Before you decide to retake a college course to raise your GPA, you should consider your college's grading policies. For example, some universities will not replace your old grade with the new grade you earn after you take the class. However, many colleges and universities will replace your old grade with a new, higher grade if you choose to retake the course. Some schools also will not replace a grade if you earned a C or higher in the class the first time. Speak with your academic advisor about your college's specific grading policies before registering to retake a course.
At many colleges and universities, you will be able to retake a course to replace the grade for that course with your new, higher grade so that your GPA will rise. However, many colleges and universities will not take the original course off of your transcript, so any graduate schools or employers that you send applications to will still be able to see your first grade in the course. However, retaking a course to improve your overall GPA shows that you are determined to be successful and are willing to try again when you struggle.
You should think carefully about whether or not retaking a specific course is the best thing for your academic career. If you failed a course that you need as a prerequisite for another course in your program, it will be necessary for you to repeat a course. However, if you earned a B in a course and wish to earn an A, it may not be wise to spend the time, energy and money on retaking the course because there is no guarantee you will earn an A and increase your GPA. You should retake any classes specifically related to your major that you earned a D or F in, as well as those courses that are preventing you from moving on in your program or graduating.
Just because you retake a course does not automatically guarantee that you will increase your GPA. The University of Utah suggests that you consider the reasons why you failed the course in the first place before committing to retake the course. For example, if you failed the course the first time because it was too difficult, consider taking prerequisite courses to get more of a background on the topic before retaking the course. The University of Utah also states that if you found a course to be dull and uninteresting it might not be worth it to retake the course because you might just struggle again. Consider what caused you to struggle in the course the first time and work hard to do better when retaking the class.