You have credits from another school and you want to know what they do to your GPA. Enter your current GPA, how many credits you already hold, how many credits are coming across, and the grade attached to them if there is one, and it works out the new cumulative number.
It is for the semester between two institutions, for the transfer applicant refreshing a requirements page at midnight, and for anybody who has been told “your credits transfer” without being told whether the grades do as well. Nothing is stored and there is no sign-up.
The one honest detail is in the transfer grade box: leave it empty and the tool switches modes. Empty means your school takes the credits and nothing else, so the credits count towards your degree while adding no grade points at all. Fill it in and the grades ride along with them.
See how transfer credits affect your GPA. Some schools accept transfer credits without grades (they add credits but no grade points), others include the grades. Enter your details below.
Two ways a school can count them
Credits with grades. The transfer grades are read on the same 4.0 scale as your current GPA, multiplied by their credits, added to the grade points you already have, and divided by the new credit total. Your GPA moves towards whatever your transfer average is, up if those grades beat your current number, down if they do not.
Credits only. Grade points stay exactly where they are while the credit total grows, so the same points get divided by a bigger number. This is the version that surprises people, because nothing about your record changed and the GPA still dropped. It is arithmetic rather than a judgement.
Both take the same four boxes. Three are required, current GPA, current credits and transfer credits, and anything missing comes back as a request to fill in the required fields rather than a silent zero. The transfer grade is the only optional one. Reset clears all four.
Three sets of numbers
With a grade on the transfer. Current GPA 3.20 over 45 credits, bringing 15 credits at 3.50. The grade points are 3.20 × 45 = 144 and 3.50 × 15 = 52.5, which is 196.5 points over 60 credits. That division is 3.275, and the tool prints it as 3.27, so the summary reads that your GPA would change from 3.20 to 3.27.
Credits only, same numbers. Leave the grade box empty and the 144 points now have to cover 60 credits: 144 ÷ 60 = 2.40. The GPA falls from 3.20 to 2.40 without a single grade changing, which is the cost of credits arriving without points.
A transfer that lifts you. Current GPA 2.80 over 60 credits, bringing 12 credits at 3.90. That is 168 + 46.8 = 214.8 points over 72 credits, or 2.98. Small credits, strong grades, and the number still moves. The reverse is harsher: 3.60 over 30 credits with 30 more credits and no grade lands at 1.80.
Where the number drifts
- Your school’s policy is the whole story. Many cap how many credits will transfer, some refuse any grade below a C or a specified percentage, and most require a chunk of your final credits to be earned in place. The tool prints that warning under every answer for a reason.
- Both numbers must be on the same scale. It assumes your current GPA and the transfer grade are both 4.0 based, which is true for a lot of schools and false for plenty of others. If your transcript shows a percentage or a 4.3 scale, converting it first is on you.
- Grade conversions are not always a lookup. Some institutions map a B+ from one school onto their own scale rather than taking the number at face value, so the real result can sit either side of the estimate.
- Credits accepted is not the same as credits applied. Accepted credits can land as elective credit that fulfils a requirement without contributing to a major GPA, and the tool has no way of seeing your degree audit.
- Nothing here is a promise. It is a guideline for planning, and the registrar’s answer is the one that goes on your transcript.
Other tools
- Typing speed test — the other thing you do between two institutions
- UAE GPA calculator — if the credits are landing on a 4.0 scale
- UBC GPA calculator — for checking the destination scale first
Frequently asked questions
Do transfer credits affect my GPA?
It depends entirely on your school’s policy. Some include transfer grades in the calculation, others count the credits and leave the grade points alone, and this tool handles both by whether you fill in the transfer grade box. Ask the registrar which one applies to you before trusting any number.
Will transferring lower my GPA?
Credits without grades almost always do, because the same points get spread over more credits. With grades it depends on how those grades compare to your current average, so a strong transfer record can push the number up.
How many credits will my school accept?
There is no general answer. Caps commonly sit somewhere between 30 and 60 credits, some programs take less, and a residency rule usually requires the last stretch of your degree to be completed there. Check the specific program rather than the university’s front page.
Why did the GPA drop when nothing changed?
Because you are in credits-only mode. The grade points are identical and the denominator grew, so the quotient shrinks. Enter the transfer grade if your school does carry grades across, and the same calculation takes them into account.
Is the transfer grade on my scale?
The tool assumes it is, since both fields run 0 to 4.0. If your previous school reported percentages or used a different scale, convert first, and remember that the receiving school may apply its own conversion table on top of yours.