CASPA GPA Calculator

This is a free, independent study aid. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASPA or Liaison International. The grade values shown are CASPA’s published Grade Value Charts, cited below. For your official GPAs, submit your application and review the figures CASPA reports after it verifies your transcripts.

How to use this calculator

1. Add one row for each course on your transcript. Pick the letter grade you earned, type the number of credit hours, choose whether CASPA would classify the subject as science or non-science, and pick the year you took it.
2. Add a row for every attempt of a repeated course. CASPA does not honor any school’s grade forgiveness, so enter both the original grade and the retake as separate rows and both will count.
3. Use the Add course button to add more rows, up to 60. Only graded letter grades plus WF belong in the table. Leave out Pass/Satisfactory, AP, CLEP, and any course without an A to F grade, since CASPA excludes them.
4. Select Calculate. The tool converts each grade to its CASPA quality-point value, multiplies by credit hours, and divides total quality points by total credit hours to give your cumulative, science, and non-science GPAs, rounded to two decimals.

How it works

This calculator uses CASPA’s published grade-value scale, the table that turns each letter grade into quality points. It applies the same formula CASPA uses when it recomputes your GPA during verification (CASPA Applicant Help Center, Calculating Your CASPA GPAs).

For each course, the tool multiplies the grade’s quality-point value by the course’s credit hours to get the quality points for that course. It adds up the quality points across your courses, adds up the credit hours, and divides:

GPA = sum of (grade value x credits) / sum of credits

CASPA runs that same math three ways. Your cumulative GPA uses every graded course you enter. Your science GPA uses only the rows you mark as science. Your non-science GPA uses the rest. A science course counts in both the cumulative and the science buckets, so one course list gives you all three figures CASPA reports.

Here is the CASPA grade-value chart this calculator applies (CASPA Applicant Help Center, Grade Value Charts):

Grade	Quality points
A+	4.00
A	4.00
A-	3.70
B+	3.30
B	3.00
B-	2.70
C+	2.30
C	2.00
C-	1.70
D+	1.30
D	1.00
D-	0.70
F (E/F)	0.00
WF (withdrew failing)	0.00

Two details on the chart trip people up. CASPA caps an A+ at 4.0, the same value as a plain A, so a plus does not buy you extra credit on top of an A. Some transcripts also carry split grades, which CASPA converts as AB = 3.5, BC = 2.5, and CD = 1.5 (CASPA Grade Value Charts).

A WF, meaning withdrew failing or withdrew with penalty, is scored as an F worth 0.0 quality points, and its credit hours still count in the denominator. So a WF earns no quality points yet still drags your GPA down (CASPA Applicant Help Center, Calculating Your CASPA GPAs).

Non-graded credits behave differently. Pass/Satisfactory grades, AP and CLEP credits, and any course without a real A to F grade are left out of CASPA GPAs entirely, so they change neither the quality points nor the credit hours you divide by. That is why the grade menu lists only graded values plus WF (CASPA Applicant Help Center, Calculating Your CASPA GPAs).

Examples

If you take three courses, an A in 4-credit General Biology marked science, a B+ in 4-credit General Chemistry marked science, and an A- in 3-credit Composition marked non-science, the tool returns a cumulative GPA of 3.66. The quality points work out to 4.0 x 4 = 16.0, plus 3.3 x 4 = 13.2, plus 3.7 x 3 = 11.1, which is 40.3 quality points over 11 credits, or 3.66. Your science GPA is (16.0 + 13.2) over 8 credits = 3.65, and your non-science GPA is 11.1 over 3 credits = 3.70.

If you retake a course, CASPA counts both attempts. Say you earned a D in 4-credit Organic Chemistry, then earned an A when you retook it, both marked science. Even though your school may replace the D with the A, CASPA averages in both: D 1.0 x 4 = 4.0, plus A 4.0 x 4 = 16.0, which is 20.0 quality points over 8 credits, or a 2.50 GPA. A transcript that shows only the retake would read 4.00, so this gap is why a CASPA GPA often lands below your transcript GPA. Your non-science GPA shows a dash here because you entered no non-science credits.

A WF still counts in the denominator. Say you earned a B in 3-credit non-science course, a WF in 4-credit science course, and an A in 4-credit science course. The WF is worth 0.0 quality points, but its 4 credits still count, so the cumulative GPA is (9.0 + 0.0 + 16.0) over 11 credits = 2.27. Your science GPA is (0.0 + 16.0) over 8 credits = 2.00, and your non-science GPA is 9.0 over 3 credits = 3.00. Drop the WF’s credits and the science GPA would jump to 4.00, so the WF correctly pulls the number down.

How the CASPA GPA differs from your institutional GPA

Your CASPA GPA is recomputed from scratch, so it can read lower than the GPA on your transcript. Three CASPA rules drive most of the gap, and each one is built into this calculator.

• Every attempt counts. CASPA does not honor any school’s grade-forgiveness, academic-renewal, or grade-replacement policy. If you retook a course, every attempt is factored into your GPA, so a retake does not erase the original grade. To match this, enter each attempt as its own row (CASPA Applicant Help Center, Calculating Your CASPA GPAs).
• A WF is an F. CASPA scores a withdrew-failing grade as an F worth 0.0 quality points, and its credit hours still count in the denominator. Your school may treat a withdrawal as if the course never happened, but CASPA lets it weigh on your GPA (CASPA Applicant Help Center, Calculating Your CASPA GPAs).
• Science is classified by content. CASPA assigns each course a subject category based on what the course covers, not its department prefix, and CASPA’s classification overrides your school’s department names. Your science GPA is built from CASPA’s BCP categories, Biology/Zoology, Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics, plus an Other Science bucket for subjects like anatomy, physiology, microbiology, genetics, and pharmacology (University of Rhode Island, Calculating Science GPA for the CASPA Application).

Use the subject toggle on each row to match how a CASPA reviewer would categorize the course. Standardized plus and minus values add to the gap too: CASPA uses its own chart, so an A- counts as 3.7 and a B+ as 3.3 no matter what your school’s scale awards.

What the data says

If your CASPA number looks lower than your transcript GPA, you are not reading it wrong, and the real question on your mind is whether it is still competitive. A benchmark helps more than a vague sense of a good GPA.

Nationally, the applicants who actually matriculate into PA programs carry an overall GPA of about 3.5 to 3.6 and a science GPA of about 3.4 to 3.5, according to the Physician Assistant Education Association’s program data (PAEA, By the Numbers: Program Report 36).

Many PA programs publish a minimum cumulative GPA of around 3.0, but that is a floor to apply, not the average that gets admitted. Matriculant means run roughly half a grade point higher, so the published minimum is a starting line, not the bar (PAEA, By the Numbers: Program Report 36). The table below shows the gap between the two.

Benchmark	Cumulative GPA	Science GPA
Common program minimum (floor to apply)	about 3.0	about 3.0
PAEA matriculant mean (students who got in)	about 3.5 to 3.6	about 3.4 to 3.5

This is also why a CASPA GPA often lands below the number on your transcript. As CASPA’s own guidance puts it:

“All grades earned for repeated courses are factored into your CASPA School GPA.”

CASPA Applicant Help Center, Liaison International, in Calculating Your CASPA GPAs.

A few mistakes come up again and again when applicants estimate their own number:

• A common mistake is assuming a retake replaces the old grade. For CASPA both attempts count, so a retaken course still drags the GPA.
• People often add Pass/Fail, AP, or CLEP credits to the math. CASPA excludes non-graded credits entirely.
• A common mistake is treating an A+ as worth more than 4.0. CASPA caps it at 4.0.
• People often classify science by course prefix instead of content, or forget that a WF counts as an F while still adding its credit hours.
• Applicants often compare their transcript GPA to admissions benchmarks instead of their usually-lower CASPA GPA.

What this tool does that others don’t

• It counts every attempt of a repeated course, matching CASPA’s no-grade-forgiveness rule. You enter both the original grade and the retake as separate rows, so a retake drags your GPA the way CASPA computes it instead of being erased the way your transcript may show it.
• It splits your GPA into cumulative, science (BCP plus Other Science), and non-science, the three figures PA programs read most. Generic GPA calculators report a single number and never separate the science GPA that admissions scrutinizes.
• It applies CASPA’s exact grade-value chart, including A+ capped at 4.0 rather than 4.3 and the split grades AB = 3.5, BC = 2.5, and CD = 1.5. The full chart is shown inline with a citation, so you can verify each plus and minus value.
• It models the WF rule correctly, scoring a withdrew-failing grade as an F worth 0.0 quality points whose credit hours still count in the denominator, which is the handling many calculators leave out.
• It ties each row’s science toggle to CASPA’s published BCP categories and the content-based classification rule, so your science GPA reflects how a CASPA reviewer would categorize the course rather than its department prefix.

Frequently asked questions

How does CASPA calculate my GPA?

CASPA converts each A to F grade on your transcripts to a numeric quality-point value, multiplies that value by the course’s credit hours to get quality points, sums the quality points and the credit hours across your courses, and divides total quality points by total credit hours. It does this separately to report cumulative, science, non-science, and year-level GPAs.

Does CASPA count all attempts of a repeated course?

Yes. CASPA does not recognize any school’s grade-forgiveness, academic-renewal, or grade-replacement policy. Every attempt of a repeated course is factored into your CASPA GPA, so a retake does not erase the original grade. To model this here, enter both attempts as separate rows.

Why is my CASPA GPA lower than my transcript GPA?

The most common reasons are repeated courses and plus/minus grades. Your school may replace a repeated course’s old grade, but CASPA averages in every attempt. CASPA also uses its own standardized plus/minus values and counts a WF as an F. Together these can make your CASPA GPA lower than the figure on your transcript.

What counts as a science course for CASPA?

CASPA’s science GPA is built from its BCP categories, Biology/Zoology, Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics, plus an Other Science bucket that includes subjects like anatomy, physiology, microbiology, genetics, pharmacology, and many health-science courses. Classification is based on course content, not the course prefix, and is assigned by CASPA reviewers.

How is the BCP GPA different from the science GPA?

BCP stands for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, the core science categories CASPA totals separately. Your overall science GPA includes those BCP categories plus Other Science courses, so the science GPA covers a slightly broader set of subjects than the BCP-only total.

How does CASPA convert plus and minus grades?

CASPA uses a standardized chart: A+ and A both equal 4.0, A- is 3.7, B+ is 3.3, B is 3.0, B- is 2.7, C+ is 2.3, C is 2.0, C- is 1.7, D+ is 1.3, D is 1.0, D- is 0.7, and F is 0.0. These values come from CASPA’s official Grade Value Charts.

Is an A+ worth more than 4.0 on CASPA?

No. CASPA caps an A+ at 4.0, the same value as a plain A. Unlike some schools that award up to 4.3 for an A+, CASPA’s standardized scale does not give extra credit for a plus on top of an A.

How does CASPA treat a WF (withdrew failing) grade?

A WF, withdrew with penalty or withdrew failing, is factored into your CASPA GPA as an F, worth 0.0 quality points. It still adds its credit hours to the denominator, so it lowers your GPA. Select WF in the grade menu to reflect this.

Do pass/fail and AP credits count in my CASPA GPA?

No. Non-graded credits are excluded from CASPA GPAs. That includes Pass/Satisfactory grades, AP, CLEP and other college-board exam credits, and any course without an actual A to F letter grade. Leave those courses out of the calculator, since they do not change your GPA.

What GPAs does CASPA report?

After verification, CASPA reports several GPAs, including a cumulative undergraduate GPA, an overall GPA, year-level GPAs, a graduate GPA where applicable, and subject GPAs, most importantly your science GPA, non-science GPA, and BCP totals. This tool focuses on the cumulative, science, and non-science figures.

How many quality points is a B+ on CASPA?

A B+ is worth 3.3 quality points per credit on CASPA. So a B+ in a 4-credit course earns 3.3 times 4 = 13.2 quality points. CASPA distinguishes plus and minus grades, so a B+ (3.3) is higher than a B (3.0) but lower than an A- (3.7).

Is this the official CASPA GPA calculator?

No. This is a free, independent estimator and is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASPA or Liaison International. It applies CASPA’s published grade-value chart and GPA formula so your estimate is close to CASPA’s, but the official GPAs are the ones CASPA computes after it verifies your transcripts.

Sources

• CASPA Applicant Help Center, Calculating Your CASPA GPAs (Liaison International). The quality-points-over-credits formula, the all-attempts-count rule (no grade forgiveness), the rule that a WF is factored as an F, the exclusion of non-graded credits, and the science, non-science, and BCP GPA bucket definitions.
• CASPA Applicant Help Center, Grade Value Charts (Liaison International). The exact grade-to-quality-point values (A+ and A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3 down to D- = 0.7, F = 0.0, WF = 0.0), the A+ cap at 4.0, and the split grades AB = 3.5, BC = 2.5, CD = 1.5.
• University of Rhode Island, Calculating Science GPA for the CASPA Application. The list of subject areas CASPA classifies as science (BCP plus Other Science) and the rule that classification is based on course content, not the course prefix.
• PAEA, By the Numbers: Program Report 36 (Data from the 2021 Program Survey), Physician Assistant Education Association. Matriculant mean GPA benchmarks used to compare a CASPA GPA against the averages of students who get into PA programs.