Why your LSAC GPA can differ from your transcript
When you apply to law school, LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service collects every transcript from every college you attended before your first bachelor’s degree and recalculates one cumulative GPA on a standard 4.33-point scale. Law schools report that number, not your college’s, so it is the one that matters for admissions. The main differences:
- A+ is worth 4.33, not 4.0. A- is 3.67, B+ 3.33, and so on. Schools that give A+ grades see LSAC GPAs above their transcript GPAs.
- Every attempt of a repeated course counts, as long as both grades and credits appear on the transcript. Grade forgiveness at your college does not carry over.
- Withdrawals (W, WP) and incompletes are left out only when your school treats them as nonpunitive. Grades that mean failure, such as NC, WF, U or F, are converted to 0.0.
- Pass grades from one- and two-grade systems (P, CR) are not converted. Their credits are listed separately as unconverted hours.
- Quarter hours are multiplied by 0.67 to become semester hours; trimester hours count as semester hours.
- Every school counts. Community college, summer school and study-abroad courses on a U.S. or Canadian transcript are included. Courses taken after your first bachelor’s degree are not.
LSAC has announced that starting with the 2027–2028 application cycle, college courses taken while in high school, including dual enrollment, will be excluded from the LSAC GPA. Leave those out if you are applying in that cycle or later.
The formula
LSAC GPA = Σ (LSAC grade points × semester hours) ÷ Σ semester hours of converted grades
| Grade | LSAC | Grade | LSAC | Grade | LSAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.33 | B | 3.00 | C- | 1.67 |
| A | 4.00 | B- | 2.67 | D+ | 1.33 |
| A- | 3.67 | BC | 2.50 | D | 1.00 |
| AB | 3.50 | C+ | 2.33 | D- | 0.67 |
| B+ | 3.33 | C | 2.00 | F | 0.00 |
Worked example
The courses pre-filled in the calculator show the effect. Priya’s college counts A+ as 4.0 and replaces retaken grades. Her transcript shows A+ in philosophy, A in the retaken statistics course (the earlier C is forgiven), B+ in a 4-credit history class and a pass in ceramics: (12 + 12 + 13.2) ÷ 10 = 3.72.
LSAC counts the A+ as 4.33 (+0.99 quality points), adds back the 3-credit C (6.00 points over 3 more hours), uses 3.33 for the B+, and leaves the pass unconverted: (12.99 + 6.00 + 12.00 + 13.32) ÷ 13 = 3.41. The forgiven C costs her more than the A+ gains her.
Tips for law school applicants
- Request every transcript early. LSAC needs one from each institution, including a single summer course at a community college.
- Check your academic summary report. LSAC lets you review its calculation. If a grade is converted wrongly, contact LSAC with your school’s transcript legend.
- Use the addendum wisely. If a hard semester or a retaken course explains a dip, a short, factual GPA addendum can give context. An upward trend in later years also helps.
- Compare with medians. Each law school’s ABA Standard 509 report lists the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile GPA of its entering class. That is where the LSAC GPA is used.
Questions students ask
Does LSAC count A+ as 4.33?
Yes. LSAC converts an A+ to 4.33 regardless of how your college counts it, as long as the A+ appears on your transcript.
Does LSAC include retaken courses?
Yes. All grades and credits for repeated courses are included when both attempts appear on the transcript, even if your school replaced the first grade.
Do pass/fail classes count in the LSAC GPA?
A pass from a one- or two-grade system is not converted and does not affect the GPA. A failing grade in such a course (F, NC, U) generally converts to 0.0.
Are graduate courses included?
No. Courses taken after your first bachelor’s degree, including graduate and professional work, are not part of the LSAC GPA, though law schools see those transcripts.
Does LSAC round the GPA?
LSAC reports GPA to two decimal places. Enter your courses exactly and compare to two decimals.
Sources
Checked: November 2026
Results are estimates for planning. Your school, college or testing organization calculates your official numbers. UpMyGPA is not affiliated with College Board, ACT, LSAC or the AAMC.