Weighted Grade Calculator — Calculate Your Weighted Average
Calculate your weighted average grade when different assignments have different weights. Leave a grade blank to find out what you need on that assignment. Also see Grade Calculator and Final Grade Calculator.
How the Weighted Grade Calculator Works
The weighted grade calculator computes your average grade when different assignments or categories carry different weights. Unlike a simple average where every item counts equally, a weighted average gives more importance to items with higher weights. For example, a final exam worth 30% of your grade has three times the impact of a quiz worth 10%. Enter each assignment with its grade and weight, and the calculator computes your current weighted average. Leave any grade blank to find out what score you need on that assignment to reach your target grade.
Weighted Average Formula
Weighted Average = (Grade1 x Weight1 + Grade2 x Weight2 + ... + GradeN x WeightN) / (Weight1 + Weight2 + ... + WeightN)
Score Needed on Remaining = (Target x Total Weight - Sum of Completed Weighted Scores) / Remaining Weight
Step-by-Step Example
Quiz 1: 88% x 10 = 880
Quiz 2: 92% x 10 = 920
Midterm: 78% x 30 = 2340
Project: 95% x 20 = 1900
Final: ? x 30 = ?
Completed weighted sum = 880 + 920 + 2340 + 1900 = 6040
Completed weight = 10 + 10 + 30 + 20 = 70
Current average = 6040 / 70 = 86.29%
To reach 85% overall:
Needed = (85 x 100 - 6040) / 30 = (8500 - 6040) / 30 = 2460 / 30
Needed on Final = 82.00%
Common Weight Distributions
| Course Type | Homework | Quizzes | Midterm | Project | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math/Science | 15% | 10% | 25% | 10% | 40% |
| Humanities | 20% | 10% | 20% | 20% | 30% |
| Engineering | 10% | 10% | 20% | 30% | 30% |
| Business | 15% | 15% | 20% | 25% | 25% |
| Computer Science | 20% | 10% | 15% | 30% | 25% |
| Lab Course | 10% | 5% | 15% | 40% | 30% |
How to Calculate a Weighted Average
To calculate a weighted average manually, follow these steps: First, multiply each grade by its corresponding weight. Second, add all the weighted values together to get the weighted sum. Third, add all the weights together to get the total weight. Fourth, divide the weighted sum by the total weight. The result is your weighted average. If all weights add up to 100%, you can skip the division step — the weighted sum itself is your average.
To find what you need on an incomplete assignment, rearrange the formula: multiply your target grade by the total weight, subtract the weighted sum of completed items, then divide by the remaining weight. This gives you the minimum score needed on the remaining work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between weighted and unweighted average?
An unweighted average treats all items equally — each grade counts the same. A weighted average assigns different importance to different items based on their weight. In school, a final exam (30% weight) affects your grade more than a single quiz (5% weight).
Can I leave multiple grades blank?
Yes. The calculator will compute your current average from completed items and tell you the average score needed across all remaining items to reach your target. Note that the "needed" score is the average across all blank items — you could score higher on one and lower on another as long as the weighted average meets the target.
What if my weights do not add up to 100%?
The calculator handles this correctly by dividing by the actual total weight rather than assuming 100%. However, if your course weights should total 100%, double-check your syllabus to make sure you have not missed a category.
How do I handle extra credit assignments?
If extra credit is added to an existing category, include it in that category's grade (e.g., enter 105% if you earned 5% extra credit on top of a perfect score). If extra credit is a separate item, add it as its own row with the appropriate weight.
Why is my weighted average different from my simple average?
A simple average gives equal weight to every item. If you scored 95% on a quiz worth 10% and 75% on a midterm worth 30%, your simple average is 85%, but your weighted average is (95 x 10 + 75 x 30) / 40 = 80%. The midterm pulls the weighted average down more because it carries more weight.
Can I use this for calculating my overall GPA?
This calculator works for percentage-based weighted averages within a single course. For GPA calculations across multiple courses (which use letter grades and credit hours), use our College GPA Calculator instead.
What does the target grade feature do?
The target grade feature calculates the minimum score you need on any incomplete (blank) assignments to achieve your desired overall grade. Set your target to 90% to see what you need for an A, or 80% for a B, and so on.