How UC calculates your GPA
- Only A–G courses count, and only grades from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th. Summer classes after 9th or 10th grade count as 10th grade.
- Every semester grade becomes points: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0. Pluses and minuses are dropped, so an A− is a full 4.
- Each semester of a UC honors course with an A, B or C adds one point. You can use at most 8 of these points, and no more than 4 from 10th grade.
- Total points ÷ number of letter grades is your UC GPA. UC does not round: 3.578 is a 3.57.
A worked example: one California junior
10th grade, two semesters each: English A/A, Geometry B/A, Chemistry Honors A/B, AP World History A/A and Spanish II A/A. 11th grade: AP English Language A/B, AP U.S. History B/A, Precalculus Honors A/A, AP Biology B/C and Spanish III A/A.
That is 20 letter grades worth 73 points, so the unweighted UC GPA is 73 ÷ 20 = 3.65.
The student earned 12 honors points: 4 in 10th grade (just inside the 10th grade limit) and 8 in 11th. Only 8 count, so the capped UC GPA is (73 + 8) ÷ 20 = 4.05. Without the cap, all 12 count: (73 + 12) ÷ 20 = 4.25 fully weighted.
Living outside California, this student would lose the two school honors classes for the minimum check, leaving 8 points from AP courses. The capped GPA stays 4.05: once you reach the cap, more honors classes no longer raise it.
Capped or fully weighted: which one matters
The capped GPA decides whether you meet the minimum: 3.0 for California residents, 3.4 for everyone else. It is the number UC’s own instructions produce.
The fully weighted GPA shows how much honors work sits behind your grades. UCLA reports it for its admitted students, with a 5.00 maximum. Meeting the minimum makes you eligible, not admitted, so compare the fully weighted number with the campus profile too.
Which classes to enter
California residents can check every course on their school’s A–G course list. For residents, honors courses are AP, IB Higher Level, designated IB Standard Level, UC-transferable college courses and UC-certified honors courses on that list. Pick “Honors” for a school honors course and “AP/IB/college” for the rest.
A college course is one grade and one honors point, so enter its grade under Sem 1 and leave Sem 2 empty. Leave out pass/no pass classes: UC divides by the number of letter grades. A D or F in an honors course counts in the GPA but earns no extra point; the calculator applies that.
UC GPA questions
What is the difference between the capped and the fully weighted UC GPA?
The capped GPA adds at most 8 honors points, no more than 4 from 10th grade, and is the one UC checks against the 3.0 or 3.4 minimum. The fully weighted GPA adds a point for every UC-approved honors semester graded C or higher, with no cap.
Do pluses and minuses count in the UC GPA?
No. UC turns every A–G letter grade into A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1 and F = 0, so an A− and an A+ both count as 4 and a B+ counts as 3. That alone can put your UC GPA above or below your school GPA.
Do 9th and 12th grade classes count in the UC GPA?
No. UC uses A–G grades from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th. Summer classes after 9th or 10th grade count as 10th grade, and the summer after 11th counts as 11th. Enter only those grades here.
What UC GPA do I need to get in?
The minimum is a 3.0 capped UC GPA for California residents and 3.4 for nonresidents, and that only makes you eligible. UCLA’s admitted first-years for fall 2025 had a median fully weighted GPA of 4.61 and a median unweighted GPA of 4.00.
Do school honors classes count if I live outside California?
Not for the 3.4 minimum. For nonresidents, UC gives the extra point only for AP and IB courses graded A, B or C, not for school-designated honors classes. Campuses may still consider those classes in their full review. Pick Nonresident and the calculator applies this rule.
Sources
- University of California Admissions, GPA requirement (rules as published, checked October 3, 2026)
- UCLA Undergraduate Admission, first-year profile, fall 2025 (fully weighted GPA definition and admitted students’ GPAs)
UC calculates your official GPA from your application. Need your school’s own GPA instead? Use the high school GPA calculator.