Carnegie Mellon University
QPA / GPA Calculator
Calculate your CMU Quality Point Average (QPA) and convert it to percentage using the official undergraduate 4.0 scale or the graduate plus/minus 4.33 scale.
CMU QPA Calculator
Add each course with its letter grade and units. Choose your grading standard — the calculation uses CMU's official quality point values.
Add Your Courses
CMU computes QPA = Σ Quality Points ÷ Σ Factorable Units. Undergraduate uses a 4.0 scale; graduate uses a plus/minus 4.33 scale.
| Course | Grade | Units | Actions |
|---|
How CMU QPA Is Calculated
CMU multiplies each grade's quality point value by the course units to get quality points, then divides total quality points by total factorable units.
📝 Worked Example (Undergraduate)
Three letter-graded courses on the 4.0 scale:
| Course | Units | Grade | Grade Point | Quality Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-112 | 12.0 | A | 4.00 | 12 × 4.00 = 48.00 |
| 21-127 | 10.0 | B | 3.00 | 10 × 3.00 = 30.00 |
| 76-101 | 9.0 | C | 2.00 | 9 × 2.00 = 18.00 |
| Total | 31.0 | — | — | 96.00 |
Plugging into the formula:
CMU QPA to Percentage Converter
Convert your 4.0-scale CMU QPA to an equivalent percentage instantly.
Convert QPA → Percentage
Enter any CMU QPA between 0.0 and 4.33.
The Conversion Formula
CMU's primary scale is 4.0, so:
Example: If your QPA is 3.5, then Percentage = 3.5 × 25 = 87.50%.
Official CMU Grading Scale
Quality point values used to compute QPA, sourced from the CMU University Grading Policy.
📘 Undergraduate Grading Standard (4.0 scale)
Note: undergraduate courses use no +/- grades, and R (not F) denotes failure.
| Grade | Quality Points | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | Excellent |
| B | 3.0 | Good |
| C | 2.0 | Satisfactory |
| D | 1.0 | Passing |
| R | 0.0 | Failure |
📗 Graduate Grading Standard (plus/minus 4.33 scale)
Used for graduate courses. Some colleges restrict certain grades (e.g. no A+ in H&SS or CIT; no D or D+ in Tepper).
| Grade | Quality Points | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.33 | Excellent |
| A | 4.00 | Excellent |
| A− | 3.67 | Excellent |
| B+ | 3.33 | Good |
| B | 3.00 | Good |
| B− | 2.67 | Good |
| C+ | 2.33 | Satisfactory |
| C | 2.00 | Satisfactory |
| C− | 1.67 | Satisfactory |
| D+ | 1.33 | Passing |
| D | 1.00 | Passing |
| R | 0.00 | Failure |
📌 Grades Excluded from QPA (Non-factorable)
The following marks carry no quality points and are not counted in factorable units: P (Passing, pass/fail), N (Not Passing), S (Satisfactory, graduate), O (Audit), W (Withdrawal), I (Incomplete), and AD (transfer / examination credit).
When a course is repeated, all attempts are recorded and counted in the QPA.
CMU QPA — Frequently Asked Questions
What grading scale does Carnegie Mellon University use?
CMU reports a Quality Point Average (QPA). The undergraduate standard is a non-plus/minus 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, R = 0.0). The graduate standard is a plus/minus 4.33 scale (A+ = 4.33 down to D = 1.0, R = 0.0).
What does QPA mean at CMU?
QPA stands for Quality Point Average — CMU's term for GPA. It equals total quality points divided by total factorable units, where quality points = grade point value × units.
Why does CMU use R instead of F?
CMU uses the grade R (value 0.0) to denote failure on both the undergraduate and graduate scales. It functions exactly like an F.
How do I convert my CMU QPA to a percentage?
For the 4.0 scale use Percentage = QPA × 25 (equivalent to (QPA ÷ 4.0) × 100). For example, a QPA of 3.5 converts to 87.5%.
Which grades are left out of my CMU QPA?
Marks of P, N, S, O, W, I, and AD are non-factorable — they carry no quality points and are excluded from factorable units, so they don't affect your QPA.
Reference: All grading data verified against Carnegie Mellon University — Grading Policy (University Grading Standards).