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Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA)

Grading System

Please refer to the Grading System area of the Academic Standards as shown in the online Academic Catalog.

Calculating the Grade Point Average

Southwest, at the end of each semester, calculates each student's term and cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). The GPA is calculated by dividing the total quality points earned by the total quality hours attempted.

Quality points are calculated by multiplying the course credit hours times the quality point value of the letter grade assigned for the course (Example: History is a 3 credit hour course. If the student earns a "B" grade, the total quality points earned for the course is 3 x 3 = 9).

The transcript will include the following:

  • a quality point average for college level courses only
  • a quality point average with a combination of college level, remedial and developmental courses

Only college level GPA will be used for graduation and for determining term and graduation honors. The combined GPA will be used for determining suspension and probation, financial aid eligibility and athletic eligibility.

Repeated Course

A student may automatically repeat any course for which an "A" or "B" grade was not earned. If the grade of "A" or "B" was earned in a course, permission from the Department chairperson is needed to repeat the course; or repeating the course must be required for entry into one of the college's academic programs.

The GPA will be calculated using the last grade assigned to the repeated course (even if the last grade is lower than the previous grade) and the attempted credit hours will be counted only once for the course with one exception. If the course is repeated three times, the third grade and each subsequent grade and credit hours for the third and each subsequent attempt will be used in calculating the Grade Point Average.

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