FAQ
What is the highest GPA?
Unweighted scales cap at 4.0 for straight top grades; weighted scales can go higher.
Unweighted vs weighted
On a common unweighted 4.0 scale, the maximum is 4.0 (often with A and A+ both mapping to 4.0).
Weighted high-school GPAs may reach 5.0 or more when AP/IB/Honors courses carry extra points—again, follow your school’s published rules.
What colleges actually compare
Many admissions offices recalculate using their own unweighted 4.0 table and look at course rigor separately. A 4.8 weighted does not automatically beat a 3.9 unweighted with many AP titles—readers want both the number and the transcript labels.
If two GPAs appear on your report card, quote the one the application asks for. Use the GPA scale index to translate letters, then the high-school calculator with Weighted on or off to match each line.