A good GPA depends on where a student is applying. A 3.5 is above the national average but below the typical admitted student at a selective university, and a 4.0 means little if it was earned in the easiest courses available. This guide gives the national benchmarks, the GPAs that entering classes at selective universities actually reported, how weighted and unweighted GPAs differ, and how the University of California recalculates GPA.
What Is the Average High School GPA?
The average GPA of US high school graduates was 3.11 in 2019, up from 3.00 in 2009 and 2.68 in 1990, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress High School Transcript Study (National Assessment Governing Board). That study computes GPA on a 4-point scale from each graduate’s transcript, weighting course grades by course credits (NCES).
Grades have kept rising. ACT research on more than 4.3 million ACT-tested students at more than 4,700 public high schools found that the average self-reported high school GPA rose from 3.22 in 2010 to 3.39 in 2021 (ACT). With more students near the top of the scale, the GPA alone separates applicants less than it once did.
What GPA Do Selective Colleges Expect?
The Common Data Set, which colleges file each year, reports the average high school GPA of the entering class (section C12) and the share of students in each GPA band (section C11). The figures below are for students who entered in fall 2025.
| University | Average high school GPA | Share with a 4.0 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan | 3.9 | 38.8% | 55.1% between 3.75 and 3.99 (CDS) |
| UC Berkeley | 3.90 | 39.8% | 50.1% between 3.75 and 3.99 (CDS) |
| USC | 3.85 | 28.2% | 52.0% between 3.75 and 3.99 (CDS) |
| Boston University | 3.86 | 36% | CDS |
| Emory | 3.80 | Not shown | CDS |
| University of Florida | 3.9 | 58% | CDS |
| Penn State (University Park) | 3.67 | 8% | 38% between 3.75 and 3.99 (CDS) |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 3.54 | 8% | 24% between 3.75 and 3.99 (CDS) |
| Georgia Tech | 4.17 | Not shown | Average exceeds 4.0, so it includes weighted grades (CDS) |
| Duke | Not reported | Not reported | Leaves the GPA items blank (CDS) |
Two patterns stand out. At selective public flagships the average sits at about 3.9, and most entering students fall between 3.75 and 4.0: at Michigan, 93.9% of the class did. And some of the most selective private universities, including Duke and Yale, leave the GPA questions blank (Yale CDS).
How Do Colleges Treat Weighted GPAs?
An unweighted GPA gives every course the same weight on a 4-point scale, so an A in any class is a 4. A weighted GPA adds points for honors, AP, IB or dual-enrollment courses, so an A in an AP course might count as a 5. The Common Data Set asks colleges to report on a 4.0 scale, but Georgia Tech (4.17) and the University of Central Florida (4.18) reported averages above 4.0, which can only happen with weighted grades (UCF CDS). Many selective colleges recalculate GPA with their own rules, so the number on a transcript is a starting point. Our guide to weighted vs unweighted GPA covers how colleges read each.
How Does the University of California Calculate GPA?
UC uses its own capped weighted GPA (University of California):
- Only A-G courses taken from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th grade count.
- An A is 4 points, a B 3, a C 2 and a D 1; pluses and minuses do not count.
- Each semester of a UC-approved honors-level course, such as AP or IB Higher Level, adds one point, up to 8 points across 10th and 11th grade and no more than 4 from 10th grade.
- Grades of D or F in an honors course earn no extra point, and the result is not rounded.
- The minimum is a 3.0 for California residents and a 3.4 for nonresidents.
Our UC GPA calculator applies these rules.
How Does a 3.5 or 3.7 GPA Compare With Selective Colleges?
A 3.5 unweighted is above the national average and competitive at many good universities, but below the middle of the entering class at Michigan, Berkeley, USC and Boston University, where averages run 3.85 to 3.9. A 3.7 sits close to Penn State’s average and below the most selective universities’ typical admits. Whether either is good enough depends on course rigor and the rest of the application; our guide to whether a 3.7 GPA is good enough for the Ivy League works through that case.
How Much Does GPA Matter in College Admissions?
More than any other factor. In NACAC’s survey of the fall 2023 admission cycle, 76.8% of colleges rated grades in college preparatory courses as of considerable importance, 74.1% rated total high school grades, and 63.8% rated strength of curriculum, against 18.9% for the essay and 4.9% for admission test scores (NACAC). Selective colleges read the GPA together with the courses behind it, which is why a student’s choices about honors and AP classes matter as much as the grades.
How Can a Student Improve a GPA Before Applying?
Oriel Admissions advises students to protect the junior-year record above all, since it is the last full year colleges see before applying, and to show an upward trend if 9th or 10th grade was weak. Adding a harder course only helps if the student can earn a strong grade in it; a B in an AP course and an A in its honors version send different signals to different colleges. For how colleges judge the course load, see course rigor in college admissions and whether honors classes are worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions About What Is a Good GPA
Above the national average of 3.11 is good in general terms. For selective colleges, a good GPA is close to the middle of the admitted range, which at universities such as Michigan, Berkeley, USC and Boston University is about 3.85 to 3.9.
3.11 for high school graduates in 2019, according to the High School Transcript Study, up from 3.00 in 2009 and 2.68 in 1990. ACT research found the average among ACT-tested students reached 3.39 in 2021.
It is above the national average and competitive at many universities, but below the average entering student at the most selective public and private universities, where averages run close to 3.9.
It is necessary but not sufficient. Most applicants to the most selective colleges have near-perfect grades, so the courses behind the GPA, the essays and the activities decide the outcome.
Entering students at Michigan, UC Berkeley and the University of Florida averaged about 3.9 in fall 2025, according to their Common Data Sets, and at Michigan and Berkeley about nine in ten had a 3.75 or higher. Georgia Tech reported an average of 4.17, which is only possible with weighted grades.
At least a 3.0 for California residents and a 3.4 for nonresidents, using the UC GPA: A-G courses taken from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th grade, with up to 8 honors points.
Both, but many selective colleges recalculate GPA with their own rules. Oriel Admissions tells families to focus on the grades and courses themselves rather than on a single weighted number.
Grades are the factor colleges rate most highly. NACAC found that 76.8% of colleges rate grades in college preparatory courses as considerably important, more than any other factor.
Sources: National Assessment Governing Board, HSTS release, Yale CDS 2025-2026, NCES, how GPA is calculated, ACT, grade inflation research, University of California GPA requirement, NACAC, factors in the admission decision, University of Michigan CDS 2025-2026, UC Berkeley CDS 2025-2026, University of Florida CDS 2025-2026, Georgia Tech CDS 2025-2026, Penn State CDS 2025-2026, University of Nebraska-Lincoln CDS 2025-2026, USC CDS 2025-2026, Boston University CDS 2025-2026, Emory CDS 2025-2026, UCF CDS 2025-2026, Duke CDS 2025-2026
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a Princeton-based college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy. Our team brings deep expertise across every dimension of the application, and our distinctive 360 approach develops strategy, positioning, activities, essays, and interviews as one coherent whole. To discuss your family’s admissions strategy, schedule a consultation.
