California Institute of Technology
GPA Calculator
Calculate your Caltech GPA and convert it to percentage using the official A+ to F grading scale (A+ = 4.3) from the Caltech Academic Catalog.
Caltech GPA Calculator
Add each course with its letter grade and units. Calculation uses Caltech's official grade-point values.
Add Your Courses
Caltech uses an A+ to F scale where A+ = 4.3, so a GPA can exceed 4.0.
| Course | Grade | Units | Actions |
|---|
How Caltech GPA Is Calculated
Caltech multiplies each grade point by the course units to get grade points earned, then divides total grade points by total units taken.
📝 Worked Example
A sample term using three Caltech courses:
| Course | Units | Grade | Grade Point | Grade Points Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ph 1a | 9 | A | 4.0 | 9 × 4.0 = 36.0 |
| Ma 1a | 9 | B+ | 3.3 | 9 × 3.3 = 29.7 |
| Ch 1a | 9 | A− | 3.7 | 9 × 3.7 = 33.3 |
| Total | 27 | — | — | 99.0 |
Plugging into the formula:
Caltech GPA to Percentage Converter
Convert your Caltech GPA to an approximate equivalent percentage instantly.
Convert GPA → Percentage
Enter any Caltech GPA between 0.0 and 4.3.
The Conversion Formula
Caltech's maximum grade point is 4.3 (A+), so:
Example: If your GPA is 3.7, then Percentage = (3.7 ÷ 4.3) × 100 ≈ 86.05%.
Caltech does not publish an official GPA-to-percentage formula; this is an approximate equivalence.
Official Caltech Grading Scale
Grade-point values used to compute term and cumulative GPA, sourced from the Caltech Academic Catalog (Grades and Grading).
📘 Caltech Grade Points (A+ to F)
Note: Caltech uses A+ = 4.3 and has no D− grade.
| Letter Grade | Grade Point | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.3 | Excellent |
| A | 4.0 | Excellent |
| A− | 3.7 | Excellent |
| B+ | 3.3 | Good |
| B | 3.0 | Good |
| B− | 2.7 | Good |
| C+ | 2.3 | Satisfactory |
| C | 2.0 | Satisfactory |
| C− | 1.7 | Satisfactory |
| D+ | 1.3 | Poor |
| D | 1.0 | Poor |
| F | 0.0 | Failed |
📌 Grades Excluded from GPA
The following marks carry no grade points and are not counted in GPA: P (Pass), E (Conditional), I (Incomplete), and W (Withdrawn). Grades of P or F earned in pass/fail courses are not included in the grade-point average.
About the official unit table: Caltech's catalog publishes total grade points by number of units. The fractional grade differences (A+, A−, B+, etc.) are designed so that at higher unit counts each step is weighted slightly differently. This calculator uses the standard per-unit values implied by that table (A+ = 4.3 … F = 0.0), which match the catalog's stated A+ = 4.3 and F = 0.0 endpoints.
Caltech GPA — Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA scale does Caltech use?
Caltech uses an A+ to F grade-point scale where A+ = 4.3 and F = 0.0. The per-unit values are A+ = 4.3, 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, and F = 0.0. There is no D− grade.
Is A+ worth 4.3 at Caltech?
Yes — the Caltech Academic Catalog states the grading system runs from A+ (excellent) to F (failed), with A+ equivalent to 4.3 and F to 0.0. Because A+ exceeds 4.0, a Caltech GPA can rise slightly above 4.0.
How is GPA calculated at Caltech?
Caltech divides total grade points earned by total units taken. Each course's grade point is multiplied by its units, the results are summed, and the total is divided by total graded units. Units for which an F is received still count in the GPA.
Does Caltech use a D− grade?
No. Caltech uses A+, A, A−, B+, B, B−, C+, C, C−, D+, D, and F, but it does not have a D− grade. Grades of E (conditional), I (incomplete), P, and W do not factor into the grade-point average.
How do I convert a Caltech GPA to a percentage?
A common conversion is Percentage = (GPA ÷ 4.3) × 100, using Caltech's A+ = 4.3 maximum. For example, a GPA of 3.7 converts to about 86.0%. This is an approximate equivalence, as Caltech does not publish an official GPA-to-percentage formula.
Reference: All grading data verified against the Caltech Academic Catalog — Grades and Grading.