Guide · Across your courses
Semester Grade Calculator
Updated: June 2026
At the end of a term you want a single number that sums up the whole semester. But a five-credit course and a two-credit elective shouldn't count the same, which is why a semester average is a weighted average across your courses — with credit hours, or a coefficient, doing the weighting.
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The semester formula
Each course gives you a grade and carries a weight — its credits or coefficient. The semester average is:
You only get to add your course grades straight up and divide by the count when every course carries the same credits. The moment they differ, weighting by credits is the only correct way, and ignoring it quietly inflates or deflates your average.
A worked semester
| Course | Grade | Credits | grade × credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 78 | 5 | 390 |
| Physics | 84 | 4 | 336 |
| English | 91 | 3 | 273 |
| Elective | 65 | 2 | 130 |
| Total | 14 | 1129 |
Semester average: 1129 ÷ 14 = 80.6. The plain average of 78, 84, 91 and 65 is 79.5 — lower, because the weak elective is only worth two credits and shouldn't drag the term down as much as a simple average would let it.
Combining two semesters
For a year or cumulative figure, resist averaging the two semester numbers. Add all the weighted points and all the credits across both terms, then divide once. A fall semester of 80.6 over 14 credits and a spring of 86 over 16 credits give (80.6×14 + 86×16) ÷ (14 + 16) = (1128.4 + 1376) ÷ 30 = 83.5. Because spring carried more credits and a higher grade, the year tilts toward it — a detail a simple average of 80.6 and 86 (83.3) would miss.
Coefficients instead of credits
Many school systems use coefficients rather than credit hours — a core subject might be coefficient 4 and an option coefficient 1. The method is identical: the coefficient is the weight. Put each subject grade as the value and its coefficient as the weight, and the tool returns the weighted term average, the plain average for comparison, and a pass/fail check against your school's threshold.
Things to double-check
- Use the official credits or coefficients — guessing them changes the result.
- Keep every grade on the same scale, whether /100, /20 or letter points.
- Don't average averages when combining terms; pool the points and credits.
- Exclude pass/fail courses if your institution leaves them out of the average.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my semester average?
Multiply each course grade by its credits or coefficient, add the products, and divide by the total credits. Heavier courses count more.
Can I just average my course grades?
Only when every course carries the same credits. When credits differ you must weight each grade by its credits, or the result will be off.
How do I combine two semesters into a year?
Add all weighted points and all credits from both terms and divide once — don't average the two semester figures unless their credit totals match.
What about coefficients?
Treat the coefficient exactly like credit hours — it is the weight for that subject.