What is a Good GPA in College and High School? Good vs Average GPA

What is a good GPA in College? What is a good GPA in High School? See what is considered a good GPA and what is considered an average GPA score in High School and in College, and learn what GPA is required for Harvard or Ivy League schools.

Use our Letter grade to GPA conversion chart below to convert your letter grade to GPA. We have also included a more detailed GPA Scale Conversion Chart here.  That page also includes a FAQ, and the official Harvard GPA Admission Scale. For more on the Average College GPA visit this page, or scroll down.

What is a Good GPA in High School?

A GPA score between 3.5 and 4.0 GPA is considered a good GPA in High School. A 3.9 GPA in High School is considered an excellent GPA score.

For more competitive colleges, a “good” GPA is typically above 3.5, and for highly selective schools and Ivy League schools, a GPA of 3.8 to 4.0 and above (weighted) is often required to be competitive. Most colleges will consider applications with a GPA of 3.3 and above.

Weighted vs. Unweighted: Weighted GPAs take into account the difficulty of the courses (honors, AP, IB), and can exceed 4.0. An unweighted GPA is measured on a scale up to 4.0 and does not account for course rigor. For this reason, the most selective US universities prefer the ‘weighted’ GPA system, which provides a more accurate depiction of the standard achieved across a selection of students, and is measured on a 5-point scale (5.0 GPA Scale).

Colleges often consider the context of your high school environment. They might also look at your class rank, the rigor of your coursework, and other achievements. A ‘good’ GPA in High School also depends on what kind of college, you’re interested in. Most colleges require high grades in core subjects like math, science, English, and social studies. Competitive schools also often like to see strong performances in advanced courses if they are available at your school.

What is an Average High School GPA?

The average GPA score in High School is now 3.39 GPA (2021), up from a 3.06 GPA in 2009 (Unadjusted). Some call this phenomenon ‘Grade Inflation’. The chart below for ACT.org show the average/mean High School compared to the Composite Act Score, which measures core courses, such as math, English and science.

The positive growth in the average High School GPA can be down to several factors:

• Parents being more assertive.
• Growth in other courses that are not core courses (such as health, drama, physical education courses etc).
• Elimination of penalties for late work, and schools allowing repeated re-tests.
• Or, simply because students are getting smarter, and teachers and programs are getting better.

The numbers below are from NCES in 2009, and though they are a outdated, they do show markedly differences in GPA averages in core courses (English, Math etc) vs ‘other courses’.

• Overall High School GPA average: 3.06
• Average in core academic courses (math, science, English, and social studies): 2.79
• Average in other academic courses (foreign language and other academic courses not in the core curriculum): 3.14
• Average in other courses (physical education, cooking, health): 3.39

This shows that the national overall average GPA is 3.06 in 2009, but also that the average GPA in core subjects is lower, GPA 2.79, meaning the average is brought up to 3.06 by the grades that High School students receive in other courses, which are not part of the core curriculum.

The core curriculum in the NCES data from 2009 consists of math, science, English, plus social studies courses. The average GPAs in 2009 for these different types of courses were:

• Math: 2.65 GPA
• Science: 2.70 GPA
• English: 2.85 GPA
• Social studies: 2.89 GPA

Average High School GPA by Gender and Ethnicity.

NCES also provided statistics on the average high school GPA, distributed on gender and ethnicity. Be aware , that again, the NCES data are from 2009:

Average High School GPA By Gender:

• Males: 2.90
• Females: 3.10

Average High Scool GPA By Ethnicity:

• Asian/Pacific Islander: 3.26
• White: 3.09
• Hispanic: 2.84
• Black: 2.69

What is a Good GPA in College?

In college, GPA expectations can vary more significantly compared to high school due to differences in grading policies, academic rigor, and field of study. This is generally what is considered an average College GPA, and a good GPA in College:

A Good College GPA:

• General Benchmark: A GPA of 3.0 or higher is generally considered good in most college programs.
• Highly Competitive: For more competitive scenarios, like applying to graduate school, fellowships, or certain internships, a GPA of 3.5 or higher is desirable.
• Honors and Recognition: Students looking to graduate with honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude) often need a GPA in the range of 3.5 to 3.9 and above, depending on the institution’s specific requirements.

An Average College GPA:

• Overall: The average GPA at many colleges typically falls between 3.0 and 3.30. However, this can vary widely by institution and by major. For example, STEM majors might have slightly lower averages due to the rigorous nature of the coursework, while humanities and social science majors might see higher averages. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is considered good in most college environments and and is sufficient for many entry-level jobs and internship opportunities post-graduation. A recent study by NCES showed a national median average College GPA of 3.28.
• Competitive Scenarios: For more competitive post-graduate opportunities, such as certain internships, corporate positions, and graduate school applications, a GPA of 3.5 or higher is often desirable.
• Graduate School: Specific graduate programs, especially in highly competitive fields like medicine, law, or top-tier business schools, may require even higher GPAs for consideration, often around 3.7 or above.

Generally, students who had a high GPA in High School, might struggle to keep up these scores in college, as the standard is higher in college. It is not unusual to have a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA in high school, and then score in the 3.0 range, once in college.

For most internships or jobs listings, companies rarely ask for above 3.0 GPA out of college, though some top jobs in the finance industry, for example, will ask for a 3.30 GPA or higher. For post-graduate medical schools, you will need to score 3.5 GPA or higher in college.

For more on the Average College GPA visit this page, or scroll down.

What is a Good GPA for Harvard and Ivy School Admissions?

For admissions to highly prestigious institutions like Harvard and other Ivy League schools, the academic expectations are exceedingly high. Here’s what you might need to aim for if you’re considering applying to these schools:

GPA Requirements:

• Minimum Standard: While there is no official minimum GPA for Ivy League schools, in practice, a competitive applicant typically has a GPA of 3.8 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
• Highly Competitive: Most successful applicants to schools like Harvard have near-perfect or perfect unweighted GPAs of 4.0. This means mostly or all A’s in the most challenging courses available, such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or honors classes.

Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA:

• Unweighted GPA: This is calculated on a scale up to 4.0 and does not account for the difficulty of courses. Ivies typically look for high unweighted GPAs.
• Weighted GPA: This can exceed 4.0 due to extra points for advanced courses. While a high weighted GPA shows course rigor, a strong unweighted GPA is crucial.

Course Rigor: Ivy League schools don’t just look at the GPA in isolation; the rigor of the coursework is equally important. They prefer students who have taken the most challenging curricula offered by their high schools.

Holistic Review: These schools employ a holistic review process, meaning they consider the entire application, including extracurricular activities, leadership roles, essays, recommendation letters, and standardized test scores (SAT or ACT), alongside GPA.

Standardized Test Scores: SAT/ACT: While some Ivy Schools have adopted test-optional policies, and high standardized test scores can complement a high GPA and strengthen an application.

We have added the complete, official Harvard GPA Admission Scoring Chart at our GPA Conversion Chart page.

Below, we have added a chart of the average GPA needed for successful applicants, for Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Columbia, and other Ivy League schools:

Convert your High School Letter Grade to GPA (Grade Point Average).

If you only have your Letter Grade, or your GPA, you can use the Letter Grade to GPA Scale and GPA Scale to Letter Grade Conversion Table below, to find your GPA or Letter Grade equivalent.