Calculation of GPA (Policy 3230)
University Policy 3230
Download a Printable Version of Policy 3230
Effective Date
September 1983
Last Revision Date
July 2012
Responsible Party
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, (208) 426-1202
Scope and Audience
This policy applies to all students enrolled for academic credit.
1. Policy Purpose
To outline the procedure for computing the grade point average (GPA).
2. Policy Statement
It is the policy of Boise State University that the calculation of a GPA is applied in a consistent manner for all students and that the campus community, as well as prospective students and transfer students, have access to the standards for which calculations are determined and applied.
3. Computation of GPA
a. All courses taken prior to the initiation of a +/- grading system at Boise State University, as well as those transferred from other post-secondary institutions with a grade of A, B, C, D, or F, will be used in the GPA calculation.
b. Boise State University uses a 4.0 grading scale. The following table identifies this grading scale and the grades used in the calculation of GPA.
c. Boise State will honor the grade policy of the institution from which the student transferred courses.
Computation of the Grade Point Average| Letter Grade | Meaning | Quality Points per Credit Hour Used to | Calculate GPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| A | 4.0 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| A- | 3.7 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| B+ | 3.3 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| B | 3.0 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| B- | 2.7 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| C+ | 2.3 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| C | 2.0 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| C- | 1.7 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| D+ | 1.3 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| D | 1.0 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| D- | 0.7 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| F | 0.0 quality points per credit hour | Yes | |
| P | Pass | 0.0 quality points per credit hour | No |
| I | Incomplete | 0.0 quality points per credit hour | No |
| W | Withdrew | 0.0 quality points per credit hour | No |
| AUD | Audited | 0.0 quality points per credit hour | No |
| UAU | Unsatisfactory Audit | 0.0 quality points per credit hour | No |
| NR | No report on record | 0.0 quality points per credit hour | No |
| CW | Complete withdrawal from all classes that semester | 0.0 quality points per credit hour | No |
4. Repeat Courses Used in Computation of GPA
In computing the GPA, Boise State university has used two methods of computing retake courses-grade replacement and grade averaging.
a. Courses repeated prior to fall 1995 used a grade replacement policy. Only the most recent grade was used in calculating the cumulative GPA.
b. Courses repeated between fall 1995 and summer 2001 used a grade averaging policy. Courses repeated will be averaged, using both grades in the calculation of the GPA.
c. Beginning fall 2001 and on, courses repeated will use a grade replacement policy. Only the most recent grade will be used in calculation of the cumulative GPA.
5. Computation
a. For each student, Boise State University calculates and documents three types of grade-point averages (GPA): overall, semester, and Boise State University.
b. Each of the three types of GPA is calculated with the same formula: total quality points earned divided by the total number of credits attempted.
(i.) Overall cumulative GPA – In calculating the overall cumulative GPA, courses taken at the university in the student’s current “career,” and all transferred courses earning a letter grade if A, B, C, D, or F, are used taking into consideration Section 3.1 above.
(ii.) Semester GPA – In calculating semester GPA, the formula uses only the quality points earned and the credits attempted that semester.
(iii.) Boise State University GPA – For Boise State University GPA, the formula uses only quality points earned and credits attempted at Boise State University in the student’s current career.
c. All GPA calculations exclude credits for:
- Pass/fail courses in which a final grade of P is received
- Courses registered for but later dropped
- Audit status courses
- Incomplete (I) or no record (NR) (until I or NR is changed to a letter grade)
d. GPA calculations are rounded to the third decimal place.
e. Grades excluded from GPA calculation are not used in the calculation of the overall cumulative or Boise State University cumulative GPA. However, those grades are used in the determination of graduation honors (See University Policy 3160 – Grade Exclusion).
6. Related Information
University Policy 3160 (Grade Exclusion)
Revision History
July 1, 1995; July 1, 1999; July 1, 2001; November, 2001; April, 2006; July 2012