How Your Nursing GPA is Calculated

Understanding Quality Points, Weighted Averages, and NursingCAS Standards.

1. The Standard Grade Scale

Most nursing programs and NursingCAS use a 4.0 scale. It is important to note that "Minus" and "Plus" grades carry different weights than whole letter grades.

Letter Grade	Point Value	Example (4 Credit Class)
A	4.0	16.0 Points
A-	3.7	14.8 Points
B+	3.3	13.2 Points
B	3.0	12.0 Points
B-	2.7	10.8 Points
C+	2.3	9.2 Points
C	2.0	8.0 Points
F	0.0	0.0 Points

2. The Weighted Formula

GPA is a weighted average. A 4-credit science course impacts your GPA more than a 1-credit elective. The math works by dividing your total Quality Points by your total attempted Credit Hours.

The Mathematical Formula:

$$GPA = \frac{\sum (\text{Grade Points} \times \text{Credits})}{\sum \text{Total Credits}}$$

3. How Retakes (Repeats) Work

One of the most frequent questions from applicants is: "Does my new grade replace my old one?"

For almost all nursing programs using NursingCAS, the answer is No. They use Grade Averaging. If you took Chemistry and earned a D, then retook it and earned an A, both grades will remain on your application and both will be averaged into your GPA.

Pro Tip: When using our calculator, enter every attempt at a course as a separate row to get an accurate NursingCAS estimate.

4. The Three "Buckets" of GPA

Admissions committees look at your performance in specific groups:

Science GPA: The "Big Four" (Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Chemistry).
Prerequisite GPA: The Science core + Statistics, English, Psychology, etc.
Cumulative GPA: Every single credit you have earned in college history.

5. The "C" Grade Rule

Most nursing schools have a strict policy: Prerequisite grades must be a C (2.0) or higher. Even if your overall GPA is a 3.5, if you have a C- or a D in Anatomy, most schools will consider that requirement "not met" until you retake the course and earn a C or better.

Nursing vs. Pre-Med: GPA Calculation Comparison

Feature	Pre-Nursing (NursingCAS)	Pre-Med (AMCAS)
Math Included?	Rarely (Usually a General Prereq)	Yes (Part of BCPM)
Retakes?	Averaged	Averaged
Primary Focus	Science & Core Prereqs	BCPM (Hard Sciences)