1.7 GPA

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Here is where a 1.7 sits on the standard 4.0 scale, from A+ down to F:

GPA	Percentage	Letter grade
4.0	97–100%	A+
4.0	93–96%	A
3.7	90–92%	A−
3.3	87–89%	B+
3.0	83–86%	B
2.7	80–82%	B−
2.3	77–79%	C+
2.0	73–76%	C
1.7	70–72%	C−
1.3	67–69%	D+
1.0	63–66%	D
0.7	60–62%	D−
0.0	Below 60%	F

On this page · 3 sections

Is a 1.7 GPA good?

No. A 1.7 is well below average: C− work, 70–72%, against a national average of 3.11 for 2019 graduates (NAEP High School Transcript Study). It is under the 2.0 that many colleges set as a minimum, so raising it is the priority. It helps to know what a GPA is before planning a recovery: it’s a running average, not a single grade.

In high school

Most four-year colleges will not admit a student below 2.0. Use the time you have left in high school to raise it; community colleges are open-admission and a common route to a four-year degree.

In college

In college a GPA below 2.0 usually means academic probation, which can affect financial aid. Talk to an academic advisor about a plan.

What a 1.7 GPA means for college

With a 1.7 most four-year colleges will not admit you directly. Community colleges are open-admission, and many students transfer to a four-year college after earning good grades there.

If you are still in high school, every semester of better grades counts. Ask your counselor about credit recovery for classes you failed.

Freshman

Most of high school is still ahead of you, so a 1.7 now can change a lot. Every semester of better grades pulls your average up; the table below shows how many strong classes it takes to reach a 2.0.

Sophomore

You are about halfway through, and raising a 1.7 is still realistic. Focus first on the classes where you are closest to the next grade, and turn in every assignment. Colleges also notice an upward trend.

Junior

Junior-year grades are the last full year most colleges see before you apply, so they count. Even if your overall GPA moves only a little, strong junior grades show an upward trend. Ask your counselor about retaking classes you failed.

Senior

Your GPA will not move much before applications, so plan around it: apply to colleges whose requirements you meet, including community colleges, and keep your senior grades up, because colleges see them and some offers depend on them.

How to raise a 1.7 GPA

The more classes you have finished, the more it takes to move your GPA. This table shows how many more classes you would need at one grade to bring a 1.7 up to a 2.0, assuming every class counts the same.

Classes so far	Classes of A’s needed	Classes of B+’s needed
8	2	2
16	3	4
24	4	6

To use your own classes, credits and target, try the Raise GPA calculator.

What helps

Now that you know where you stand it’s a good idea to think about ways to raise your GPA.  

1. Study Smart: If you find you’re already spending a lot of time studying you may want to take a study skills course or meet with a teacher or school counselor to find out how to study smarter.  There are many tips and tricks to using your time wisely and once you learn to study smart your grades will show the difference. 
2. Tackle Your Lowest Grades:  Even one low grade can wreck havoc on a decent GPA so find your lowest grades and make it your goal to bring them up.  If you’re really stumped on how to do so, set an appointment with the teacher of each class.  Teachers love to help students raise their grades.  
3. Complete Every Assignment On Time: The easiest way to lose points is to turn in assignments late or not at all.  Turning things in on time guarantees you get credit for your hard work.  Make a schedule of assignments and make sure you never miss a deadline.  

1.7 GPA – Frequently asked questions

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