GPA
Is a 3.8 GPA Good?
A 3.8 unweighted GPA is between an A- and an A average. It is 0.69 points above the national average of 3.11, and it matches or beats the average enrolled first-year student at 36 of the 58 colleges we track that publish an unweighted average.
National average
3.11
class of 2019
At or above average
36
of 58 colleges
Below average
22
of 58 colleges
36 colleges where a 3.8 matches or beats the average
The average unweighted GPA of each school's enrolled first-year class. Highest first.
- Hofstra University3.80 average
- Indiana University3.80 average
- Drexel University3.79 average
- Case Western Reserve University3.78 average
- DePaul University3.77 average
- Iowa State University3.76 average
- Howard University3.75 average
- Mississippi State University3.74 average
- Loyola University Chicago3.74 average
- Michigan State University3.74 average
- University of Rochester3.72 average
- University of Kansas3.71 average
- Oregon State University3.70 average
- Gonzaga University3.70 average
- University of Denver3.68 average
- California State University-Long Beach3.67 average
- University of Cincinnati3.67 average
- George Mason University3.66 average
- University of Rhode Island3.65 average
- Texas Tech University3.64 average
- University of Oklahoma3.64 average
- University of Utah3.64 average
- University of New Hampshire3.64 average
- Virginia Commonwealth University3.63 average
- Oberlin College3.60 average
- Marquette University3.60 average
- University of Mississippi3.60 average
- University of Kentucky3.58 average
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln3.54 average
- Arizona State University3.52 average
- San Jose State University3.50 average
- University of Houston3.46 average
- Washington State University3.46 average
- University of Illinois Chicago3.45 average
- University of Arizona3.43 average
- Temple University3.42 average
The closest reaches for a 3.8
Colleges where the average enrolled GPA is higher than a 3.8, smallest gap first.
- New York University3.81 average
- Miami University-Oxford3.82 average
- North Carolina State University3.83 average
- Florida Atlantic University3.83 average
- Louisiana State University3.83 average
- University of Arkansas3.83 average
- San Diego State University3.84 average
- University of Washington3.84 average
- University of Southern California3.85 average
- Davidson College3.85 average
- Colgate University3.85 average
- The University of Alabama3.86 average
A 3.8 against California's public minimums
Both systems recalculate your GPA from a-g courses first, so run your grades through the UC or CSU calculator for the number they will use.
- Cal State, California residents2.50 minimum, cleared
- Cal State, out of state3.00 minimum, cleared
- University of California, California residents3.00 minimum, cleared
- University of California, out of state3.40 minimum, cleared
Keep this list for a 3.8
Frequently asked questions
Is a 3.8 GPA good?
A 3.8 is 0.69 points above the national average of 3.11 for high school graduates. Among the 58 colleges in our dataset that publish an unweighted average GPA for enrolled first-years, a 3.8 is at or above that average at 36 and below it at 22. Whether it is good depends on which of those groups your target schools are in.
What letter grade is a 3.8 GPA?
On the standard 4.0 scale, a 3.8 is between an A- and an A average. An A is 4.0, an A- is 3.7, a B+ is 3.3, a B is 3.0, a B- is 2.7, a C+ is 2.3, and a C is 2.0.
Can I get into college with a 3.8 GPA?
Yes. A 3.8 is at or above the average enrolled GPA at 36 of the 58 colleges we track, and colleges admit students below their average every year. Course rigor, test scores, essays, and activities are read alongside the number.
College averages are the unweighted high school GPA each school publishes for its enrolled first-year class (Common Data Set or class profile). Schools that publish only a weighted GPA or a range are left out. National average: NAEP High School Transcript Study, class of 2019.
