PA School GPA Calculator (CASPA)

Calculate all four CASPA GPA figures — Overall, Science (BCPM), BCP, and Non-Science — and assess your PA school competitiveness with patient care hours and GRE score.

CASPA calculates four separate GPAs: Overall, Science (BCPM), Non-Science, and BCP (Bio+Chem+Phys only). Enter all courses with their category.

Course NameCategoryGradeCredits

CASPA Overall GPA

3.63

Science (BCPM) GPA

3.52

Science Credits

BCP GPA

3.49

BCP Credits

Non-Science GPA

4.00

Total Credits

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How CASPA Calculates PA School GPAs

The Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) calculates four distinct GPAs for every PA school applicant: Overall GPA, Science GPA (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math), Non-Science GPA, and BCP GPA (Biology, Chemistry, Physics — excluding Math). All four are reported to every PA program you apply to.

The CASPA GPA tab enters all courses with subject categories and computes all four GPA figures simultaneously. Use the Advanced tier below for prerequisite tracking and patient care hours competitiveness. The Professional tier provides full transcript analysis with school-by-school comparison.

Advanced CASPA Classifier & Prereq Checklist All 4 GPAs, patient care tracking & scenario presets

Classify each course by CASPA category to compute all four GPA figures simultaneously.

Course NameCASPA CategoryGradeCredits

Patient Care Hours

Good

CASPA GPA Summary

3.85

Science GPA

3.83

BCP GPA

3.90

Non-Science GPA

4.00

Patient Care Hours

1,500

CASPA GPA Calculation Formula

Overall GPA = Σ(All Grade Points × Credits) ÷ Total Credits
Science GPA = Σ(Science Grade Points × Credits) ÷ Science Credits
BCP GPA = Σ(Bio+Chem+Phys Grade Points × Credits) ÷ BCP Credits
Non-Science GPA = Σ(Non-Science Grade Points × Credits) ÷ Non-Science Credits

Science = Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math
BCP = Biology, Chemistry, Physics (Math excluded)

CASPA counts every attempted course including retakes — no grade replacement. A+ is treated as 4.0 (same as A). Your CASPA GPA may therefore differ from your institutional GPA which may use grade replacement.

PA School GPA and Patient Care Hour Requirements

Average matriculant GPA: Most PA programs report entering class averages of 3.2–3.5
Minimum GPA cutoffs: Many programs set 3.0 overall and 3.0 science as minimums
Patient care hours: Most programs require 1,000–3,000+ hours of direct patient care experience
GRE: Some programs require GRE; competitive scores are typically 150+ Verbal, 150+ Quantitative

Professional Full Transcript Simulator School lookup, analytics & retake impact analysis

Course	Semester	Category	Grade	Cr	Sci	BCP	Retaken
					Y	Y
					Y	Y
					Y	Y
					Y	N
					Y	N
					N	N
					Y	N
					Y	Y

CASPA GPA Breakdown

3.772

Science GPA

3.746

26 cr

BCP GPA

3.780

15 cr

Non-Science GPA

4.000

3 cr

Retaken

all count (CASPA)

Frequently Asked Questions

Most PA programs set a minimum of 3.0 overall and 3.0 science GPA. Competitive programs typically look for 3.2+ in both. However, PA schools take a holistic view — strong patient care experience (2,000+ hours), letters of recommendation, and shadowing hours carry significant weight alongside GPA.

CASPA counts every attempt of every course — including retakes — regardless of your institution's grade replacement policy. It also includes courses from all undergraduate institutions you attended. Your CASPA GPA is typically equal to or slightly lower than your institutional cumulative GPA if your school uses grade replacement.

Direct patient care means hands-on work with patients, not administrative or observational roles. Common qualifying experiences include: EMT/paramedic, medical assistant, CNA, phlebotomist, surgical tech, combat medic, physical therapy aide, and patient care technician. Physician shadowing is separate — it is valuable but does not substitute for hands-on patient care hours.

Overall, MD programs have lower acceptance rates. However, competitive PA programs (Yale, Duke, Northwestern) can be as difficult to enter as mid-tier MD programs. The key difference is that PA programs place much heavier emphasis on patient care experience — an applicant with a 3.2 GPA and 5,000 direct patient care hours may be more competitive at many PA programs than a 3.8 GPA applicant with minimal clinical exposure.

PA School GPA Calculator (CASPA)

How CASPA Calculates PA School GPAs

CASPA GPA Calculation Formula

PA School GPA and Patient Care Hour Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

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