Find Colleges for Your GPA

Find target, reach, and safety schools based on your GPA, with acceptance rates and test score data for thousands of colleges.

Where your 4.2 fits: Safety, Target or Reach, from each college's reported average GPA and acceptance rate. A guide, not a prediction.
Showing 30 of 3,085 colleges
Colleges that report an average GPA (268) · best fit first
Florida International UniversityMiami, Florida Public, 4-yearFairly easy to get into,55% admitted
Average GPA4.10Weighted, as reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%550–640 R&W520–620 Math
ACT, middle 50%21–27
Your 4.2their average 4.10Target
University of South FloridaTampa, Florida Public, 4-yearModerate to get into,43% admitted
Average GPA4.06Weighted, as reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%580–660 R&W550–660 Math
ACT, middle 50%24–29
Your 4.2their average 4.06Target
University of GeorgiaAthens, Georgia Public, 4-yearModerate to get into,38% admitted
Average GPA4.15Weighted, as reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%640–730 R&W630–750 Math
ACT, middle 50%29–34
Your 4.2their average 4.15Target
University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, Pennsylvania Public, 4-yearFairly easy to get into,58% admitted
Average GPA4.06Weighted, as reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%640–720 R&W640–740 Math
ACT, middle 50%29–33
Your 4.2their average 4.06Target
California Polytechnic State University San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, California Public, 4-yearModerate to get into,31% admitted
Average GPA4.03Weighted, as reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%–
ACT, middle 50%–
Your 4.2their average 4.03Target
Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFort Myers, Florida Public, 4-yearFairly easy to get into,63% admitted
Average GPA4.12Weighted, as reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%530–610 R&W510–590 Math
ACT, middle 50%20–25
Your 4.2their average 4.12Target
Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicago, Illinois Private nonprofit, 4-yearFairly easy to get into,55% admitted
Average GPA4.20Weighted, as reported by the college for 2023⁠–⁠24
SAT, middle 50%590–720 R&W590–720 Math
ACT, middle 50%26–32
Your 4.2their average 4.20Target
Florida Polytechnic UniversityLakeland, Florida Public, 4-yearFairly easy to get into,58% admitted
Average GPA4.20Weighted, as reported by the college for 2023⁠–⁠24
SAT, middle 50%590–670 R&W580–670 Math
ACT, middle 50%24–30
Your 4.2their average 4.20Target
Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,85% admitted
Average GPA3.74As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%590–680 R&W590–680 Math
ACT, middle 50%25–31
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.74Safety
California State University FullertonFullerton, California Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,91% admitted
Average GPA3.43As reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%–
ACT, middle 50%–
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.43Safety
The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,77% admitted
Average GPA3.85As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%590–690 R&W580–710 Math
ACT, middle 50%24–31
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.85Safety
University of Cincinnati Main CampusCincinnati, Ohio Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,85% admitted
Average GPA3.69As reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%570–670 R&W590–700 Math
ACT, middle 50%24–29
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.69Safety
California State University NorthridgeNorthridge, California Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,93% admitted
Average GPA3.33As reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%–
ACT, middle 50%–
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.33Safety
Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, Oregon Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,77% admitted
Average GPA3.70As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%580–700 R&W560–700 Math
ACT, middle 50%24–31
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.70Safety
California State University SacramentoSacramento, California Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,94% admitted
Average GPA3.38As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%–
ACT, middle 50%–
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.38Safety
George Mason UniversityFairfax, Virginia Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,87% admitted
Average GPA3.69As reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%580–680 R&W580–680 Math
ACT, middle 50%25–30
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.69Safety
Utah State UniversityLogan, Utah Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,92% admitted
Average GPA3.60As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%540–650 R&W530–640 Math
ACT, middle 50%20–28
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.60Safety
University of KentuckyLexington, Kentucky Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,93% admitted
Average GPA3.58As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%540–650 R&W530–640 Math
ACT, middle 50%21–28
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.58Safety
University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, North Carolina Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,80% admitted
Average GPA3.56As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%570–660 R&W570–670 Math
ACT, middle 50%21–28
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.56Safety
University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, Massachusetts Public, 4-yearFairly easy to get into,60% admitted
Average GPA4.05Weighted, as reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%650–730 R&W660–770 Math
ACT, middle 50%30–33
Your 4.2their average 4.05Safety
Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, Arizona Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,90% admitted
Average GPA3.70As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%–
ACT, middle 50%–
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.70Safety
University of IowaIowa City, Iowa Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,84% admitted
Average GPA3.83As reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%570–670 R&W560–660 Math
ACT, middle 50%21–28
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.83Safety
University of California RiversideRiverside, California Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,76% admitted
Average GPA3.75As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%–
ACT, middle 50%–
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.75Safety
University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, Illinois Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,77% admitted
Average GPA3.45As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%570–670 R&W560–680 Math
ACT, middle 50%25–31
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.45Safety
Oklahoma State University Main CampusStillwater, Oklahoma Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,75% admitted
Average GPA3.76As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%530–630 R&W510–620 Math
ACT, middle 50%20–27
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.76Safety
Washington State UniversityPullman, Washington Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,87% admitted
Average GPA3.46As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%–
ACT, middle 50%–
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.46Safety
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, Virginia Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,93% admitted
Average GPA3.63As reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%520–650 R&W490–620 Math
ACT, middle 50%22–30
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.63Safety
Illinois State UniversityNormal, Illinois Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,88% admitted
Average GPA3.62As reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%500–620 R&W490–590 Math
ACT, middle 50%21–27
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.62Safety
Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, Michigan Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,83% admitted
Average GPA3.40As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%480–600 R&W460–590 Math
ACT, middle 50%22–30
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.40Safety
Montclair State UniversityMontclair, New Jersey Public, 4-yearEasy to get into,88% admitted
Average GPA3.33As reported by the college for 2024⁠–⁠25
SAT, middle 50%480–620 R&W430–590 Math
ACT, middle 50%–
Your 4.2their 4.0-scale average 3.33Safety
Browse by GPA 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3
Browse by state Alabama 59 Alaska 7 Arizona 40 Arkansas 47 California 286 Colorado 42 Connecticut 28 Delaware 5 Washington, D.C. 11 Florida 100 Georgia 89 Hawaii 14 Idaho 13 Illinois 117 Indiana 50 Iowa 52 Kansas 53 Kentucky 50 Louisiana 48 Maine 26 Maryland 45 Massachusetts 92 Michigan 77 Minnesota 69 Mississippi 33 Missouri 76 Montana 23 Nebraska 32 Nevada 10 New Hampshire 21 New Jersey 59 New Mexico 29 New York 223 North Carolina 122 North Dakota 19 Ohio 139 Oklahoma 41 Oregon 41 Pennsylvania 160 Rhode Island 12 South Carolina 55 South Dakota 19 Tennessee 66 Texas 164 Utah 18 Vermont 10 Virginia 82 Washington 62 West Virginia 32 Wisconsin 55 Wyoming 8 Northern Mariana Islands 1

How to read the figures

Example: how a college appears in the list
University of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan Public, 4-yearHard to get into,16% admitted
Average GPA3.90As reported by the college for 2025⁠–⁠26
SAT, middle 50%680–750 R&W680–780 Math
ACT, middle 50%31–34
  • How hard it is to get in: the share of first-year applicants the college admitted for fall 2024. Very hard is under 10%, Hard 10–24%, Moderate 25–49%, Fairly easy 50–74% and Easy 75% or more. Open admission colleges accept everyone, so they have no rate.
  • Average GPA: the average high school GPA of the college's first-year students, from the college's own yearly report (its Common Data Set), with the year and, when the college says, whether it's weighted. Colleges calculate GPA in different ways, so use it as a rough guide, not a cutoff.
  • Safety, Target and Reach: with your GPA in the box, where it fits at each college that reports an average GPA. Your GPA is compared with the college's average (0.15 or more above it, close to it, or below it), and the acceptance rate decides how much that counts: a college that admits under 15% of applicants is a reach for everyone. Colleges that don't report an average get no label: we never estimate one.
  • SAT: the middle 50% of scores of first-year students who sent them, for reading and writing (R&W) and math. A quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it.
  • ACT: the middle 50% of overall ACT scores, read the same way.

A dash means the college didn't report that figure.

Where the data comes from

FigureSourceData year
Acceptance rate, SAT and ACT rangesThe U.S. Department of Education's yearly college surveyFall 2024
Average high school GPA (268 colleges)Each college's own yearly report (Common Data Set)2023–24 to 2025–26
Average SAT for the SAT filter and sortCollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of EducationLatest available

Each college's page also has its enrollment, net price, admission factors and policies on AP and dual credit from the same survey, and gives the year of every figure. Admission policies change every year, so check anything important with the college's admissions office.

Sources

Reviewed by the GPA Calculator team · Updated October 2026

  1. IPEDS: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemU.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics
  2. College Scorecard dataU.S. Department of Education (June 10, 2026 release)
  3. Common Data Set InitiativeThe standard format colleges use to publish their own admissions data