LSAC GPA Calculator
An essential tool to accurately calculate your standardized LSAC GPA for law school applications.
Calculate Your LSAC GPA
Add each undergraduate course, its credit hours, and the grade you received. The calculator will automatically update your LSAC GPA in real time.
The LSAC GPA is calculated using the formula: Total Quality Points / Total Credit Hours.
Credit Distribution by Grade
This chart visualizes the total credit hours you have earned for each grade category.
LSAC Grade Conversion Scale
| Letter Grade | LSAC Value |
|---|---|
| A+ | 4.33 |
| A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.67 |
| B+ | 3.33 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.67 |
| C+ | 2.33 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.67 |
| D+ | 1.33 |
| D | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.67 |
| F | 0.00 |
Official LSAC conversion values used to standardize grades from all undergraduate institutions.
What is the LSAC GPA?
The LSAC GPA is a standardized measure of academic performance calculated by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Its purpose is to create a uniform GPA that law school admissions committees can use to fairly compare applicants from different undergraduate institutions, which may have varying grading policies. When you apply to law school through LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS), they will request all your undergraduate transcripts and re-calculate your GPA according to their specific rules. This standardized figure, not necessarily the GPA on your transcript, is what schools will primarily consider. To properly calculate LSAC GPA, every grade from every undergraduate course you’ve ever taken is included, even from institutions you transferred from or took classes at during high school.
Anyone applying to an ABA-approved law school needs to understand their LSAC GPA. A common misconception is that only the GPA from your degree-granting institution matters. However, LSAC aggregates everything. Another misconception is that retaken courses replace the original grade; LSAC includes both grades in the calculation, which can significantly impact the outcome. Understanding how to calculate LSAC GPA is the first step in managing your law school application strategy.
LSAC GPA Formula and Mathematical Explanation
The formula to calculate LSAC GPA is a weighted average. It is not complex, but it requires careful attention to detail. The calculation follows two main steps:
- Calculate Total Quality Points: For each course, you multiply the number of credit hours by the numeric value assigned to the letter grade by LSAC (e.g., A = 4.00, B+ = 3.33). You sum these values for all courses taken.
- Calculate Final GPA: You divide the Total Quality Points by the Total Credit Hours attempted.
The core equation is:
LSAC GPA = (Σ (Credit Hours × Grade Value)) / (Total Credit Hours)
The precision of this calculation is paramount for law school admissions, making a reliable tool to calculate LSAC GPA invaluable for prospective students.
| Variable | Meaning | Unit | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | The weight of a course, typically based on lecture hours. | Hours | 1 – 5 per course |
| Grade Value | The numeric equivalent of a letter grade on the LSAC 4.33 scale. | Points | 0.00 (F) to 4.33 (A+) |
| Quality Points | The product of Credit Hours and Grade Value for a single course. | Points | 0 – 21.65 per course |
Practical Examples (Real-World Use Cases)
Example 1: The High-Achieving Student
Consider a student with the following final-year courses. We will calculate LSAC GPA based on this record.
- Political Science (4 credits) – Grade: A
- Advanced Economics (3 credits) – Grade: A-
- Constitutional Law Seminar (3 credits) – Grade: A+
- Statistics (4 credits) – Grade: B+
Calculation:
- Political Science: 4 credits * 4.00 = 16.00 quality points
- Advanced Economics: 3 credits * 3.67 = 11.01 quality points
- Con Law Seminar: 3 credits * 4.33 = 12.99 quality points
- Statistics: 4 credits * 3.33 = 13.32 quality points
Total Quality Points = 16.00 + 11.01 + 12.99 + 13.32 = 53.32
Total Credit Hours = 4 + 3 + 3 + 4 = 14
Final LSAC GPA = 53.32 / 14 = 3.808
Example 2: The Improving Student
This student had a tougher start but improved significantly. Let’s see how the weighted nature of the system affects their ability to calculate LSAC GPA accurately.
- Intro to Chemistry (4 credits) – Grade: C+
- Calculus I (4 credits) – Grade: B-
- English Literature (3 credits) – Grade: A
- Philosophy 101 (3 credits) – Grade: B
Calculation:
- Chemistry: 4 credits * 2.33 = 9.32 quality points
- Calculus I: 4 credits * 2.67 = 10.68 quality points
- English Lit: 3 credits * 4.00 = 12.00 quality points
- Philosophy: 3 credits * 3.00 = 9.00 quality points
Total Quality Points = 9.32 + 10.68 + 12.00 + 9.00 = 41.00
Total Credit Hours = 4 + 4 + 3 + 3 = 14
Final LSAC GPA = 41.00 / 14 = 2.928
How to Use This LSAC GPA Calculator
This tool is designed to make it easy to calculate LSAC GPA from your transcripts. Follow these simple steps:
- Add Courses: Click the “Add Course” button to create a new row for each class on your transcript.
- Enter Credits: In each row, type the number of credit hours for the course. Most courses are between 1 and 4 credits.
- Select Grade: Use the dropdown menu to select the final letter grade you received for that course.
- Review Real-Time Results: As you add information, the calculator automatically updates your cumulative LSAC GPA, total quality points, and total credit hours. No need to press a ‘submit’ button.
- Analyze the Chart: The “Credit Distribution by Grade” chart dynamically updates to show you where your credits are concentrated, helping you identify academic strengths.
- Reset or Copy: Use the “Reset” button to clear all entries and start over. Use the “Copy Results” button to save your calculated GPA and key metrics to your clipboard.
Understanding the output helps you gauge your competitiveness. A higher GPA is always better, but this tool gives you the precise number that law schools will see, allowing for a more informed application strategy.
Key Factors That Affect LSAC GPA Results
Several factors can cause your LSAC GPA to differ from the one on your transcript. When you calculate LSAC GPA, you must account for LSAC’s specific rules.
- All Undergraduate Coursework: LSAC includes grades from every undergraduate institution you attended, including community colleges, summer sessions, and study abroad programs, before your first bachelor’s degree was conferred.
- A+ Grades: Unlike many universities that cap a grade’s value at 4.0, LSAC assigns a value of 4.33 to an A+. This can significantly boost the GPA of students from schools that award A+ grades.
- Repeated Courses: If you retook a class, your university might have replaced the old grade with the new one (academic forgiveness). LSAC does not. Both the original grade and the new grade are included in the GPA calculation.
- Failing Grades: Any grade that signifies failure (F, No Credit, Withdraw/Fail, etc.) is converted to a 0.00 and is included in the calculation, potentially lowering the GPA substantially.
- Pass/Fail Courses: Grades of “Pass” are not included in the calculation. However, a “Fail” is treated as a 0.00 and will negatively impact your GPA.
- Graduate Coursework: Courses taken after your first bachelor’s degree was conferred are not included in the LSAC GPA calculation. They are reported separately to law schools. Understanding these nuances is critical to accurately calculate LSAC GPA.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Your LSAC GPA can differ for many reasons. LSAC includes grades from all undergraduate institutions, counts repeated courses, uses a 4.33 scale for A+ grades, and has specific rules for withdrawals and failing grades that may differ from your school’s policies. The only way to know for sure is to meticulously calculate LSAC GPA using their rules.
No, LSAC does not round your GPA. It is reported to law schools truncated to three decimal places (e.g., 3.808).
If you studied abroad through a program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution and received grades and credits, they will be included. If the grades are from a foreign institution and only show as transfer credit without individual grades on your home transcript, they may not be included, but the transcript from the foreign school is still required.
If your school’s highest grade is an A (4.00), you cannot receive a 4.33 for any course. This is a known discrepancy in the system, and law schools are generally aware that students from certain schools are unable to achieve a GPA above 4.00.
Yes. Every course for which you received a grade and credit at the undergraduate level, prior to your first bachelor’s degree, is included when you calculate LSAC GPA, regardless of the subject matter.
LSAC considers one quarter hour to be equivalent to two-thirds of a semester hour. They will convert all of your credits to semester hours before calculating your GPA.
A simple “Withdraw” (W) or “Incomplete” (I) is typically not included in the GPA calculation. However, a “Withdraw/Failing” (WF) or similar punitive withdrawal is treated as an F (0.00) and will harm your GPA.
Yes, to an extent. Admissions are a balancing act between your GPA and LSAT score. A very high LSAT score can help offset a lower GPA, especially if there’s a compelling reason for the lower grades (e.g., a difficult major, illness, or an upward grade trend). However, having strong numbers for both is always the best position to be in.