Princeton University GPA Calculator
Calculate your GPA using the Official Registrar's Scale. Accurate for AMCAS (Medical), LSAC (Law), and Latin Honors planning.
How does Princeton calculate GPA?
Princeton University does not officially compute GPAs or maintain class rankings. However, for student-submitted applications (like medical or law school), the Registrar suggests a standard 4.0 scale. As of 2000-2001, both A and A+ equal 4.0 (previously A+ was 4.3). A standard one-term course is weighted as 4 semester hours for these calculations.
Current Semester Courses
*Default is 4 Semester Hours per course
Determine exactly what grades you need in your remaining Semester Hours to achieve your goal.
The Official Princeton Grading Scale (4.0)
When asking how is gpa calculated princeton, it's essential to use the scale provided by the Office of the Registrar. While the university does not officially compute GPAs for internal use, they provide this specific conversion table for students applying to graduate programs, internships, and fellowships.
Most notably, for students enrolled after the 2000-2001 academic year, an A+ is capped at 4.0. This differs from some other institutions where an A+ might carry 4.3 points.
| Letter Grade | Grade Points | History / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 | (4.3 prior to 2000-2001) |
| A | 4.0 | Excellent |
| A- | 3.7 | |
| B+ | 3.3 | |
| B | 3.0 | Good |
| B- | 2.7 | |
| C+ | 2.3 | |
| C | 2.0 | Satisfactory |
| C- | 1.7 | |
| D | 1.0 | Min. Pass |
| F | 0.0 | Failure |
Note: Grades of P (Pass), AUD (Audit), and W (Withdrawal) are excluded from the GPA calculation.
Step-by-Step: How to Calculate GPA Princeton University
To perform a princeton gpa calculation manually, you must convert your courses into "Semester Hours" (also often referred to as units in a general sense, but explicitly defined as hours for this formula).
1. Assign Semester Hours
According to the Registrar's instructions:
- Regular Courses: 4 semester hours (Most common).
- Intensive Languages: 8 semester hours (e.g., GER 1025, FRE 1027, SPA 1027).
- Senior Thesis: 8 semester hours.
- Independent Work: 4 semester hours per term.
2. Calculate Quality Points
Multiply the Grade Points (from the table above) by the Semester Hours.
- Course A (4 hours): Grade A (4.0) = 16 Quality Points
- Course B (4 hours): Grade B+ (3.3) = 13.2 Quality Points
3. The Division
Sum your Quality Points (29.2) and divide by the Total Semester Hours (8).
29.2 Points ÷ 8 Hours = 3.65 GPA
How to Calculate Major GPA Princeton
For Departmental Honors, you often need to know how to calculate major gpa princeton. This is a subset of your academic record.
- Include: All courses taken within your specific department and declared "cognates" (related courses in other fields approved by your department).
- Exclude: Distribution requirements (general education) that do not count toward your major.
- Thesis Weight: In many departments, the Senior Thesis counts as two courses (8 semester hours) or even more in the final honors calculation.
Admissions: How Does Princeton Calculate High School GPA?
If you are a high school student searching for how does princeton calculate high school gpa, know that there is no single formula. Princeton Admissions uses a "holistic" review.
They typically ignore the weighted GPA provided by your high school because weighting systems vary so much. Instead, they look at your transcript to verify you have taken the most rigorous courses available (AP, IB, Honors). They generally recalculate an unweighted GPA based on core subjects (Math, Science, English, History, Language) to compare applicants fairly.
Princeton Review GPA Calculator?
Students often search for princeton review gpa calculator. It is important to distinguish between "The Princeton Review" (the test prep company) and Princeton University. The Princeton Review offers general college GPA tools, but if you are a Princeton University student, you must use the Registrar's specific scale provided in this tool, specifically noting the 4.0 cap on A+ grades.