A college GPA factors into financial aid and scholarships eligibility, program admission and graduation.
Grade-point average can be a critical determinant in what comes next for a high school student, with college admissions and financial aid often on the line. The same holds true for a college student, as minimum grades are often necessary for getting into certain majors and graduate school and for maintaining scholarships and other aid.
Students’ primary focus in college should be on the process of learning and not just on their GPA, says Susan Whorton, director of the Academic Success Centerat Clemson University in South Carolina. But maintaining a high GPA can make life easier for students while they’re in college, and after they graduate and apply for jobs or graduate school.
“GPA isn’t really a reflection of learning, it’s a reflection of how a student did on the assessments in that course,” Whorton says. “It’s about navigating the academic environment that currently exists.”
At minimum, experts say, students must generally meet a GPA standard of 2.0, or a C average, on a 4.0 scale to graduate and remain eligible for federal financial aid. Institutional scholarships and program enrollment at many colleges often hinge on academic achievement above a C average. For students with a GPA below 2.0, the fallout can be dire, and students can end up on academic probation.
“As soon as a student is placed on probation, they’re invited to meet with an academic adviser to start working on a plan to get back into good academic standing,” Luke Wood, vice president of student affairs and campus diversity at San Diego State University in California, wrote in an email. “There is risk of disqualification if a student’s cumulative GPA does not improve, so we want to be sure the student understands the potential repercussions, but more importantly, that we can work with them on a sustainable plan to improve their academic performance.”
What Is a Good GPA in College?
In general, colleges operate on a standard grading scale similar to what students are used to in K-12, though certain programs may operate on a stricter scale.
| NUMERIC GRADE | LETTER GRADE | GRADE POINT AVERAGE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90-100 | A | 4.0 | ||
| 80-89 | B | 3.0 | ||
| 70-79 | C | 2.0 | ||
| 60-69 | D | 1.0 | ||
| Below 60 | F | 0.0 |
At SDSU, for example, students are considered “in good academic standing” when their overall cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher, Wood says. Wood describes academic probation as a period when “a student’s academic performance is below the state minimum required for graduation” and “improvement is required.” Students at SDSU are placed on probation at the end of the semester when their GPA is less than 2.0, or below a C average.
In addition to potential dismissal from the university, federal financial aid may also be rescinded if a student continues to fall short of minimum GPA standards.
For students in danger of academic punishment, SDSU offers a “Bounce Back” retention program – a one-unit course that helps students improve time management, test taking, study skills and dealing with adversity, Wood says.
The U.S. Department of Education website notes that students who failed to meet GPA requirements and lost their financial aid should contact their school to determine whether they can appeal the decision to withhold financial aid. To have aid restored, a student must meet the “school’s standards for satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or certificate offered by that institution,” the website states.
Some Scholarships, Programs May Require Higher GPAs
While experts say a 2.0 GPA is generally the minimum to receive federal aid and meet graduation requirements, individual scholarships and programs often demand more from a student.
At West Virginia University, for example, a 2.0 GPA isn’t high enough for students to graduate from or even gain admission into certain undergraduate programs, such as pre-nursing.
SDSU requires its nursing students to maintain a 3.0 GPA, which is at least a B average, in general education courses as well as certain science classes.
“It can depend on student level, program and various circumstances, but we generally like to see students with 3.0+ GPAs at a minimum,” Wood says.
Some colleges offer direct admission into programs but may require a strong high school GPA. Experts say prior to applying to colleges, students should focus on making their GPA as strong as possible. A low mark in certain areas could require students to take remedial classes at the college level, which often don’t count toward credits but still take up time and cost money.
While anything above a 2.0 at the college level might show satisfactory academic progress, students must earn higher marks to qualify for the dean’s list and honors programs, notes Patrick Register, director of the financial aid and scholarships office at the University of California—Santa Cruz.
To be named to the dean’s list at SDSU, for example, a student “must be in good academic standing and achieve a 3.50 GPA or greater based on a minimum of 12 units of credit for courses in which letter grades were assigned,” Wood says.
Experts say a 4.0 GPA, which is straight A’s, can be difficult to maintain throughout college.
“Unless a student is very focused from the beginning … that is going to be a difficult challenge,” says Sherry Tignor, executive director of the Center for Academic Success and Student Life at Union University in Tennessee.
For college students with graduate school ambitions, a low GPA can be problematic, experts say, with many graduate programs having minimum standards for admission. Entering graduate school with a high GPA can open doors for potential awards and scholarships, Register says.
While requirements aren’t universal, with individual schools setting varying standards, many require a minimum GPA of 3.0 for admission into a graduate program. “Many grad school programs are very competitive,” Tignor says.
Ways to Raise Your College GPA
Students looking to boost their college GPA have options, though sometimes those can include repeating courses and making sacrifices.
“It’s about a student asking themselves, ‘What are my priorities?’” Whorton says. “What’s most important to me? If I want to get into that major that has a GPA requirement, then what do I need to do to attain that GPA? How do I set myself up to achieve the GPA that I need?”
For some students, that might mean prioritizing studying over social events, seeing a tutor or academic coach, or making changes to how they manage their time, she says. Depending on the academic hole a student is in, it might require some digging.
“It’s really about understanding their goals and what steps they’re willing to take to get there,” Whorton says.
A good way for students to rehabilitate a GPA is to retake courses they received a low grade in, Register says, though there are some conditions. For example, Register says, some courses may be repeated only a certain number of times, particularly if a student has earned a passing grade such as a D. Policies governing how many times coursework can be repeated may vary by school.
Another good corrective plan is to attend tutoring regularly, Whorton says, adding that it can also serve as a preventive measure for students already in good academic standing.
“A good analogy would be college athletics,” she says. “The top athletes get coaching every single day. The best quarterbacks, or the best linebackers, they want to get better every single day. They get coaching. They partner with somebody who can help them achieve their fullest potential.”
Experts cite numerous reasons students may have a low GPA, such as struggling to adapt to the faster pace and higher workload of college academics, attempting difficult combinations of classes in the same semester, illness, family issues, employment and the adjustment to college from a highly structured high school environment.
While much of the responsibility falls on students to either maintain their grades or seek help when needed, Wood says universities need to make sure plenty of support is offered to those who are struggling.
“Sometimes student performance is a result of gaps in university support systems, and effective teaching and learning practices at the university or college may well not be in place for all student groups,” he says.
Experts say struggling students should proactively reach out for help. Whorton says students should view it as “productive struggle” and challenges students to embrace opportunities to improve.
Likewise, Wood encourages students to look past whatever stigma they might feel about seeking help from campus resources, whether that is tutoring, advising or one-on-one discussions with faculty and staff members.
“One of the most important lessons that we eventually learn in life is that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but one of strength,” he says.
