ribbon titled GPA Projection.
When you go into this tab within MyPortal, you will see there are two GPA numbers. One is the grade point average for the courses you are currently enrolled in. The other is your projected Career GPA, which includes the classes you most recently finished and all the other completed classes on your transcript.
Example Report Card
| Course | Credit Hours | Grade | Quality Points |
| Mathematics 101 | 3 | A | 12.0 |
| English Composition | 3 | B+ | 9.99 |
| Biology 202 | 4 | A- | 14.68 |
| History 101 | 3 | C+ | 6.99 |
| Psychology 201 | 3 | A | 12.0 |
Total Quality Points Earned: 55.66
Total Semester Hours Attempted: 16
GPA: 3.48
Standardized GPA
Almost all colleges use standardized GPAs and do not differentiate between weighted and unweighted GPAs. College Board provides a letter grade chart corresponding to the percentage received in a class. These percentages are then converted to GPA points.
How GPA Relates to Scholarships and Academics
At SEU, you may be awarded certain scholarships based on your high school GPA. Many scholarships are renewable if the required GPA is maintained. Institutional scholarships, such as academic or departmental scholarships, are awarded to full-time undergraduate students on SEU’s main campus. For example, SEU’s academic scholarships are awarded based on your GPA (and test scores if you choose to submit them) upon admission to the university. These are renewable up to 8 consecutive, full-time semesters with a minimum overall GPA of 2.0.
For more information, visit SEU.edu/scholarships.
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