Do you have a 2.4 GPA? Are you wondering whether a 2.4 is good, and what colleges you can get into with a 2.4?
We've written the most detailed guide to your GPA here:
- Find out which colleges you can get into with a 2.4 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 2.4 GPA, our advice is the same for close GPAs, like 2.42 and 2.38 GPAs. You can use this guide for all GPAs between 2.35 and 2.44.
Is a 2.4 GPA good?
If you have a 2.4 GPA, you've been earning mostly C+s in your classes. This is a lower than average GPA and will put major limitations on your college search. You can still count on acceptance at some schools, but you'll have a pretty narrow range of safe bets to choose from.
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 2.4 GPA compares to the nation:
-
Percentile:
1st
1.15% of schools have an average GPA below a 2.4.
-
Competitive For:
18 Schools
You can apply to colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted.
-
Missing Out On:
1551 Schools
You have a low chance of getting into with a 2.4 GPA.
To elaborate, the national average for GPA is around a 3.0, so a 2.4 puts you below 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 2.4 GPA. Click your grade level to see our evaluation.
Since it's only your freshman year, your GPA is likely to change before you apply to college. However, at your current level it may be difficult to raise it to a degree that will allow you to gain admission to a wide range of schools. A 2.4 GPA is relatively low, although it's still high enough that you can be sure of admission to a few less selective colleges. Over the next couple years, you should work on raising your grades to get yourself closer to the average high school GPA of a 3.0. It's early to be thinking about colleges at this stage, but if you have any in mind that interest you, feel free to search for them using the tool below to see what your admissions chances might look like.
Sophomore year is a time when your GPA becomes much less subject to change. While you still have a couple of semesters left to raise your grades, it's safe to assume that your GPA won't change significantly before you apply to college. Having a 2.4 GPA means that you will be faced with limited options for safety schools. Even if you can increase your GPA by a couple tenths of a point before you apply, this will widen the scope of your choices quite a bit. You may be starting to think about which colleges interest you at this point - if that's the case, try searching for them with our tool below to find out what your chances of admission are with a 2.4.
If it's your junior year, it's unlikely that your GPA will change much before you have to send in college applications. With a 2.4, this means that you're going to face some pretty big limitations in where you can rely on being accepted. Your GPA is below average for high schoolers, so there aren't many colleges where most accepted students have GPAs that are similar to yours. You still do have some options, though, and you may be accepted by reach schools depending on your test scores and other factors. Try searching for schools that interest you with our tool below to see whether you might have a chance at being accepted with your GPA.
At this point you may have already begun the college application process - you've probably at least started your preparations and made a list of schools. If you've done your research, you should be aware of the fact that your GPA is going to place some big restrictions on where you can expect to get into college. Though you have solid options in some of the least selective schools, most colleges will be reaches with this GPA. If you're interested in finding out your estimated odds of acceptance, search for the schools where you plan on applying in the next section.
Your Chances With a 2.4 GPA
This is probably the biggest question on your mind. What colleges can you get into with a 2.4? 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:
- PrepScholar customizes your prep to your strengths and weaknesses. You don't waste time working on areas you already know, so you get more results in less time.
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- Our team is made of national SAT/ACT experts. PrepScholar's founders are Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. You'll be studying using the strategies that actually worked for them.
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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 |
2.4 |
0 | 2.4 |
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 2.4 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
You can see from the information above that a 2.4 GPA will make it difficult for you to get into the vast majority of four year colleges. Since you're still a freshman, right now you should worry less about your chances for college and more about how you're going to improve your grades in the next couple of years. You still have plenty of time to make changes that will have a strong positive impact on your college search. It's important that you start identifying the problems you're having as soon as possible and ask for extra help if you need it. If you can accurately diagnose what's going on, you stand a strong chance of raising your GPA to a level that will make you a much more competitive applicant.
To sum up the information in this guide, a 2.4 GPA as a sophomore isn't the end of the world, but if it doesn't change before senior year it will severely limit your college search. You still have a year left to improve your GPA, so take advantage of it as much as possible. Don't be afraid to ask for help in subjects where you've been struggling.
Standardized tests are on the horizon, so you should start thinking about those as well. If you plan your studying well and manage to get a good score your junior or senior year, you will have a much better chance of being admitted to many colleges. With smart strategies and determination, you can make a big difference in your odds of acceptance over the course of the next year.
Overall, having a 2.4 GPA this year means that you may experience some difficulty getting into the college of your choice. However, there are still some measures you can take to improve your chances. Junior year is prime time for taking standardized tests, and if you get high scores you can greatly increase your likelihood of acceptance at most colleges despite a lower than average GPA. Aim to take the SAT or ACT for the first time this fall or winter and then go from there to see how much you may need to improve.
Planning out your studying well can go a long way towards improving your scores - you can even study over the summer and take the test again your senior year. Be sure to keep working hard in your classes in the time you have left before applications, and make wise choices about where you apply. If you're aware of the limits your GPA will place on the college search, you should be able to find a school that's a good fit for you.
Based on what you've learned in this article, you will hopefully be able to make wiser choices in the application process. Since you've most likely started putting together your applications (or even already sent some in), some of this information may be old news. Still, it's very important to consider the limitations you will face from a GPA that's below average and apply to schools that are within a realistic range for you.
One way to improve your admissions chances even this late in the game is to retake the SAT or ACT. You can still take standardized tests after you've sent in your applications - most colleges accept results from test taken as late as senior winter. If you're happy with your test scores already, just be sure that you have a balanced list of schools including safety, probable, and reach options. If you plan well, you should be able to get into at least one or two colleges on your list.
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 2.4 GPA
We've picked out a set of schools that are within range. Click on each school to learn more about it.
Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into
These schools have average GPAs that are close to 2.4. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Carolina Upstate | Spartanburg, SC | 1030 | 20 | 2.45 |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver | Denver, CO | 1015 | 20 | 2.56 |
| Post University | Waterbury, CT | 990 | 19 | 2.68 |
| Talladega College | Talladega, AL | 980 | 19 | 2.4 |
| Southern Vermont College | Bennington, VT | 970 | 18 | 2.35 |
Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into
With a GPA of 2.4, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calumet College of St. Joseph | Whiting, IN | 960 | 15 | 2.61 |
| Saint Elizabeth University | Morristown, NJ | 950 | 16 | 2.6 |
| University of the Southwest | Hobbs, NM | 935 | 18 | 2.63 |
| Johnson C. Smith University | Charlotte, NC | 894 | 16 | 2.48 |
| Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | Cheyney, PA | 890 | 18 | 2.37 |
| LeMoyne-Owen College | Memphis, TN | 890 | 16 | 2.5 |
| Pine Manor College | Chestnut Hill, MA | 870 | 15 | 2.6 |
| Paul Quinn College | Dallas, TX | 840 | 16 | 2.6 |
| Wiley College | Marshall, TX | 830 | 16 | 2.53 |
| Livingstone College | Salisbury, NC | 820 | 15 | 2.32 |
| Bloomfield College | Bloomfield, NJ | 629 | 17 | 2.69 |
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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