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What Is a Good GPA and How Is It Calculated?
27/02/2025•25 minute read
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How is GPA calculated
What Is a Good GPA
What Is a Good GPA for the Ivy League
Calculating Your GPA
How To Improve Your GPA
What's a good GPA for the Ivy League or other top universities? While there's no straightforward answer, we'll be using data and input from our expert strategists to find the GPA that's always considered "good" by top colleges.
In this blog, we’ll also explore what makes a good GPA, how to calculate it, and how to get the best GPA possible.
What Is GPA & How Is It Calculated?
A GPA (Grade Point Average) is a score that reflects your academic performance in high school, generally on a 4-point scale.
The simplest way to calculate your GPA is by:
- Combining your total grades
- Dividing them by your credit hours
Since academics can account for up to 40% of your application, good grades are critical — especially at the most competitive schools. And no academic component is more important than your high school GPA.
Universities may track your GPA back as far as the age of 14, so it’s important to start your first year of high school with solid grades and continuously work to strengthen them. This is because universities look for a steady improvement over the years and evidence that you’ve consistently worked hard to get top marks!
Keep in mind: there are two different types of GPA: weighted and unweighted. Weighted GPA accounts for the difficulty of the course, assigning additional grade points for AP or honors classes, while unweighted GPAs don't.
Top universities might consider both unweighted and weighted GPAs, with some having their own way to calculate it.
What Is a Good GPA for Top Universities?
If you’re aiming for a top university such as Stanford, MIT, or others of the same caliber, a good GPA is any GPA that's at least 3.91 on a 4-point scale.
Let's take a look at how we determined this. We've examined the average GPA of admitted students at different top universities, and averaged them all out. Now, not all universities report this information, so we did the following:
- Selected he highest-ranking universities that report their GPA (according to US News Ranking 2025)
- Excluded University of Chicago and Washington University at St. Louis since they report weighted GPAs.
- Excluded the Ivy League, since we'll be examining them separately later.
Average GPA of Admitted Students at Top Universities
| University | Average GPA of Admitted Students (Unweighted) |
|---|---|
| Stanford University | 3.94 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 3.93 |
| Johns Hopkins University | 3.93 |
| Carnegie Melon | 3.91 |
| Vanderbilt University | 3.90 |
| University of California, Berkeley | 3.90 |
| University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | 3.90 |
| University of Southern California | 3.86 |
| Emory University | 3.80 |
| Average | 3.91 |
Source: Each university's most recently released CDS as of March 2025
Based on this data, a good GPA for top universities is 3.91. This changes depending on the university, but a GPA of at least 3.91 should make your application stand out to an extent. Anything noticeably below that is below average for most top universities.
Keep in mind that universities might consider both your weighted and unweighted GPAs — it's a good idea to take AP or honors classes to boost your weighted GPA, too.
What Is a Good GPA For The Ivy League?
Based on the average GPA of admitted students to the Ivy League, a good GPA for the Ivy League is at least 3.9 on a 4-point scale, exactly the same as other top universities.
The academic expectations of Ivy League schools and other top universities are well above average; in fact, when it comes to weighted GPAs, most Ivy League students graduate high school with a GPA above 4.0!
Average GPA of Accepted Students at Top Schools
| University | Average GPA of Accepted Student (Class of 2027) |
|---|---|
| Princeton University | 3.94 |
| Brown University | 3.94 |
| Columbia University | 3.90 |
| Yale University | 3.90 |
| Cornell University | 3.90 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 3.90 |
| Harvard University | 3.90 |
| Dartmouth College | 3.90 |
| Average GPA | 3.91 |
Source: Crimson University Pages as of March 2025 (https://www.crimsoneducation.org/us/resources/universities/)
Based on this data, we can see that the majority of Ivy League schools have an average GPA of just under 4.0 for accepted students. A GPA under 3.9 is unlikely to impress admissions officers, but you may still be admitted if you're close to this average.
Calculating Your GPA
The simplest way to calculate your GPA is to use our GPA calculator. All you'll need to do is fill in your grades and credit hours and our calculator does the rest!
If you're interested in finding out how to calculate your own GPA, follow these steps:
1. Convert Your Letter Grades to Numbers
First, assign numerical values to each letter grade. This might change depending on the school, but the table below shows you how each letter grade is converted to a grade.
If your school uses a different scale, adjust accordingly!
GPA Conversion Chart
| Letter | GPA |
|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 |
| A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.7 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.7 |
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
Keep in mind that if you're calculating weighted GPA, AP or honors classes will be worth more points (usually about 0.5–1 additional points).
Read more about weighted vs unweighted GPA.
2. Find Your Grade Points
For each course you've taken, multiply the number value of your grade by the number of credit hours assigned to that course.
Example:
Course 1: 3.0 (grade) x 3 (credit hours) = 9.0 grade points
Course 2: 3.7 (grade) x 4 (credit hours) = 14.8 grade points
Course 3: 3.3 (grade) x 3 (credit hours) = 9.9 grade points
3. Add Your Total Grade Points:
Sum up all the grade points you have calculated for each course.
Example: Total grade points = 9.0 + 14.8 + 9.9 = 33.7
4. Add Your Total Credit Hours
Sum up all the credit hours for the courses you have taken.
Example: Total credit hours = 3 + 4 + 3 = 10
5. Divide Your Total Grade Points by Your Total Credit Hours:
Finally, divide the total grade points by the total credit hours. This calculation gives you your GPA.
Example:
Total grade points ÷ Total credit hours = 33.7 ÷ 10 = 3.37 GPA
How To Improve Your GPA?
Top universities don’t necessarily expect you to have good grades from the beginning. They want to see growth, ambition, and drive. The simple answer is to do well in school and ace all your exams, but this is often difficult for some students.
There are some steps you can take to improve your GPA. Here's a study plan to help you improve your GPA in high school:
Embrace a Growth Mindset
Developing a growth mindset starts with redefining failure as an opportunity for growth. When faced with low grades, seek feedback and adjust your approach for improvement.
Recognize that effort, not just innate ability, drives success. Dedicate consistent study time and leverage feedback to refine your strategies.
Master Time Management
Effective time management begins with setting clear goals and understanding your peak productivity periods.
Establish a routine that balances study, relaxation, and other activities to reduce decision fatigue and maximize efficiency.
Adopt Effective Study Techniques
Move beyond passive learning. Use study techniques such as spaced repetition to reinforce material over time, rather than cramming. Engage actively with study groups and seek help from teachers and peers to deepen understanding.
Experiment with note-taking methods like Cornell Notes or Mind Mapping to organize and review information effectively. Regularly revise notes and supplement with visuals to aid retention.
Seek Support
Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Utilize professors' office hours and join study groups to gain different perspectives and enhance learning.
Understand Your Course Syllabus
Familiarize yourself with the course syllabus to align your efforts with course expectations. Clarify any uncertainties with your professor to stay on track throughout the semester.
Prioritize Your Well-being
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including sufficient sleep and stress management techniques like mindfulness, supports academic performance. Balance study with hobbies and social activities to stay motivated.
Set Realistic Goals
Set achievable goals based on self-assessment and break them down into manageable steps. Track your progress to stay motivated and focused on continuous improvement.
Final Thoughts
If your sights are set on the Ivy League or any top university, challenge yourself with your course choices. Universities aren't looking for perfection — they're looking for students who challenged themselves academically and will continue to do so after high school.
If you're looking to maximize your chances of getting the perfect grade, Crimson offers online tutoring. Some of the world’s best teachers and tutors work with us to help students get good grades and reach their university admission goals.
We offer three tutoring programs in an easy-to-order offering. They include tutoring in:
What Makes Crimson Different
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest GPA a student can have?
If you calculate your GPA on a 4.0 scale, you may have concluded that the highest GPA you can achieve is a 4.0. This suggests that you have gotten all A’s in all of your classes throughout high school.
What GPA is summa cum laude?
A GPA of 3.75 or higher out of 4.0 is considered summa cum laude. Magna cum laude is 3.66 or higher and cum laude is 3.5 or higher.
What is a cumulative GPA?
Your cumulative GPA is the score typically used for college applications or entering the workforce. It's an average of averages, combining all your semester GPAs into a single, overall GPA.
Is 3.5 a good GPA?
While 3.5 is not a bad GPA, you're unlikely to stand out as an applicant. Keep the average GPAs mentioned above in mind. Many admitted students have a GPA of around 3.5, but they're the exception, not the norm.
Is 3.0 a good GPA?
A 3.0 GPA is usually low for top universities. Try to bolster your application with excellent extracurricular activities, recommendation letters, and perfect other aspects of your application to impress admissions officers.
Key Resources & Further Reading
About the Author
Crimson Education Strategists
Our Crimson strategists are top graduates from the world's most prestigious universities, including Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Oxford, and Cambridge. They put their firsthand experience and deep insights to work helping students around the world stay ahead of the curve in college admissions by providing the most up-to-date strategies for success.
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