Anna Ravenelle May 16, 2023 6 Applying to College,College Lists

Is a 3.3 GPA Good? Colleges that Accept a 3.3 GPA

What’s Covered:

• Is a 3.3 GPA Good?
• How Do Colleges Evaluate GPAs?
• Which Colleges Accept a 3.3 GPA?
• Steps to Increase Your GPA
• What GPA Do You Need for Your Top Colleges?

Colleges and universities use a variety of factors when making admissions decisions and while different schools value different attributes, one element that’s influential almost everywhere is GPA. While seemingly every student would love to have a 4.0 on their application, the fact is that many students have less-than-perfect GPAs and a number of great schools are ready to welcome them to their campuses.

Below is a list of a number of schools where the average unweighted GPA of enrolled students is 3.3. Not sure what your unweighted GPA is on a 4.0 scale? Use our GPA converter.

Is a 3.3 GPA Good?

A 3.3 GPA is slightly below the national average for SAT test takers of 3.38, so this GPA may somewhat limit your college choices.

That said, what constitutes a “good” or “bad” GPA is relative to how it stacks up against the average high school GPA of accepted students at the college you’re applying to. A competitive GPA is one that is at or above the average of the school’s typical freshman profile.

An unweighted 3.3 is the equivalent of a B+. To calculate your unweighted GPA, it’s often necessary to convert letter grades to the 4.0 scale typically used by college admission committees. Add the numerical equivalents of your grades and divide by the total number of grades to find your average. Below is a guide to converting letter grades to the 4.0 scale.

If your dream schools have highly selective admissions, a 3.3 GPA may not be strong enough. One strategy for students whose GPA is keeping them from admission to their dream school is to attend community college first, get their grades up, and transfer to a four-year school.

CollegeVine’s free chancing calculator can help you better understand how your grades stack up at over 1,600 schools. It also provides insight into how other aspects of your application—like course rigor, test scores, and extracurricular activities—affect your odds of admission and is a valuable tool for both building your college list and identifying strengths and weaknesses on your profile.

How Do Colleges Evaluate GPAs?

College admissions commonly recalculate your GPA using their own system and accounting for their own priorities (weighted GPA). For example, some colleges place more weight on AP and honors courses than standard classes, while other schools value grades in core courses, like English, history, math, and science, than they do electives like foreign languages, art, and physical education. If a bad grade in a class like band dragged down your average, this could make you a stronger applicant than you appear at first glance.

A weighted GPA is generally more important than an unweighted GPA in college admissions. This is particularly true at schools with highly selective admissions. Weighted GPAs are simply more informative than unweighted GPAs, as they provide admissions committees with a better understanding of your course load and the rigor of the classes you’ve taken.

In addition to weighted GPA, another tool commonly used to evaluate academic performance, particularly by highly selective schools, is the Academic Index, which is a summation of your transcript and test scores into a single numerical score. Colleges use Academic Index to screen out applicants they deem underqualified. If you fail to meet a school’s Academic Index baseline, you’re at risk of not having your application given serious consideration.

Which Colleges Accept a 3.3 GPA?

Below is a collection of the top colleges with freshman classes that have an average high school GPA of 3.3. It’s worth pointing out that the schools below are not the only institutions that a student with a 3.3 GPA should consider. Many schools don’t publish the average GPA of accepted applicants and GPA is just one factor considered by colleges when making admissions decisions. Do your due diligence before ruling a school in or out.

Steps to Increase Your GPA

If you have your heart set on a school whose incoming class GPA averages higher than 3.3, there are ways you can work to increase your GPA and your chances at that school. If you’re a freshman or sophomore in high school, there’s still plenty of time to improve your grades—and demonstrating an upward trend in performance is often looked on favorably by colleges.

Consider Your Course Load

If you are struggling to keep your grades up because you feel overwhelmed by the difficulty of your classes, try reevaluating your course load. Eliminating a challenging class or two can both remove classes negatively affecting your GPA and free up time to focus on courses you enjoy and are succeeding in.

Consider Your Commitments

Between school, extracurriculars, and other obligations, it’s easy for students to over-commit. If this is the case for your less-than-stellar GPA, consider delegating or putting on hold some of the responsibilities you’re not as passionate about while you improve your GPA.

Consider Your Study Habits

Improving your study habits often goes hand in hand with improving your grades. Identify your weaknesses and work on them. For example, if you’re prone to procrastination, use a productivity app or enlist a family member to help keep you on schedule. Similarly, if you have trouble taking tests, switch up your review methods—flashcards, mnemonic devices, or quizzing friends—to see if something different works better for you.

Consider a Helping Hand

Seek help to improve your understanding of the material and your grades. Ask your teacher if they’ll work with you one-on-one to go over topics you don’t understand or work through a question step by step. Consider enlisting a peer tutor who did well in the class recently, or utilizing outside resources which can help explain topics in new ways.

What if you don’t have time to increase your GPA?

If you’re a junior or senior, there likely isn’t enough time to significantly raise your GPA. The best strategy for improving your college admission odds is to score high marks on your standardized tests, which will increase your Academic Index.

Colleges will account for low grades due to extenuating circumstances. You don’t want to make excuses, however, if something outside of your control significantly affected your grades—like the death of a family member or a personal illness—make sure to let colleges know by including it in the Additional Information section of the Common App.

What GPA Do You Need for Your Top Colleges?

Want to know how your GPA impacts your chances of acceptance to your dream schools? CollegeVine can help! Our free Chancing Engine can help you estimate your odds of admission, let you know how you stack up against other applicants, and highlight which aspects of your profile to improve—like your GPA.