Given a list of numbers, it is easy to determine the arithmetic mean,or average. The average is simply the sum of the numbers in a given problem, divided by the number of numbers added together. For example, if four number are added together their sum is divided by four to find the average or arithmetic mean.
Average or arithmetic mean is sometimes confused with two other concepts: mode and median. The mode is the most frequent value in a set of numbers, while the median is the number in the middle of the range of a given set.
Uses and Applications
It's important to know how to calculate the mean or average of a set of numbers. Among other things, this will allow you to calculate your grade point average. However, you'll need to calculate the mean for several other situations, too.
The concept of an average allows statisticians, demographers, economists, biologists, and other researchers to better understand the most common situations. For example, by determining the average income of an American family and comparing it to the average cost of a home, it's possible to better understand the magnitude of economic challenges facing most American families. Similarly, by looking at the average temperature in a particular area at a particular time of year, it's possible to predict the probable weather and make a wide range of decisions appropriately.
Issues and Pitfalls
While averages can be very useful tools, they can also be misleading for a variety of reasons. In particular, averages can obscure the information contained in data sets. Here are a few examples of how averages can be misleading:
- John's grades include a 4.5 in math, a 4.0 in science, a 2.0 in English and a 2.5 in History. After averaging his scores, his advisor decided that John is a straight "B" student. In fact, however, John is quite talented in math and science and needs remediation in English and history.
- Ten people were in a room. One woman in the room was pregnant. Based on the average, therefore, everyone in the room was .1% pregnant. This is, of course, a false and ridiculous finding!
The Calculation
In general, you calculate the mean or average of a set of numbers by adding them all up and dividing by how many numbers you have. This can be defined as follows:
For a set of numbers, {x1, x2, x3, ... xj} the mean or average is the sum of all "x" divided by "j".
Worked Examples
Let's start with an easy example. Calculate the mean of the following set of numbers:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
To do this, add up the numbers and divide by how many numbers you have (5 of them, in this case).
mean = (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5)/5
mean = 15/5
mean = 3
Here's another example of calculating the mean.
Calculate the mean of the following set of numbers:
25, 28, 31, 35, 43, 48
How many numbers are there? 6. So, add together all of the numbers and divide the total by 6 in order to get the mean.
mean = (25 + 28 + 31 + 35 + 43 + 48)/6
mean = 210/6
mean = 35
FAQs
Your GPA is the mean of your grades, meaning that you add the grade points together and divide them by the number of grades. Keep in mind that some schools calculate GPA a bit differently, and some also count advanced placement or honors classes as a higher number.
How do you calculate your GPA average? ›
How to Calculate Your GPA
- Convert each grade into its numeric equivalent using the chart below. A+ = 4.33. A. = 4.00. A- = 3.67. B+ = 3.33. B. = 3.00. B- = ...
- Multiply each class grade by the number of credits earned. For example: 3.0 (grade) x 4.0 (credits) = 12.
- Divide this number by total credits attempted. This is your GPA.
How to calculate for GPA? ›
Calculate GPA
- Multiply the point value of the letter grade (see values below) by the number of credit hours (credits, units). ...
- Total the quality points for all terms.
- Total the credit hours for all terms.
- Divide the total quality points for all terms by the total credit hours for all terms.
What is my GPA if my average is 93? ›
Convert Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale
Percent Grade | 4.0 Scale |
---|
97-100 | 4.0 |
93-96 | 4.0 |
90-92 | 3.7 |
87-89 | 3.3 |
8 more rows
What is my GPA if I have all A+ grades? ›
To convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale:
Letter Grade | Percent Grade | 4.0 Scale |
---|
A+ | 97-100 | 4.0 |
A | 93-96 | 4.0 |
A- | 90-92 | 3.7 |
B+ | 87-89 | 3.3 |
8 more rows
What formula do I use to calculate GPA? ›
To determine the total grade points earned per semester, determine the points for each class and add them together for the total grade points that semester. To determine your grade point average, divide the total grade points by the total credit hours under consideration.
How to calculate average? ›
Average This is the arithmetic mean, and is calculated by adding a group of numbers and then dividing by the count of those numbers. For example, the average of 2, 3, 3, 5, 7, and 10 is 30 divided by 6, which is 5.
What is the average GPA? ›
Average GPA Statistics & Facts
The average high school GPA is around 3.00, or a B average. Unless you're in a notoriously difficult major in college, anything below a 3.5 GPA is less likely to be regarded positively by potential employers. GPA plays a key role in college admissions.
How to calculate grade average? ›
Your cumulative GPA is calculated by adding up the total number of grade points for every class you have taken that has a grade included in your GPA and dividing it by the total number of credits for those classes.
How to calculate class average? ›
To find the average we need to find the sum of the marks and divide it by the number of subjects. Here we have four subjects, Maths, Science, Social Studies, and English. Summing up all the scores we have 70 + 60 + 80 + 50 = 260. The average mark is equal to the sum of the scores divided by the number of subjects.
The answer is No. The national average for a GPA is around 3.0 and a 2.0 GPA puts you below that average. A 2.0 GPA means that you've gotten only C-s and D+s in your high school classes so far. Since this GPA is significantly below a 2.0, it will make things very difficult for you in the college application process.
Is 3.0 GPA good? ›
A 3.0 GPA implies performing well in all classes, and that's a great place to start the college application process. Admissions officers from many schools will see that GPA and recognize that it meets their criteria for enrollment. Keep practicing the study habits that led to a 3.0 GPA in the first place.
What GPA is all C's? ›
What will an F do to a 4.0 GPA? ›
On a 4.0 scale, an A equals 4.0, a B equals 3.0, a C equals 2.0, a D equals 1.0, and an F equals 0.0. However, some high schools report student GPAs on a 5.0 scale instead. When schools use a 5.0 scale, a 4.5 GPA on a 5.0 scale is the equivalent of a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
How to figure out your GPA? ›
Add up your grade points for each class. Then divide the sum by the total number of credits earned in those courses.
How do you calculate GPA on a 4.0 scale? ›
Steps for calculating your GPA on a 4.0 scale
For each individual course, multiply the number of credits by the unweighted GPA earned. For example, for AP English you would multiple 3 (credits) x 3.3 (unweighted GPA points earned). With Health, you would multiply 1 (credits) x 4.0 (unweighted GPA).
How do you calculate GPA from overall percentage? ›
Since the percentage score is out of 100, you must fit 4 points into the total, which means you must divide 100 by 4, giving you 25 points for every one GPA. To calculate your GPA, divide the percentage you obtained by 100, then multiply the result by four.
How do you calculate your overall grade? ›
Add up the total amount of points earned, and add the total points possible. Divide total points earned by total points possible and multiply by 100 to find your final percentage and grade.
What is a 3.9 GPA on a 5.0 scale? ›
GPA Conversion Table
4.0 Scale | 4.3 Scale | 5.0 Scale |
---|
3.80 ~ 3.83 | 4.08 ~ 4.11 | 4.73 ~ 4.78 |
3.75 ~ 3.79 | 4.03 ~ 4.07 | 4.68 ~ 4.72 |
3.71 ~ 3.74 | 3.98 ~ 4.02 | 4.62 ~ 4.67 |
3.67 ~ 3.70 | 3.93 ~ 3.97 | 4.57 ~ 4.61 |
17 more rows