How to Calculate Your Class Grade
Last updated: October 11, 2026
Your class grade is the share of the available points you have earned so far. This guide shows how it is worked out, with an example you can check by hand.
Points-based grading
Add up every point you earned, add up every point that was possible, divide earned by possible, and multiply by 100. Only count assignments that have been graded.
Class grade = points earned ÷ points possible × 100
Example: you scored 18 out of 20, 45 out of 50 and 88 out of 100.
- Points earned: 18 + 45 + 88 = 151
- Points possible: 20 + 50 + 100 = 170
- 151 ÷ 170 = 0.888, so your grade is 88.8%
Do not average the percentages
Bigger assignments are worth more points, so averaging percentages gives the wrong answer. In the example above the percentages are 90%, 90% and 88%, which average to 89.3%. The correct grade is 88.8%, because the 100-point assignment counts for more than the other two.
If your class uses weighted categories
Some classes give each category, such as homework or exams, a set share of the grade. That uses a different method. See how to calculate a weighted grade.
Things that can change the result
- Ungraded assignments. They are not counted until a score is entered, so your grade can move a lot when a large assignment is graded.
- Zeros. A missing assignment scored as zero counts as 0 points earned out of the points possible.
- Dropped scores. If your syllabus drops the lowest quiz, leave that score out before you calculate.
- Extra credit. It usually adds to the points you earned without adding to the points possible. Check your syllabus.
- Rounding. Teachers round differently, so your syllabus is the final word on cutoffs like 89.5%.
Skip the math
Paste your gradebook into Grade Calculator and the table fills in on its own. Change any score, or add an upcoming assignment, to see your class grade update.