The definition of a "good" GPA is entirely subjective. What is considered an amazing GPA for a student balancing a full-time job at a community college might be considered a disastrous GPA for a student trying to get into Harvard Medical School.

What is a Good High School GPA?

The national average GPA for high school students in the United States is roughly a 3.0 (a solid "B" average). Therefore, mathematically, anything above a 3.0 is an above-average, "good" GPA.

  • For State Universities: A 3.0 to 3.4 GPA is usually plenty to gain admission to standard in-state public universities.
  • For Competitive Colleges: If you are applying to highly ranked schools (like UCLA or University of Michigan), a "good" GPA is closer to a 3.7 or 3.8.
  • For the Ivy League: To be competitive for schools like Yale or Princeton, a "good" unweighted GPA is a 3.9 or a perfect 4.0, often supplemented by a weighted GPA of 4.3+ from AP classes.

What is a Good College GPA?

College grading is generally much harsher than high school grading. As a result, the expectations for a "good" GPA shift slightly.

In the corporate world, a 3.0 GPA is considered the golden baseline. Many major companies and internship programs use a 3.0 as a hard filter. If your GPA is a 3.0 or higher, you are in good standing for the vast majority of entry-level jobs.

If you wish to pursue a Master's degree, a 3.3 to 3.5 is generally required. For highly competitive professional schools (like Law School or Medical School), a "good" college GPA jumps back up to a 3.7 or higher.

Is Your GPA "Good"?

Find out exactly where your GPA stands and what grades you need to boost it to the next level.

Unweighted vs. Weighted GPAs

When evaluating if your high school GPA is "good," you must know if your school uses an unweighted or weighted system.

An unweighted GPA is capped at 4.0. A weighted GPA rewards students for taking difficult AP or IB classes by grading them on a 5.0 scale. A 3.8 unweighted GPA is excellent. A 3.8 weighted GPA means the student likely received several B's or C's in their advanced classes, making it slightly less impressive to admissions committees.