What is a GPA and GPB?
Your grade-point average (GPA) reflects your average grade in letter-graded courses only.
To fulfill degree requirements at UCSB, two-thirds of all UCSB courses, including those in your major, must be taken for a letter grade. For courses offering optional grading, College of Letters & Science undergraduate students can choose between letter grades (A-F) and Passed/Not Passed (P/NP).
Your grade-point balance (GPB) measures how much your GPA exceeds or falls below the minimum standard of 2.0.
If your cumulative GPA drops below 2.0, it creates a grade-point deficit. This could result in being placed on Academic Review. Understanding your grade deficit helps you identify the grades required to regain good academic standing.
View your Cumulative GPA in GOLD
To view your overall cumulative UC GPA as calculated by GOLD, select the Progress tab in GOLD, run a Major and GE Progress Check, and scroll down to the section titled UC GPA Summary to see all coursework factored into the calculation.
Calculate GPA for Specific Courses
To calculate GPA outcomes for a single term or a smaller set of courses, use the GPA/GPB Calculator tool linked below, or follow the instructions on this page for the step-by-step process.
How do your grades impact your GPA?
To understand how your grades affect your grade-point average (GPA) and grade-point balance (GPB), you must first understand how grades are calculated into your GPA. First, each letter grade corresponds to a specific number of grade points per unit, as shown in Table 1. These grade points are summed and then divided by the number of attempted letter-graded units to calculate your GPA.
Remember, grade points are assigned using only courses attempted on a letter-grade basis (A through F). Courses graded P, NP, IP, W, or I are excluded from the calculations.
If you repeat a course, your GPA is calculated using the most recent grade for the first 16 repeated units. After that, you can still repeat courses; however, the grades for all attempts of the course are calculated into your GPA.
You can find your cumulative GPA on GOLD under Grades or by running a Progress Check: look for University GPA Requirements and locate your Cumulative GPA.
Grade-Point Average (GPA) = Total Grade Points / Letter-Graded Units Earned
Follow the steps below to calculate your GPA.
| Grades | Grade-pOInt Value |
|---|---|
| A+/A |
4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.7 |
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1.0 |
| D- | 0.7 |
| F | 0.0 |
STEP 1
Calculate your total grade points earned in each course.
Use Table 1 to determine grade points per unit for each course based on the letter grade earned, then multiply the grade-point value by the number of units to get the total grade points earned.
In Example 2 below, for a B+ in a 4-unit course, you earn 4 x 3.3 grade points, totaling 13.2 grade points; for a C in a 5-unit course, you earn 5 x 2.0 grade points, totaling 5 grade points; and a P or NP will not be calculated in your GPA (see Example Schedule below).
STEP 2
Add up the grade points earned and the total number of letter-graded units attempted for all courses.
Using our example, the total grade points earned = 35.2, and the total letter-graded units attempted = 12.
STEP 3
Divide the total grade points earned by the total letter-graded units attempted to get your GPA.
GPA = Total Grade Points / Letter-Graded Units
As in Example 2, the GPA = 35.2 Grade Points / 12 Letter Graded Units = 2.93
Example 2: Schedule of Courses & Grades
| Course | Units | Grade | Grade Points per Unit | Total Grade points for course |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course A | 4 | B+ | 3.3 | 13.2 |
| Course B | 3 | A | 4.0 | 12.0 |
| Course C | 5 | C | 2.0 | 10.0 |
| Course D | 2 | P | 0.0 |
0.0 |
| TOTAL | 14 (12 letter-graded units) |
35.2 (total grade points for the quarter) |
Understanding your Grade-Point Balance (GPB)
Knowing your grade-point balance is helpful especially if your GPA falls below a 2.0, resulting in your being placed on Academic Review. GPB shows what you can do to regain good academic standing with a 2.0 GPA or better.
When calculating the grade-point balance (GPB), every letter grade, except for the grade of C, affects the balance. Grades above C improve the grade-point balance, grades below C reduce it, and grades of C have no effect. Table 2 summarizes this impact for each letter grade.
You can run a Progress Check on GOLD to calculate your current grade-point balance. After running a Progress Check look for University GPA Requirements and locate the total GPA Units earned and Grade Points received. Using this equation, you can calculate your GPB.
GPB = Grade Points - (GPA Units x 2.0)
Use Table 3 or the GPA/GPB Calculator to calculate the grades you need to improve your overall GPA. For example, a GPB of -16.00 grade points means you must earn above a grade of C in enough units to eliminate this deficit. Earning B grades in 16 units or A grades in 8 units would do this.
Table 3: IMPACT TO Grade-Point Balance (GPB) by Grade and Unit Value EARNED
| Grade | 1 Unit | 2 Units | 3 Units | 4 Units | 5 Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A or A+ | +2.0 | +4.0 | +6.0 | +8.0 | +10.0 |
| A- | +1.7 | +3.4 | +5.1 | +6.8 | +8.5 |
| B+ | +1.4 | +2.6 | +3.9 | +5.2 | +6.5 |
| B | +1.0 | +2.0 | +3.0 | +4.0 | +5.0 |
| B- | +0.7 | +1.4 | +2.1 | +2.8 | +3.5 |
| C+ | +0.3 | +0.6 | +0.9 | +1.2 | +1.5 |
| C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C- | -0.3 | -0.6 | -0.9 | -1.2 | -1.5 |
| D+ | -0.7 | -1.4 | -2.1 | -2.8 | -3.5 |
| D | -1.0 | -2.0 | -3.0 | -4.0 | -5.0 |
| D- | -1.3 | -2.6 | -3.9 | -5.2 | -6.5 |
| F | -2.0 | -4.0 | -6.0 | -8.0 | -10.0 |
Have questions or concerns about your grades or GPA?
Review the Academic Challenges page for advice on how to navigate the rough seas.
Reach out to our Letters & Science Advising team, or speak with your major department advisor.