During verification, CASPA uses the information you entered in the Transcript Entry section to calculate several GPAs, including GPAs for each institution you attended. To calculate these GPAs, each A-F or 0-100 grade you entered in the Grade field is first converted to a CASPA numeric grade value, then multiplied by the attempted credits. The resulting product is Quality Points.
Your total Quality Points are then divided by your Attempted Credits to determine your GPA.
Non-graded credits are not included in your GPAs. Non-graded credits are earned credits for which you did not receive actual letter grades (e.g., advanced placement credits, "pass" or "satisfactory" credits, college board AP exams, courses taken as pass/fail, etc.). Note: a grade of WF (i.e., equivalent of a withdrawn with penalty, withdrawn failing, etc.) is factored into GPA calculations as an F.
CASPA calculates all GPAs in semester hours. Courses that were completed in quarter hours are converted to semester hours. The conversion ratio is 1.0 quarter hour = 0.667 semester hours.
Use the GPA Calculator to see how CASPA will calculate your GPA.
Example:
Course |
Transcript Grade |
Converted Numeric Grade Value |
Attempted Credits |
Calculation |
Quality Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MATH 1100 |
A |
4 |
4 |
4 x 4 |
16 |
ENGL 1310 |
B |
3 |
3 |
3 x 3 |
9 |
GEOL 1610 |
C |
2 |
4 |
2 x 4 |
8 |
PHED 1000 |
D |
1 |
3 |
1 x 3 |
3 |
PSCI 1040 |
F |
0 |
3 |
0 x 3 |
0 |
Total |
|
|
17 |
|
36 |
GPA Calculation: 36 (Quality Points) / 17 (Attempted Credits) = 2.12 (GPA) |
CASPA calculates several GPA types, including:
Using Quality Points, CASPA calculates a GPA for each academic year. GPAs from your Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior academic years are subsequently:
Year-Level GPA Example:
Year |
Credits |
Quality Points |
GPA |
---|---|---|---|
Freshman |
66 |
166.2 |
2.52 |
Sophomore |
48 |
119.4 |
2.49 |
Junior |
66 |
223.2 |
3.38 |
Senior |
60 |
169.2 |
2.82 |
Total |
240 |
678.0 |
2.83 |
Post-Baccalaureate |
28 |
112.0 |
4.00 |
Cumulative Undergraduate |
268 |
790.0 |
2.95 |
Graduate |
66 |
245.4 |
3.72 |
Overall |
334 |
1035.4 |
3.10 |
CASPA breaks down your overall GPA by course subject category (regardless of academic year). During verification, CASPA makes changes to course subjects that are categorized incorrectly, ensuring these GPAs reflect the appropriate coursework.
Note: Biology/Zoology, Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics are used to create a BCP Totals GPA.
Course Subject Category GPA Example:
Course Subject Category |
Graded Credits |
Quality Points |
GPA |
Credits < 2.0 |
Credits P/CR/AP |
Total Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Biology/Zoology |
84.0 |
270.0 |
3.21 |
3.0 |
0.0 |
84.0 |
Inorganic Chemistry |
6.0 |
15.0 |
2.50 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
6.0 |
Organic Chemistry |
6.0 |
18.0 |
3.00 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
6.0 |
Biochemistry |
12.0 |
31.8 |
2.65 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
12.0 |
Physics |
6.0 |
13.8 |
2.30 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
6.0 |
BCP Totals |
114.0 |
348.6 |
3.06 |
3.0 |
0.0 |
114.0 |
Other Science |
3.0 |
12.0 |
4.00 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
3.0 |
Math |
15.0 |
40.8 |
2.72 |
3.0 |
0.0 |
15.0 |
English |
12.0 |
43.8 |
3.65 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
12.0 |
Behavioral Science |
15.0 |
45.6 |
3.04 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
15.0 |
Other Non-Science |
8.0 |
26.9 |
3.36 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
8.0 |
Total |
167.0 |
517.7 |
3.10 |
6.0 |
0.0 |
167.0 |
CASPA divides each Year-Level GPA into Science, Non-Science, and Total (science plus non-science) sections.
Science GPA is calculated using the following course subject categories:
Non-Science GPA is calculated using the following course subject categories:
In the following example, note that the applicant's overall science GPA is 3.08, overall non-science GPA is 3.14, and overall total GPA is 3.10.
Science and Non-Science GPA Example:
|
Category |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Science |
Non-Science |
Total |
||||||
Year |
Credits |
Quality Points |
GPA |
Credits |
Quality Points |
GPA |
Credits |
Quality Points |
GPA |
Freshman |
18.0 |
42.6 |
2.37 |
15.0 |
40.5 |
2.70 |
33.0 |
83.1 |
2.52 |
Sophomore |
18.0 |
49.8 |
2.77 |
6.0 |
9.9 |
1.65 |
24.0 |
59.7 |
2.49 |
Junior |
18.0 |
60.9 |
3.38 |
15.0 |
50.7 |
3.38 |
33.0 |
111.6 |
3.38 |
Senior |
30.0 |
84.6 |
2.82 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.00 |
30.0 |
84.6 |
2.82 |
Total |
84.0 |
237.9 |
2.83 |
36.0 |
101.1 |
2.81 |
120.0 |
339.0 |
2.82 |
Post Baccalaureate |
3.0 |
12.0 |
4.00 |
11.0 |
44.0 |
4.00 |
14.0 |
56.0 |
4.00 |
Cumulative Undergraduate |
87.0 |
249.9 |
2.87 |
47.0 |
145.1 |
3.09 |
134.0 |
395.0 |
2.95 |
Graduate |
30.0 |
110.7 |
3.69 |
3.0 |
12.0 |
4.00 |
33.0 |
122.7 |
3.72 |
Overall |
117.0 |
360.6 |
3.08 |
50.0 |
157.1 |
3.14 |
167.0 |
517.7 |
3.10 |