Average College GPA: Full Statistics

Your college GPA is one way to track your academic progress, but it can also help prospective employers determine how you measure up against other candidates during the application process. Scholarships, internships, and graduate school admissions officials may also heavily consider your college GPA.

This report explores average college GPA statistics, including GPA averages by race and major, the average GPA for first-year students, and grade inflation over the years.

According to 2020 data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the average college GPA is 3.15. This is a B letter grade, or a percentage range of 83%- 86%.

The average GPA was highest among women that year, at 3.20. Conversely, men had an average GPA of 3.09 — 0.11 points below women and 0.06 points below the overall average. Students who did not identify with either gender had the second-highest GPA at 3.19.

A variety of factors can impact students’ academic performance. Research shows that students from low socioeconomic households persistently underperform academically compared to their wealthier peers.

A 2016 longitudinal study of high school graduates from the class of 2013 found that students from families in the top 20% income bracket had an average first-year college GPA of 2.9. Comparatively, those from families at the bottom 20% of earners had an average GPA of 2.3.

Other research shows that students from low-income families have slower academic development in areas such as reading, language, memory, and emotional processing. The high school systems they attend may also lack the resources necessary for academic success.

Access to fewer resources in the home and school creates other challenges. For instance, students from poorer backgrounds may also experience food insecurity, which can negatively impact their academic performance and health in college. As a result, research shows that students with low food security experience poor sleep, high stress, and a lower GPA compared to those with high food security.

According to NCES data, students with very low food security had an average GPA of 2.97, compared to 3.21 for those with high food security.

Parents’ level of education also plays a key role. Students whose parents did not complete high school had the lowest average GPA of 3.05, compared to 3.34 GPA for students whose parents had nonacademic doctoral degrees. The following provides a breakdown of the average college GPA.

Lastly, students whose first language was not English or Spanish had the highest average GPA of 3.27.

Yes, your GPA matters in college. For starters, you’ll need to pass your classes in order to earn a degree and graduate. The grade you need to pass a college class may differ depending on the requirements for your major and core curriculum.

A “D” (1.0 GPA) is usually the lowest passing grade for undergraduate courses. But your school or department’s grading policy may require a minimum C grade (2.0 GPA) for the major and a minimum D grade for general education coursework. If you have financial aid or merit-based scholarships, those programs may require even higher cutoff grades to maintain eligibility.

Those enrolled in an honors program or who plan to make the Dean’s list will need at least an A- average, or 3.7 GPA. A strong GPA, considered above 3.0, is essential if you plan to attend graduate school.

In order to secure an internship, you may need to demonstrate merit in a competitive candidate pool. Employers value hands-on learning and may overlook a lower GPA if you have internship experience. Explore your school’s “grading policy” to determine the grade needed to pass a class, make the Dean’s list, or meet graduation requirements.