CASPA Last 60 Credits GPA
PA schools use your most recent 60 credits to forgive a bad freshman year. See if your upward trend is strong enough for an interview.
Chronological Semesters
Start with your most recent semester at the top.
Most Recent
Excluded (Past 60 Credits)
Last 60 GPA
3.70
Calculated using exactly 60 recent credits.
Overall Cumulative GPA3.54
Upward Trend!+0.16
The Over-60 Rule
Notice that your total calculated credits might be 65 or 73. PA schools do not split semesters. They must take the entire semester that pushes you over the 60-credit threshold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does CASPA calculate last 60 credits?
Yes. While CASPA calculates your overall cumulative GPA, many individual Physician Assistant (PA) programs explicitly recalculate your GPA using only your most recent 60 semester credits. This allows admissions committees to forgive a poor freshman year and reward students who show a strong upward trend.
What if my last semester pushes me over 60 credits?
Admissions committees do not split semesters. If you are at 55 credits, and you add a 15-credit semester, they must take the ENTIRE semester. This means your 'Last 60 Credits' calculation will actually be based on 70 credits. They stop going backward only *after* the 60-credit threshold has been crossed.
How do I calculate my last 60 credits for PA school?
Start with your absolute most recent semester (including post-bacc or grad courses) and work backward chronologically. Add the total quality points (GPA x Credits) and total credits for each term. Stop ONLY when your running total of credits hits or exceeds 60. Divide the total points by the total credits.
Why do PA schools look at the last 60 credit hours?
PA programs are incredibly rigorous. A student who had a 2.5 GPA as a freshman but matured and earned a 3.9 GPA in upper-level sciences as a senior is highly capable. The 'Last 60 Credits' rule allows schools to identify students who possess the current academic rigor required for PA school, despite past mistakes.