What Is a Good GPA?
The average high school GPA is 3.11 (latest national transcript study), so a 3.5+ is comfortably above average and a 3.8+ unweighted is competitive nearly everywhere. In college, the average is about 3.15 — a 3.5 makes dean’s-list territory at most schools.
A good high school GPA is 3.5+ (average is 3.11); a good college GPA is 3.5+ (average ~3.15). Selective admissions run far higher — UCLA admits’ unweighted median is 4.0.
- Avg. HS GPA (national study)3.11
- HS average, female / male3.23 / 3.0
- Avg. college GPA~3.15
- UCLA fall-2025 admits4.00 unweighted median
Sources: NAEP High School Transcript Study; NCES NPSAS (college); university admissions profiles.
Average GPA over time (grade inflation is real)
| Cohort | Average HS GPA |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.68 |
| 2009 | 3.0 |
| 2019 | 3.11 |
| ACT-tested class of 2021 | 3.36 |
The national transcript study runs about once a decade; between editions, ACT’s follow-up shows averages continuing to climb — 3.36 among ACT-tested 2021 graduates. Whatever cutoff felt “good” a decade ago is roughly 0.2 points too low today.
What selective schools actually admit
| School (cohort) | GPA of admitted/enrolled |
|---|---|
| UCLA (fall 2025 admits) | 4.00 unweighted median; 4.61 weighted median |
| Georgia Tech (fall 2024 enrolled) | 4.14 average (weighted) |
| University of Georgia (fall 2025 admits) | 4.08–4.35 core GPA mid-50% |
Not comparable across schools — each recalculates GPA differently (weighted vs. unweighted vs. core-course).
College GPA context
| Institution type (2020) | Average GPA |
|---|---|
| Public 4-year | 3.14 |
| Private nonprofit 4-year | 3.34 |
| Public 2-year | 3.03 |
Frequently asked questions
Is a 3.5 GPA good?
Yes. The national high school average is 3.11, so 3.5 is clearly above average — though the most selective colleges' admitted students cluster near 4.0 unweighted.
What's the average high school GPA?
3.11, per the 2019 NAEP High School Transcript Study (the latest national edition): 3.23 for girls, 3.0 for boys.
What's a good college GPA?
The national college average is about 3.15. A 3.5+ typically earns honors; 3.7+ keeps graduate-school doors open; many employers screen at 3.0.
Weighted vs. unweighted — which matters?
Colleges look at both but most recalculate their own. Unweighted (4.0 scale) shows raw grades; weighted rewards AP/IB rigor. Course difficulty plus unweighted grades is what admissions readers actually reconstruct.
Sources & methodology
Sources: NAEP High School Transcript Study 2019 · ACT grade-inflation study R2134 · NCES NPSAS:2020 college GPA (via BestColleges).
High school figure is the latest national transcript study (2019, decennial); college figure is NCES NPSAS 2020 as analyzed by BestColleges; admissions profiles from each university.