A good GPA is one above the average for where you are. In high school that means above 3.11, and a 3.5 or higher matches nearly half of college starters who took the SAT or ACT. In college, anything above 3.30 puts you in the top half of graduates, and 3.62 or higher in the top quarter.
- Average high school GPA
- 3.11
- National transcript study
- College starters with a 3.5+
- 49%
- Took the SAT or ACT
- Median college GPA
- 3.30
- Half of graduates finish above it
- Top 10% in college
- 3.85+
- Top 25%: 3.62+
On this page · 6 sections
What is a good GPA in high school?
A good high school GPA is above the national average of 3.11. If you’re applying to college, though, a better yardstick is the students you’ll be applying alongside, and their averages run higher.
- High school average3.11
- Admit 75% or more3.46, typical average at colleges that admit 75% or more
- Admit 50–74%3.58, typical average at colleges that admit 50–74%
- Admit 25–49%3.76, typical average at colleges that admit 25–49%
- Admit 10–24%3.85, typical average at colleges that admit 10–24%
- Admit under 10%3.92, typical average at colleges that admit under 10%
Among the colleges we track, those that admit 75% or more of applicants report a typical average of 3.46; at those that admit under 10%, it’s 3.92. So a 3.5 matches the typical average at less selective colleges but sits below it at every more selective group.
Tip
Aim near a college’s own average rather than its minimum. Half of its students came in below that number, so the rest of your application still counts. Every college page shows the school’s figure.
College grades work on their own curve, so the bar moves once you get there.
What is a good GPA in college?
A good college GPA is above 3.30, the median for graduates. A 3.62 puts you in the top quarter, and 3.85 or higher in the top 10%.
- 10th percentile2.60
- 25th percentile2.97
- Median3.30
- 75th percentile3.62
- 90th percentile3.85
Your field shifts this a little: education graduates averaged 3.44 and general studies graduates 3.05. Check where your GPA ranks in your major.
Is my GPA good?
Type your unweighted GPA to check it against high school and college benchmarks together.
Where your GPA stands
Enter a GPA from 0.00 to 4.00.
A 3.40 is at or above 2 of these 6 national GPA marks. For colleges, the mark is the typical average GPA of their new students, on a 4.0 scale.
- High school average3.11, you meet it
- Middle college graduate3.30, you meet it
- Colleges that admit 75%+3.46, above your GPA
- Colleges that admit 50–74%3.58, above your GPA
- Top 10% of college graduates3.85, above your GPA
- Colleges that admit under 10%3.92, above your GPA
- New college students in this range
- 31%
- had a high school GPA of 3.0–3.4, among students who took the SAT or ACT.
- College graduates with a lower GPA
- About 58%
- Estimated from bachelor's graduates in the latest federal data.
Data: NAEP High School Transcript Study; NCES Beginning Postsecondary Students 2020/22 and Baccalaureate and Beyond 2016/20; colleges' Common Data Sets (243 colleges).
Or find your GPA in the table. Each one links to its own page with its letter grade and colleges in range.
| GPA | Vs the 3.11 high school average | Most selective colleges whose typical average it meets | Rank among college graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | +0.89 | Colleges that admit under 10% | Top 10% |
| 3.8 | +0.69 | Colleges that admit 25–49% | About 87th percentile |
| 3.7 | +0.59 | Colleges that admit 50–74% | About 80th percentile |
| 3.5 | +0.39 | Colleges that admit 75% or more | About 66th percentile |
| 3.3 | +0.19 | Below every group | About 50th percentile |
| 3.0 | −0.11 | Below every group | About 27th percentile |
| 2.7 | −0.41 | Below every group | About 14th percentile |
| 2.5 | −0.61 | Below every group | Bottom 10% |
| 2.0 | −1.11 | Below every group | Bottom 10% |
What GPA you need for colleges, sports and jobs
For some goals, good means clearing a published minimum. For others, it means matching the people who get in.
| Goal | What the benchmark is | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Highly selective colleges | Typical first-year average of 3.92 where under 10% are admitted, 3.85 where 10–24% are | Find colleges by GPA |
| Less selective colleges | Typical first-year average of 3.46 where 75% or more are admitted | Check a college’s average |
| NCAA Division I sports | At least a 2.3 GPA in 16 NCAA-approved core courses (2.2 for Division II) | Scholarships by GPA |
| Federal jobs at GS-7 | A 3.0 overall or a 3.5 in your major is one way to qualify, with GPAs rounded to one decimal | College GPA calculator |
| First jobs | 42% of employers in NACE’s Job Outlook 2026 survey screen candidates by GPA, down from 73% in 2019 | Check your college GPA |
| Medical and law school | Application services recalculate your GPA from every transcript; medical schools also see a separate science GPA | Medical school GPA calculator |
Warning
A minimum makes you eligible, not competitive. Colleges, coaches and employers weigh far more than GPA, so treat these numbers as floors.
Which version of your GPA you compare matters as much as the number itself.
Weighted or unweighted: which GPA to compare
Compare your unweighted GPA with national figures. Many high schools add extra points for honors, AP and IB classes, which can lift a weighted GPA past 4.0, while the national averages count every A as 4.
Save your weighted GPA for numbers a college says are weighted. Colleges’ own averages often don’t say, and only a weighted scale can produce one above 4.0. The weighted GPA calculator works out both from your classes.
Why the same GPA can mean different things
A GPA is read in context, so the same 3.4 can look stronger or weaker depending on:
- Your classes. Colleges see the courses behind the number, and the rigor of your record is a separate item in each college’s Common Data Set.
- Your major. Average graduate GPAs differ by up to 0.39 points across fields.
- Your trend. Grades that rise in later semesters tell a better story than the same GPA falling.
- Who recalculates it. Medical, law and other application services use their own rules and can count repeated courses your college replaced.
Wherever you stand, the next semester can still move your GPA. The raise GPA calculator shows the grades you’d need to reach a target.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 3.0 GPA good?
It’s solid but not above average. A 3.0 sits just under the 3.11 high school average and around the 27th percentile of college graduates. It does meet the overall-GPA route into GS-7 federal jobs.
Is a 3.5 GPA good?
Yes. In high school it’s well above the 3.11 average and matches the typical average at colleges that admit 75% or more of applicants. In college it’s around the 66th percentile of graduates.
Is a 2.5 GPA good?
It’s below average in both settings: under the 3.11 high school average, and in the bottom 10% of college graduates. A 2.5 in NCAA core courses still clears the Division I and II minimums for athletes.
Is a 4.0 GPA good?
It’s the top of the unweighted scale. In college you don’t need a perfect record to stand out: graduates at 3.85 or above are already in the top 10%.
Does a good GPA depend on your major?
Somewhat. Average graduate GPAs run from 3.05 in general studies to 3.44 in education, so the same GPA ranks a little differently from one field to the next.
Sources
- 2019 NAEP High School Transcript Study resultsNational Assessment Governing Board
- Common Data Set InitiativeCommon Data Set Initiative
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System: AdmissionsNational Center for Education Statistics
- Beginning Postsecondary Students 2020/22 (DataLab)National Center for Education Statistics
- Baccalaureate and Beyond 2016/2020 (DataLab)National Center for Education Statistics
- Division I initial eligibility requirementsNCAA Eligibility Center
- Division II initial eligibility requirementsNCAA Eligibility Center
- General Schedule qualification policies: Superior Academic AchievementU.S. Office of Personnel Management
- Employer use of skills-based hiring practices grows (Job Outlook 2026)National Association of Colleges and Employers
- Grades factored into AMCAS GPA calculationsAssociation of American Medical Colleges
- Transcript summarizationLaw School Admission Council
- How GPA is calculated in the High School Transcript StudyNational Center for Education Statistics