College graduates average a 3.26 GPA, and majors differ less than you might expect: averages run from 3.05 in general studies to 3.44 in education, a gap of 0.39 points. Education, mathematics and health care have the highest averages.
- All majors
- 3.26
- Average at graduation
- Highest average
- 3.44
- Education
- Lowest average
- 3.05
- General studies
- Gap, highest to lowest
- 0.39
- Points on a 4.0 scale
On this page · 6 sections
Average college GPA by major
Education, mathematics and health care graduates finish with the highest GPAs, and general studies graduates with the lowest. 17 of the 22 fields sit within a tenth of a point of the 3.26 average for all majors.
- Education3.44
- Mathematics3.42
- Health care3.39
- Humanities3.35
- Public administration and social work3.30
- Biological and physical sciences3.29
- Architecture*3.28 (small sample)
- Computer and information sciences3.26
- Design and applied arts3.26
- Personal and consumer services3.24
- Theology*3.23 (small sample)
- Psychology3.23
- Engineering3.21
- Agriculture and natural resources3.21
- History3.21
- Business3.20
- Communications3.20
- Social sciences3.18
- Criminal justice, military and protective services3.18
- Legal studies*3.18 (small sample)
- Construction and transportation†3.06 (unreliable)
- General studies3.05
Note
A higher average doesn’t mean a field is easier. Majors differ in grading customs, class sizes and who chooses them, and these averages can’t separate those.
An average is only the middle of a wide spread, though.
GPA ranges by major
Every field has a wide range inside it. Find your major below, or sort any column, to see its median, its middle 50% and where the top 10% start.
No field in the table matches that. Try a broader word, like “science”.
| Field | Average | Median | Middle 50% | Top 10% at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EducationElementary, secondary and special education | 3.44 | 3.50 | 3.20–3.76 | 3.90 |
| MathematicsMath and applied math | 3.42 | 3.50 | 3.10–3.71 | 3.90 |
| Health careNursing, health sciences and public health | 3.39 | 3.45 | 3.10–3.70 | 3.90 |
| HumanitiesEnglish, foreign languages and philosophy | 3.35 | 3.40 | 3.10–3.70 | 3.90 |
| Public administration and social workSocial work and public policy | 3.30 | 3.40 | 3.00–3.70 | 3.90 |
| Biological and physical sciencesBiology, chemistry, physics and geology | 3.29 | 3.36 | 3.00–3.65 | 3.86 |
| Architecture *Architecture and urban planning | 3.28 | 3.40 | 3.06–3.48 | 3.70 |
| Computer and information sciencesComputer science, IT and cybersecurity | 3.26 | 3.30 | 2.90–3.66 | 3.90 |
| Design and applied artsGraphic, interior and fashion design | 3.26 | 3.40 | 3.00–3.60 | 3.80 |
| Personal and consumer servicesCulinary arts, recreation and fitness studies | 3.24 | 3.27 | 3.00–3.50 | 3.77 |
| Theology *Theology and ministry | 3.23 | 3.30 | 2.70–3.80 | 3.90 |
| Psychology | 3.23 | 3.27 | 2.90–3.60 | 3.80 |
| EngineeringMechanical, electrical, civil and engineering technology | 3.21 | 3.24 | 2.90–3.60 | 3.80 |
| Agriculture and natural resourcesAgriculture, forestry and natural resources | 3.21 | 3.25 | 2.90–3.52 | 3.80 |
| History | 3.21 | 3.20 | 2.80–3.69 | 3.87 |
| BusinessAccounting, finance, marketing and management | 3.20 | 3.20 | 2.90–3.60 | 3.81 |
| CommunicationsCommunication, journalism and public relations | 3.20 | 3.26 | 2.90–3.60 | 3.80 |
| Social sciencesEconomics, political science and sociology | 3.18 | 3.21 | 2.83–3.60 | 3.80 |
| Criminal justice, military and protective servicesCriminal justice, homeland security and fire science | 3.18 | 3.20 | 2.81–3.60 | 3.84 |
| Legal studies *Paralegal and pre-law studies | 3.18 | 3.27 | 2.80–3.50 | 3.77 |
| Construction and transportation †Construction management and transportation | 3.06 | — | — | — |
| General studiesLiberal and interdisciplinary studies | 3.05 | 3.03 | 2.60–3.50 | 3.80 |
| All majors | 3.26 | 3.30 | 2.97–3.62 | 3.85 |
Where does your GPA rank in your major?
Pick your field and enter your college GPA for an estimated rank among that field’s graduates.
Where your GPA ranks in your major
Enter a GPA from 0.00 to 4.00.
- Your estimated rank
- About 63rd percentile
- Among business graduates
- Median in this field
- 3.20
- Average 3.20
- Top 10% start at
- 3.81
- Top 25%: 3.60
Estimated between the published percentiles of bachelor's graduates of 2015–16 (NCES). Your college may grade differently.
Do STEM majors have lower GPAs?
Not at graduation. Graduates in STEM fields averaged 3.27, about the same as the 3.26 for all other fields combined. Mathematics (3.42) sits near the top, while engineering (3.21) and computer science (3.26) sit close to the overall average.
STEM here means mathematics, the biological and physical sciences, computer science and engineering.
Public vs private college GPA by major
Graduates of private nonprofit colleges average 3.34 across all majors, against 3.22 at public colleges. The gap isn’t the same in every field.
- Social sciences+0.26: public 3.10, private nonprofit 3.36
- History+0.25: public 3.11, private nonprofit 3.36
- General studies+0.20: public 3.01, private nonprofit 3.21
- Public administration and social work+0.19: public 3.24, private nonprofit 3.43
- Agriculture and natural resources+0.19: public 3.18, private nonprofit 3.37
- Engineering+0.16: public 3.17, private nonprofit 3.33
- Mathematics+0.16: public 3.35, private nonprofit 3.51
- Communications+0.15: public 3.17, private nonprofit 3.32
- Business+0.14: public 3.15, private nonprofit 3.29
- Humanities+0.13: public 3.30, private nonprofit 3.43
- Biological and physical sciences+0.13: public 3.25, private nonprofit 3.38
- Criminal justice, military and protective services+0.10: public 3.14, private nonprofit 3.24
- Psychology+0.08: public 3.20, private nonprofit 3.28
- Computer and information sciences+0.05: public 3.23, private nonprofit 3.28
- Design and applied arts+0.01: public 3.27, private nonprofit 3.28
- Education−0.01: public 3.44, private nonprofit 3.43
- Health care−0.01: public 3.39, private nonprofit 3.38
- Personal and consumer services−0.08: public 3.26, private nonprofit 3.18
Social sciences shows the widest gap, 0.26 points, while in personal and consumer services public graduates average 0.08 points higher.
What major averages mean for you
Use your own field’s numbers when you judge your GPA. A 3.3 is below the median in education but above it in business, and that’s how a professor or adviser in your department will read it.
Outside your department, your GPA usually travels without its context. Grad school application services and many employers see the number first, so compare it with the overall benchmarks too.
For the full picture across high school and college, see what counts as a good GPA.
Frequently asked questions
Which major has the highest GPA?
Education, at 3.44 on average for graduates, followed by mathematics at 3.42 and health care at 3.39.
Which major has the lowest GPA?
General studies, at 3.05. Social sciences, criminal justice and legal studies come next, all at 3.18.
What is the average GPA for business majors?
Business graduates averaged 3.20, with a median of 3.20. The top 10% of business graduates finished at 3.81 or higher.
What is the average GPA for nursing students?
Nursing counts under health care, where graduates averaged 3.39 with a median of 3.45. The national data doesn’t report nursing on its own.
What is the average GPA for engineering majors?
Engineering graduates averaged 3.21, close to the 3.26 for all majors. The middle half finished between 2.90 and 3.60.
Sources
- Baccalaureate and Beyond 2016/2020 (DataLab)National Center for Education Statistics