What GPA Do You Actually Need for College? Realistic Thresholds Explained Every college admissions page says essentially the same thing: “We seek students with strong academic records,” or “competitive GPA preferred,” or “successful applicants typically have rigorous course loads.” What does that actually mean in numbers?A 3.0 GPA? A 3.5? A 3.8? The answer is…
The Gender Gap in GPA: Why Women Outscore Men by 0.19 Points Female students in the United States average a 3.10 GPA. Male students average 2.91. That 0.19-point difference, roughly two letter grade steps, holds consistently from first year through graduation and persists into college. It is not a new phenomenon, and it is not…
GPA Inflation: How Average Grades Rose 0.43 Points Since 1990 The average high school GPA in the United States was 2.68 in 1990. By 2019, it had climbed to 3.11. That is a 0.43-point increase in 30 years, nearly half a letter grade, and the trend shows no signs of stopping. Between 2018 and 2021…