Do you have a 3.3 GPA? Are you wondering whether a 3.3 is good, and what colleges you can get into with a 3.3?
We've written the most detailed guide to your GPA here:
- Find out which colleges you can get into with a 3.3 GPA.
- Learn how you can raise your GPA.
- Learn what you should be doing to maximize your chances of getting into the best colleges.
Quick disclaimer: unlike standardized test scores like SAT/ACT, GPA policies vary from high school to high school and from college to college. Some use weighted GPAs and others use unweighted GPAs. In this guide, we’ll generally talk about unweighted GPAs and compare you on a national and college level.
As we'll explain below, the actual GPA number is just one dimension of your coursework. The difficulty of your courseload is important - the more difficult your classes, the more colleges are willing to excuse a dip in GPA.
Finally, even though this guide focuses on a 3.3 GPA, our advice is the same for close GPAs, like 3.32 and 3.28 GPAs. You can use this guide for all GPAs between 3.25 and 3.34.
Is a 3.3 GPA good?
Assuming an unweighted GPA, this means that you've earned a solid B+ on average across all of your classes. A 3.3 GPA is above the national average for high school students, but it's not high enough to get you accepted to schools that are very selective.
We've analyzed the student profiles at 1500+ colleges across the United States and the average GPA of its incoming students. Here's how a 3.3 GPA compares to the nation:
-
Percentile:
43rd
43.21% of schools have an average GPA below a 3.3.
-
Competitive For:
678 Schools
You can apply to colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted.
-
Missing Out On:
891 Schools
You have a low chance of getting into with a 3.3 GPA.
To elaborate, the national average for GPA is around a 3.0, so a 3.3 puts you above average nationally. Keep in mind the 3.0 national average represents all students, not just students applying to college, so the average GPA of students admitted to colleges is higher than the national average.
Here's more custom advice for you if you have a 3.3 GPA. Click your grade level to see our evaluation.
This is a decent starting GPA as a freshman, but you still have room for improvement! Your GPA has the potential to change quite a bit between now and when you apply to college if you put in the effort. Try checking your chances of admission at colleges that interest you in the next section - if you don't quite measure up yet, you can work on improving your grades beginning sophomore year.
If you have a 3.3 as a sophomore, you're slightly above average. Though at this point it may be difficult to change your GPA very much, you might still be able to make some improvements before applying to college. Check your current chances of acceptance at schools that interest you in the next section to see if you need to step up your game.
Your GPA is unlikely to change much between now and when you send in college applications. With a 3.3, you'll have quite a few options for college, although the most selective schools may be out of reach. Search for the schools where you plan on applying in the next section so that you can see what your chances of admission might look like.
Since it's your senior year, you're probably already in the process of applying to college. If you're curious about your chances of admission, try searching for your schools in the next section. A 3.3 will give you a very solid chance at being accepted to schools that are on the less selective side. It's important to make sure you're spacing out your applications amongst a variety of colleges so that you end up with more than one viable choice when you get back your acceptance letters.
Your Chances With a 3.3 GPA
This is probably the biggest question on your mind. What colleges can you get into with a 3.3? What are your chances of admission at your top choice schools?
We've built a custom admissions calculator that calculates your chances based on the 3 most important factors to determining your chance of admissions:
- The school's admission rate
- Your GPA
- Your SAT/ACT score
Here's how to use this calculator:
- Choose the SAT or the ACT, depending on which you're taking
- Choose your current SAT/ACT score
- Enter the name of each college you're interested in
- Change your SAT/ACT score to see how your chances change
How would your chances improve with a better score?
Try to take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?
This is important when you're considering your GPA. You probably know how hard it is to pull up your grades and GPA. If you improve your SAT/ACT score, you'll be able to show colleges that you're academically prepared for college.
At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program. We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.
Here's a summary of why we're so much more effective than other prep programs:
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There's a lot more to PrepScholar that makes it the best SAT/ACT prep program. Click to learn more about our program, or sign up for our 5-day free trial to check out PrepScholar for yourself:
Can You Improve Your GPA?
We’re not going to sugarcoat it: GPAs aren’t easy to improve. The later you are in high school, the less your GPA will change before you apply to college.
For example, if you're currently a junior in high school, your grades in freshman and sophomore year will anchor your GPA so that your junior grades won't be able to change your total GPA much.
Here's a calculator for you to see how much your GPA can improve in different cases. Choose your current grade level, and then choose your future grades up until college applications. We'll show you how high or low your GPA can be, depending on your grades from now forward.
| Your Grade Level | Current GPA | Semesters Remaining | Future Grades | GPA for Applications |
3.3 |
0 | 3.3 |
Warning: Because you have no semesters left, your GPA won't change by the time college applications are due. You'll need to apply with a 3.3 GPA. As we explain next, your best chance at improving your chances of getting in may be to improve your SAT/ACT score.
Final Verdict and Advice
From the information above, you can see that your current GPA will give you a fairly wide variety of college options. You're still above the national average, and you won't have a problem with getting into schools that are on the less selective side. As a freshman, however, you have plenty of time to get your GPA even higher and be competitive for a greater number of schools. You should start pushing yourself as soon as possible to improve your grades and, if you're up to it, take more difficult classes. If you can manage to put in more effort, it will pay off when colleges see that you grew immensely over the course of your years in high school.
As a sophomore, you still have a year left to raise your GPA. Based on your college searches in the tool above, you'll see that you have a good chance of acceptance to less selective schools, but there are still many colleges that may end up being out of reach. For your junior year, you should work on improving your grades as much as possible and challenging yourself in your classes. You may not be able to change your GPA that much, but colleges will notice even small differences in your grades and the difficulty of your coursework. You can also start studying for standardized tests so that you end up with great scores that will improve your admissions prospects even further.
At this point, you most likely won't be able to make any significant changes in your GPA before you apply to college. Based on the tool above, you can see that you have a strong chance of being accepted to many colleges, but schools with higher selectivity are going to be largely out of reach. You should still try to raise your grades, but your best shot at increasing your chances of admission at this point lies in improving your standardized test scores. Study hard for the SAT or ACT so that you can take it again and improve your scores before you have to send them to colleges. High standardized test scores can make a dramatic difference in your chances of admission.
You're probably already working on sending in college applications, but hopefully the tool above gave you a good sense of your chances of admission at the schools where you applied. While your GPA isn't super high, you shouldn't have issues getting into college if you make a list of schools that matches up with the strength of your application.
If it's still early in your senior year and you're concerned that your GPA might make it difficult to get into a college you really like, you might consider retaking the SAT or ACT. You can still send your scores to colleges after you've already sent in your regular applications. High standardized test scores can go a long way in improving your admissions chances at most schools.
Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.
Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.
Colleges that Accept a 3.3 GPA
We've picked out a set of schools that are within range. Click on each school to learn more about it.
Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into
These schools are hard for you to get into now, because their average GPA is higher than a 3.3. But if you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll have a much better shot.
| School Name | Location | SAT | ACT | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1245 | 25 | 3.53 |
| Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ | 1245 | 26 | 3.55 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | 1241 | 28 | 3.42 |
| University of Houston | Houston, TX | 1225 | 26 | 3.49 |
| Stonehill College | Easton, MA | 1200 | 25 | 3.32 |
| High Point University | High Point, NC | 1198 | 25 | 3.4 |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk, VA | 1175 | 25 | 3.4 |
| Quinnipiac University | Hamden, CT | 1175 | 25 | 3.54 |
| Pace University | New York, NY | 1173 | 26 | 3.35 |
| State University of New York Maritime College | The Bronx, NY | 1170 | 26 | 3.3 |
| State University of New York at Oswego | Oswego, NY | 1162 | 25 | 3.31 |
Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into
These schools have average GPAs that are close to 3.3. If you apply to these schools, you'll have a decent chance of admission. If you improve your SAT or ACT scores, you'll significantly improve your chances .
| School Name | Location | SAT | ACT | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN | 1161 | 25 | 3.52 |
| University of North Texas | Denton, TX | 1160 | 23 | 3.47 |
| University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX | 1160 | 23 | 3.47 |
| San Jose State University | San Jose, CA | 1145 | 23 | 3.57 |
| State University of New York College at Potsdam | Potsdam, NY | 1140 | 25 | 3.3 |
| Washington State University | Pullman, WA | 1125 | 23 | 3.5 |
| University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio, TX | 1120 | 22 | 3.39 |
| Albright College | Reading, PA | 1120 | 23 | 3.05 |
| East Carolina University | Greenville, NC | 1105 | 22 | 3.3 |
| State University of New York at Fredonia | Fredonia, NY | 1090 | 24 | 3.33 |
| Montclair State University | Montclair, NJ | 1086 | 21 | 3.34 |
Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into
With a GPA of 3.3, you're already strongly competitive for these schools. You're very likely to get admitted if you apply. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, your Safety Schools will get better and better.
| School Name | Location | SAT | ACT | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas State University | San Marcos, TX | 1080 | 23 | 3.31 |
| La Salle University | Philadelphia, PA | 1074 | 22 | 3.35 |
| Hampton University | Hampton, VA | 1059 | 22 | 3.4 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Indiana, PA | 1051 | 21 | 3.39 |
| University of Texas at El Paso | El Paso, TX | 1040 | 20 | 3.28 |
| California State University Northridge | Northridge, CA | 1030 | 19 | 3.42 |
| California State University San Bernardino | San Bernardino, CA | 1000 | 18 | 3.4 |
| California State University East Bay | Hayward, CA | 992 | 19 | 3.2 |
| Kean University | Union, NJ | 990 | 20 | 3.2 |
| California State University Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | 985 | 18 | 3.35 |
| California State University Dominguez Hills | Carson, CA | 900 | 15 | 3.22 |
Change My GPA
Curious about what your profile is with a different GPA? Choose any GPA to see what you'd be able to do!
Analyze Your SAT/ACT Score
Wondering about how competitive your current SAT or ACT score is? We've created strategy guides for each SAT and ACT score so you can see what your chances are at schools, and what will happen if you improve your score.
Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.
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