What grades get you a 2.0 gpa

GPA stands for Grade Point Average, and is designed to measure academic achievement in the US. There are two types of GPAs — weighted and unweighted. We will work primarily with unweighted GPAs. Grade Point Average is an important part of college admissions and most colleges have a minimum GPA requirement for acceptance. 

The more selective the school, the higher the expectation there is for a high GPA. Having a good GPA also offers better odds for acceptance into a broader range of institutions, so it’s in students’ best interest to continually work at increasing their GPA.

What Letter Grade is a 2.0 GPA?

A 2.0 GPA, or grade point average, is considered a “C” grade, or 75%. It indicates that your average letter grade in all of your high school classes up until this point have been Cs.

Is A 2.0 GPA Good?

A “C” is considered average, so does that mean a 2.0 is average? While good and bad are relative concepts, the national average GPA for graduating high school students is 3.0, making that the competitive benchmark for entrance into college. If that’s the goal, to have tons of options for higher education, a 2.0 GPA won’t result in that. Unofficially, 2.0 is the lowest GPA accepted into a standard college, so while there’s a chance that college admission is possible, it’s not likely at more than a few institutions.

What Colleges Can I Get Into with a 2.0 GPA?

There are a limited number of institutions that may accept students with a 2.0 GPA, and we’ve provided a list below. This list is only a guideline and features institutions that have historically accepted students with a GPA of 2.0-2.1.

If you’re a freshman or sophomore, you have time.  Take it one tenth of a GPA at a time. If you’ve been getting a C average in classes, aim for C+. Study more, go for a B-. Improving your grades will improve your GPA and you have the luxury of time to work your way up to a GPA with more options, even a 3.0 if you work hard. 

Juniors will find raising their GPA an arduous task at this point, and reaching a 3.0 GPA won’t be possible, but aiming for a 2.5 expands college options considerably, so with a lot of studying and determination, there are more options.

For seniors, it won’t be possible to significantly raise your GPA in time for most college submissions. Some deadlines extend into February and March, so there’s a chance to move your GPA up a few tenths in the first semester and add a few more college options, but there’s also the option of attending a 2-year college. Often referred to as a community college, opting to go to school locally for the first two years of college can be a great option for any student, since tuition costs are low and many students live at home while attending, saving the cost of room and board. Once you’ve completed those two years, raised your GPA, and are sufficiently ready, you can apply to transfer to the college of your choice based on your new and improved GPA.

What Are Colleges Looking at Other Than a 2.0 High School GPA?

Why GPA plays a big role in college admissions, it’s certainly not the only aspect of your education they’re looking at. They take into account the difficulty of the courses you take — regular, honors, or AP courses — as well as sports, activities, and more. 

  • SAT Scores / ACT Scores
  • Extracurricular/Afterschool activities
  • Sports
  • Application Essays
  • Volunteer Work
  • Jobs / Internships / Special Projects
  • FAFSA

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 2.0 GPA in high school considered good?

The average GPA for graduating college students is a 3.0, making a 2.0 a full point below. Having a 2.0 will make it difficult to get into a significant number of colleges, making it not ideal for students interested in continuing their education.

What colleges can I get into with a 2.0 GPA?

With a 2.0 GPA, you can get into Voorhees College, Metropolitan College of New York, and Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico-Miami. You may also want to consider attending a 2-year institution to raise your GPA before applying to a 4-year institutions. Check out all of your options!

What percentile is a 2.0 GPA?

A 2.0 GPA, or C-average, means that the average percentile earned is 75%.

What scholarship can you get with a 2.0 GPA?

Your best bet for applying to scholarships with a 2.0 GPA is to find ones that don’t require a certain GPA to apply. You won’t find many scholarships that explicitly mention a 2.0 (that’s more reserved for 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0), so find ones that don’t use GPA as a deciding factor. 

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High schools often report GPA (grade point average) on a 4.0 scale. The top grade is an A, which equals 4.0. You calculate your overall GPA by averaging the scores of all your classes. This is a common scale used at most colleges, and many high schools also use it.

To convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale:

Letter GradePercent Grade4.0 Scale
A+ 97-100 4.0
A 93-96 4.0
A- 90-92 3.7
B+ 87-89 3.3
B 83-86 3.0
B- 80-82 2.7
C+ 77-79 2.3
C 73-76 2.0
C- 70-72 1.7
D+ 67-69 1.3
D 65-66 1.0
E/F Below 65 0.0

The chart is an example to assist in understanding the components to calculate a GPA. Your school may use a different grading scale.

Keep in mind that your high school reports your GPA to your prospective colleges. The GPA listed on your high school transcript might not be what is used by college admissions, since there is a lot of variation in high school grading scales, additional points added for honors, advanced, AP, IB courses.

For admissions, many colleges will recalculate student GPA so there is consistency/equity across applicants based on institutional standards and may not include all high school coursework or weights.

Contact your high school counselor or colleges on your list to learn more about GPA and use in the admissions process. You can also look up the academic requirements of your favorite colleges using  College Search and see how your GPA compares to students who got in and enrolled.

FAQs

What are letter grades and how do they convert to percentages?

Common examples of grade conversion are: A+ (97–100), A (93–96), A- (90–92), B+ (87–89), B (83–86), B- (80–82), C+ (77–79), C (73–76), C- (70–72), D+ (67–69), D (65–66), D- (below 65).

However, the way letter grades convert to percentages can vary slightly from college to college and may even vary between departments in the same college.

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How do you calculate your GPA in high school?

To calculate your high school GPA, add together your grades on the 4.0 scale after converting them from letter grades, and divide the sum by the number of classes you are taking.

Additionally, many high schools use a secondary GPA system called a "weighted GPA system." The weighted GPA system adds extra weight to courses at the Honors, AP, and IB levels. The weighted GPA system can vary between school districts, so talk to your counselor about how your particular high school’s weighted GPA system works.

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What is the average GPA?

The average GPA across all U.S. high schools is 3.0 while the average GPA across all U.S. colleges is 3.1. These numbers will vary significantly between school districts and colleges. If you’re wondering what the average GPA is for the college’s you are interested in, you can see the GPA range for admitted students on BigFuture’s college profiles.

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Resources

Search for Colleges Using Your GPA

What GPA is 75%?

2.0 GPA = 75% percentile grade = C letter grade.

What is your GPA with all C's?

Essentially, the highest GPA you can earn is a 4.0, which indicates an A average in all of your classes. ... Unweighted 4.0 GPA Scale..