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grade point average

/greɪd pɔɪnt ˌævərɪdʒ/
/greɪd pɔɪnt ˈævrɪdʒ/
IPA guide

In school, your grade point average is the number you get when you calculate the average of every grade you've received. College admissions departments consider applicants' grade point averages in addition to their essays and test scores.

You can call a grade point average a GPA for short. Schools calculate this number by adding every numerical grade and dividing the total by the number of credits or classes. If your grade point average is 3.5, you should be proud of yourself, you've worked hard to earn As and Bs! This number might feel important if you're a dedicated student or applying to colleges, but in the end it's just a number.

Definitions of grade point average
  1. noun
    a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted
    synonyms: GPA
    see moresee less
    type of:
    criterion, measure, standard, touchstone
    a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
Pronunciation
US
/greɪd pɔɪnt ˌævərɪdʒ/
UK
/greɪd pɔɪnt ˈævrɪdʒ/
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