Semester GPA summarizes eligible courses from one academic term. Cumulative GPA combines eligible courses across terms. The arithmetic is the same: add quality points, then divide by the credits included in that calculation. The course list is what changes.
Choose the right course list
| Question | Semester GPA | Cumulative GPA |
|---|---|---|
| Which period? | One term | All included terms through the reporting date |
| Which courses? | Courses eligible for that term’s GPA | Courses eligible under the cumulative GPA policy |
| Do earlier terms contribute? | No | Yes, unless a policy excludes particular work |
| Do transfers and repeats count? | Check the applicable rules | Check the applicable rules; do not infer them from the word cumulative |
The University of Maryland Registrar distinguishes term and cumulative calculations and excludes undergraduate marks such as P and W from GPA. It also identifies repeats and certain course levels as possible exceptions. This is a named institutional example, not a rule for every university.
Check exclusions before doing the arithmetic
Use the transcript’s GPA-bearing credits, which may differ from earned or degree-applicable credits. For example, an earned F can contribute attempted credits and zero quality points; an excluded pass/fail mark may contribute neither to GPA.
- Repeated courses: if policy excludes an attempt, remove both its points and its GPA-bearing credits. See the repeat-course policy guide.
- Transfer work: confirm whether grades enter the receiving institution’s GPA or only credits transfer. See the transfer GPA guide.
- Major GPA: this is a separate course subset. Do not substitute it for cumulative GPA unless the form asks for it.
Every quality-point contribution needs its matching GPA-bearing credits. Removing a repeated grade’s points while keeping its credits lowers the average incorrectly.
A short worked example
Suppose a student's first two semesters look like this:
| Semester | Credits | Semester GPA | Semester Quality Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | 3.20 | 44.8 |
| 2 | 16 | 2.70 | 43.2 |
Semester 2 GPA is simply 43.2 ÷ 16 = 2.70 — it only looks at semester 2's own 16 credits and 43.2 quality points, with no reference to semester 1 at all.
Cumulative GPA after semester 2 blends both terms together: (44.8 + 43.2) ÷ (14 + 16) = 88.0 ÷ 30 = 2.93.
Notice the cumulative figure (2.93) sits between the two semester GPAs (3.20 and 2.70), pulled toward whichever term carried more credit hours — semester 2's 16 credits outweigh semester 1's 14, so the cumulative GPA lands slightly closer to semester 2's 2.70 than to semester 1's 3.20. (For a longer, multi-semester version of this same math, see our full GPA vs CGPA guide.)
Why the distinction actually matters
Read the exact requirement before comparing your result. A term award may specify semester GPA; a standing or graduation rule may specify cumulative GPA. An application may ask for a major, recent-credit, or recalculated GPA instead. Use the scope and rounding rule it names.
A strong new term can improve your cumulative result without lifting it above a required threshold. Use the CGPA Calculator to enter the included courses and compare a target, keeping planned results separate from earned grades.
When the two numbers can match
They can match even when earlier terms differed. Consider three equal-credit terms with GPAs of 2.0, 4.0 and 3.0. After two terms the cumulative GPA is 3.0. Adding the third term leaves it at 3.0, equal to that term’s GPA.
With unchanged inclusion rules, the new cumulative average equals the current term’s average when the prior cumulative average already equals it. Matching rounded displays are weaker evidence: two different underlying averages may both display as 3.00.
Try it yourself
Our GPA Calculator computes a single term's GPA from that term's courses alone, and our CGPA Calculator builds a running cumulative total across as many semesters as you add — both calculated privately in your browser, with no account required.
