On a plain unweighted 4.0 scale, four. That answer holds at most institutions and stops holding in two situations: a weighted high-school average that adds points for course difficulty, and a college scale that records an A+ above four. Arizona State prints an A+ at 4.33 and caps the cumulative average at 4.00 anyway.
The unweighted ceiling
Four grade points for the top grade, in every course, produces exactly 4.0 and nothing above it. Most institutions in this index price their top grade at 4.00, whether or not they record an A+ as a distinct letter: Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska and Memphis all print A+ and A at the same value. On those scales the A+ is a note on the transcript rather than extra grade points.
Above four, at a university
Arizona State's published table records an A+ at 4.33 while its own material caps the cumulative average at 4.00. So a single grade can exceed four and the reported average cannot. Reading only the grade table would give the wrong answer about the ceiling, which is why the cap belongs in the same sentence as the value.
Above four, at a high school
A weighted average adds points for course difficulty, typically half a point for honours and a full point for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate, so a transcript of weighted A grades produces a figure above 4.0. How far above depends entirely on what the school weights and by how much, which is why weighted ceilings differ from school to school and cannot be compared.
Questions people ask about what is the highest gpa
What is the highest GPA you can get?
Four on a plain unweighted scale. Higher on a weighted high-school scale, and higher on a college scale that prices an A+ above four, though those usually cap the cumulative average at 4.00.
Can a GPA be above 4.0?
Yes, in two unrelated ways: weighting for course difficulty at high-school level, or a grade scale that records an A+ above four. They are different mechanisms and should not be compared.
Is a 4.0 a perfect GPA?
On an unweighted scale, yes. At an institution recording an A+ above four it is the cap rather than the maximum grade, and on a weighted scale it is well short of what a heavily weighted transcript produces.