Louisiana TOPS Core GPA Calculator
Quick answer: TOPS uses a core GPA from the courses that satisfy the TOPS Core Curriculum, at most 19 units: A = 4 to F = 0, or A = 5, B = 4, C = 3, D = 2 on the designated AP, IB, honors, gifted and dual enrollment courses. A repeated course counts its highest grade, pass/fail and proficiency credit stay out of the GPA, and nothing is rounded up. Opportunity and TOPS Tech need a 2.50, Performance 3.25, Honors and Excellence 3.50, each with its own ACT minimum.
Louisiana TOPS calculator
How the TOPS Core GPA is calculated
LOSFA: the TOPS Core GPA is “calculated on a 4.00 scale using the grades for the courses that were used to satisfy one of the TOPS Core Curriculum, except for certain courses that will use a five (5.00) point scale for grades earned in designated Advanced Placement (AP) courses; International Baccalaureate (IB) courses; Gifted courses; Dual Enrollment courses, Honors courses, and Articulated courses offered for college credit by the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts”. The designated courses are listed at osfa.la.gov/5scale; tick “5.00 scale” only for those.
| Grade | 4.00 scale | 5.00 scale (designated courses) |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | 5 |
| B | 3 | 4 |
| C | 2 | 3 |
| D | 1 | 2 |
| F | 0 | 0 |
- Retakes: “your TOPS Cumulative High School Grade Point Average will be calculated using the highest grade earned in the course.” Tick “Retake” on the later attempt and give it the same course name; the calculator keeps the higher grade.
- Failed courses: “Failed courses cannot be used to complete the core curriculum.”
- Pass/fail and proficiency credit count toward your units but not the GPA.
- More courses than needed: the GPA uses “the courses with the highest grades that satisfy the required core curriculum category”, and “The number of units used in the TOPS Core GPA cannot exceed 19 units.” Enter only the courses you will use for each category of the TOPS core curriculum for your graduating year.
- No rounding: “A 2.499 average is less than 2.50 and may not be rounded up.”
TOPS award levels
| Award | TOPS Core GPA | ACT |
|---|---|---|
| TOPS Tech | 2.50 | 17 |
| Opportunity | 2.50 | 20, or the prior year’s state average if higher |
| Performance | 3.25 | 23 |
| Honors | 3.50 | 27 |
| Excellence (2024-25 graduates onward) | 3.50 | 31 |
Thresholds from R.S. 17:5024 (as amended by Acts 2025, Nos. 347 and 356); the Excellence Award was created by 2025 HB 77 for “students graduating from high school during or after the 2024-2025 school year”. The ACT minimums may be met with a concordant SAT or Classic Learning Test score. Each award also needs the TOPS core curriculum and the other TOPS requirements.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA do I need for TOPS?
Do AP and honors classes count more for TOPS?
If I retake a course, which grade does TOPS use?
Can a 2.499 TOPS GPA round up to 2.50?
Sources
- LOSFA: TOPS High School Cumulative Grade Point Average (2026) — 4.00 / 5.00 scales, highest grade on retakes, pass/fail, 19-unit cap, no rounding
- R.S. 17:5024, Louisiana Revised Statutes — GPA and ACT minimums for each award
- 2025 Regular Session HB 77 (enrolled) — TOPS Excellence Award
- LOSFA: courses on the 5.00 scale — the designated course list
All are official state documents, checked on 2026-10-01.