Does Dartmouth have a minimum GPA?
No. Dartmouth’s admissions FAQ asks whether there is a minimum grade point average and answers: “No. Each application is reviewed holistically, regardless of GPA.” It adds that “A strong GPA in high school is one indicator that you will continue to do well in college,” and that readers “also look at the rigor of your courses and grade trends that help us understand your academic trajectory.” Dartmouth invites students with a particular reason for a dip in grades to explain it in the Additional Information section of the Common App (Dartmouth admissions FAQ, minimum GPA).
What grades and class ranks do Dartmouth students have?
Dartmouth does not publish a GPA distribution. In its Common Data Set (CDS) for 2025-26, a standardized report many colleges publish each year, the GPA bands (item C11) and the average GPA (item C12) are blank (Dartmouth CDS 2025-2026). The closest official measures are class rank and the figures in Dartmouth’s own class profile.
| Measure | Class of 2029 (entered fall 2025) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| In the top tenth of their high school class | 96% | CDS item C10 |
| In the top quarter | 99% | CDS item C10 |
| In the top half | 100% | CDS item C10 |
| Share of the class whose school reported a rank | 44% | CDS item C10 |
| Valedictorian or salutatorian | 22% | Class of 2029 profile |
| SAT or ACT at or above the 75th percentile of their own high school class | 90% | Class of 2029 profile |
| Average high school GPA | Not reported | CDS item C12 |
Because more than half of the class did not submit a class rank, the rank figures describe a minority of students. In our view, they still point the same way as Dartmouth’s guidance: admitted students are usually at or very near the top of their own school, measured against what that school offers. Our guide to the Dartmouth acceptance rate covers the admission numbers by year.
How does Dartmouth weigh grades against other factors?
| Factor (CDS item C7) | How Dartmouth rates it |
|---|---|
| Rigor of secondary school record | Very important |
| Class rank | Very important |
| Academic GPA | Very important |
| Standardized test scores | Very important |
| Application essay | Very important |
| Recommendations | Very important |
| Extracurricular activities | Very important |
| Talent or ability | Important |
| Character and personal qualities | Very important |
| Interview | Considered |
Dartmouth rates every academic factor very important, including class rank and test scores. Among the nine colleges in our comparison below whose ratings we could read (Princeton’s could not be read), only Dartmouth, Brown and Stanford rate test scores very important, and Harvard rates no factor above considered. The CDS ratings show what a college says it weighs, not how any single file is read.
Which high school courses does Dartmouth recommend?
Dartmouth says that “An applicant is expected to have pursued the most demanding curriculum offered by the high school(s) attended,” and that students at schools with a U.S.-based curriculum must carry five major subjects through senior year. It recommends at least the following (Dartmouth admissions FAQ, high school courses):
- English: four years, with a preference for writing-intensive literature courses.
- Mathematics: four years, through calculus for students interested in engineering and other STEM fields.
- Laboratory science: three years, with four years including physics for students considering engineering.
- History and social science: three years.
- Foreign language: three years of a single language, ancient or modern, with four preferred.
Our guide to how many AP classes Dartmouth applicants take covers the course rigor side in more detail.
What test scores do Dartmouth students have, and is testing required for fall 2027?
Yes, for most applicants. Students who attend high school in the United States must submit the SAT or ACT, and scores from several sittings “will automatically be superscored.” Students at high schools outside the United States can meet the requirement with the SAT or ACT, three AP exams, IB or A-Level predicted or final results, or an equivalent national exam. Dartmouth says testing is one factor and “never the primary factor” (Dartmouth testing policy).
| Test (fall 2025 entering class) | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | Share who submitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total | 1440 | 1520 | 1550 | 69% |
| ACT composite | 32 | 34 | 35 | 33% |
How does Dartmouth compare with other highly selective colleges?
| College | Average GPA reported (C12) | Share at 4.0 (C11) | Top tenth of class (C10) | Class of 2029 (fall 2025) admit rate | Class of 2030 (fall 2026) admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 4.22 | 74.7% | 95% | 4.2% | 3.7% |
| Yale | Not reported | Not reported | 97% | 4.7% | 4.4% |
| Princeton | 3.96 | 72% | Not reported | 4.4% | 4.1% |
| Columbia | 4.25 | 74.9% | 94% | 4.9% | 4.2% |
| Penn | 3.9 | 59% | 92% | 4.9% | Not published |
| Brown | Not collected | Not collected | 93% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| Dartmouth | Not reported | Not reported | 96% | 6.0% | 5.8% |
| Cornell | Not reported | Not reported | 84% | 8.4% | 9.2% |
| MIT | Not reported | Not reported | 97% | 4.6% | Not yet posted |
| Stanford | 3.94 | 73.0% | 97% | 3.8% | Not published |
Dartmouth reports class rank but no GPA figures, like Yale, Cornell and MIT; Brown says it does not collect GPA. Its rank figure covers a larger share of the class (44%) than at the other colleges in the table that report the share, which in our view makes it one of the more informative rank measures available. Our guide to the Ivy League acceptance rates compares admission trends.
Can you get into Dartmouth with a GPA below 3.75?
Dartmouth publishes no GPA distribution, so there is no official share of students below any GPA. Of enrolled students who submitted a rank, the CDS puts 100% in the top half and 96% in the top tenth. The view of Oriel Admissions is that a student with a lower GPA should treat Dartmouth as a reach, look at what explains the record (the rigor of the courses, an upward trend, and the context the counselor and school profile give), and use the Additional Information section only for a real reason, as Dartmouth suggests. Our guide on whether a 3.7 GPA is good enough for the Ivy League uses the published GPA bands where colleges report them.
Does applying Early Decision help at Dartmouth?
The binding Early Decision deadline is November 1 and the Regular Decision deadline is January 2 (Apply to Dartmouth); for fall 2027 entry, that is November 1, 2026 and January 2, 2027. A glossary note on the same page gives January 1 for Regular Decision, so in our view applying by January 1 avoids any doubt. For the class that entered in fall 2025, Dartmouth’s CDS reports 3,552 Early Decision applications and 768 admits, a 21.6% rate by our calculation, against 6.0% overall. In our view, the gap reflects who applies early as well as the plan itself, because early pools include recruited athletes and others the CDS does not separate. In our view, Early Decision suits a student for whom Dartmouth is the clear first choice and whose family has checked the aid estimate. Our guide to the Dartmouth Early Decision acceptance rate covers the trend.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dartmouth GPA Requirements
Dartmouth has no minimum GPA. Its admissions FAQ says each application is reviewed holistically, regardless of GPA, and that readers also look at course rigor and grade trends.
No. In the Dartmouth Common Data Set for 2025-26, the GPA bands and the average GPA are blank. Dartmouth reports class rank instead.
Of first-years who entered in fall 2025 and had a class rank, 96% were in the top tenth and 100% in the top half. Only 44% of the class came from schools that reported a rank.
Yes for students at U.S. high schools, and scores are superscored. Students at high schools outside the United States can also use three AP exams, IB or A-Level results, or an equivalent national exam.
Dartmouth recommends at least four years of English and mathematics, three years of laboratory science, three years of history and social science, and three years of one foreign language, with four preferred.
Dartmouth admitted 1,687 of 28,863 applicants to the Class of 2030, a rate of 5.8%. For the Class of 2029 the rate was 6.0%.
The binding Early Decision deadline is November 1, 2026. Dartmouth gives January 2, 2027 as the Regular Decision deadline, although a glossary note on its site says January 1.
Oriel Admissions suggests reading the class rank figures as a profile of the enrolled class rather than a cutoff, and treating Dartmouth as one of several reach schools.
Sources: Dartmouth admissions FAQ, minimum grade point average, Dartmouth admissions FAQ, high school courses, Dartmouth testing policy, Apply to Dartmouth, Dartmouth Class of 2029 profile, Dartmouth Common Data Set 2025-2026, Dartmouth News, March 30, 2026, Harvard Common Data Set 2025-2026, Harvard admissions statistics, Yale Common Data Set 2025-2026, Yale College Class Profile, Fall 2026, Princeton Common Data Set 2025-2026, Princeton profile, Columbia College and Columbia Engineering CDS 2025-2026, Columbia Class of 2030 Profile, Penn Common Data Set 2025-2026, Brown Common Data Set 2025-2026, Brown admission numbers, Cornell Common Data Set 2025-2026, Cornell University Factbook, MIT Common Data Set 2025-2026, MIT admissions statistics, Stanford Common Data Set 2025-2026. All read October 26 and 27, 2026.
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