Frequently Asked GPA Questions
Concise, authoritative answers to the exact questions college students and high schoolers ask most.
Generally, a 3.0 to 3.5 GPA (B to B+) is considered good at most US colleges, while a 3.7+ (A-) is considered excellent and competitive for top-tier graduate schools and Latin honors.
The average high school unweighted GPA in the US is approximately 3.11, while the average college undergraduate GPA is roughly 3.15 to 3.20.
At most US universities, Cum Laude typically requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50, Magna Cum Laude requires 3.70, and Summa Cum Laude requires 3.90.
On an unweighted scale, the highest possible GPA is 4.0. On a weighted scale that awards bonuses for AP, IB, or Honors courses, the highest theoretical GPA can reach 5.0 or higher.
A cumulative GPA is the weighted average of all grades and credit hours earned across your entire academic history at an institution, unlike a semester GPA which only measures one specific term.
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