What is a weighted grade?
In most classes, not every assignment counts the same. A syllabus might say homework is 20% of your grade, quizzes 20%, the midterm 25% and the final project 35%. Your overall grade is a weighted average: each category's score is multiplied by how much it counts, then the results are added together.
How to use this calculator
- Add one row for each grading category in your syllabus, such as Homework or Tests.
- Enter your percentage grade in each category.
- Enter how much each category is worth.
- Read your weighted average and the matching letter grade below the table.
You can also add single assignments as rows, for example a 100-point test as weight 100 and a 20-point quiz as weight 20.
The weighted average formula
Multiply each grade by its weight, add those products, then divide by the sum of the weights. Dividing by the total weight means the answer is right even when the weights do not add up to exactly 100.
Worked example
| Category | Grade | Weight | Grade × weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homework | 92% | 20% | 18.4 |
| Quizzes | 85% | 20% | 17.0 |
| Midterm | 78% | 25% | 19.5 |
| Final project | 88% | 35% | 30.8 |
The products add up to 85.7, and the weights add up to 100, so the weighted average is 85.7%, a B on a common US scale. A simple average of the four grades would be 85.75%, which looks close here, but the gap grows when one heavily weighted score is very high or very low.
Checking your grade mid-semester
Partway through the term, only some categories have grades. Enter just those categories with their weights. If homework (20%) and the midterm (25%) are graded, your total weight is 45%, and the calculator shows your current grade on that 45%. To see what you need on the remaining work, try the final grade calculator.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Averaging category averages without weights. A 100% on homework worth 10% does not balance a 60% on a test worth 40%.
- Mixing points and percentages. Use the same kind of weight for every row.
- Forgetting dropped scores. If your teacher drops the lowest quiz, leave it out before working out the quiz category grade.
Last reviewed October 2026.