Is a 3.8 GPA in community college good? (2023)

What is a good community college GPA?

It's a gauge of a student's potential and how seriously they took their high school education. There are some community colleges that will take you no matter what your GPA is. However, for admissions at the vast majority of them a minimum GPA for community college would be 2.0 or 2.5.

This depends on your study habits and the difficulty of your classes, but a 3.8 your first year is considered to be pretty impressive and difficult to obtain for many. A 3.8 GPA would be roughly an A- average.

A good transfer GPA is 3.8 (which is the average transfer GPA) and above. However, the minimum GPA is 2.5. The GPA requirement differs from college to college. Top tier colleges demand the average and above.

So, strictly speaking, a 3.9 GPA is just a tenth shy of a perfect score and demonstrates academic excellence in every class. A 3.9 GPA far exceeds the average GPA that most colleges use as their unspoken baseline for competitive admission (3.0) as well as the benchmark GPA for more selective colleges (3.5).

The fewer credit hours you have earned, the easier it will be to raise your GPA. If you have a 3.0 GPA and 15 credit hours, by earning straight A's during your next (15 credit) semester, you can bump your GPA to a 3.5.

Community college course grades are calculated into your GPA as one semester even though each semester course satisfies one-year of the A-G subject requirement.

While there's no clear-cut rule that dictates when to include your GPA, most career experts say to only keep it on a resume if it's over 3.5.

A 3.8 GPA, or Grade Point Average, is equivalent to an A- letter grade on a 4.0 GPA scale. This means is equivalent to a 90-92%. The national average GPA is 3.0 which means a 3.8 is far above average. Because a 3.8 is already so high it can be hard to raise, but with hard work and dedication it is possible!

Most commonly, students graduate cum laude (Latin for "with praise") when they earn a 3.5-3.7 GPA, magna cum laude ("with great praise") when they earn a 3.7-3.9 GPA, and summa cum laude ("with highest praise") when they earn a 3.9 GPA or higher.

To elaborate, the national average for GPA is around a 3.0, so a 3.8 puts you above average nationally.

How many A's do you need for a 3.8 GPA?

A 3.8 GPA, or Grade Point Average, is equivalent to a A- letter grade on a 4.0 GPA scale, and a percentage grade of 90–92.

Getting a 4.0 in community college is not easy, and takes a lot of effort and hard work. Having a solid plan that you can rely on - from being the best student you can be to understanding what the teacher wants - can mean the difference between success and failure.

Most employers won't check your GPA unless they're hiring for an entry-level job where they're looking for extra qualifiers. For entry-level jobs where candidates may not have much experience to show their work ethic, a GPA can serve as a valuable substitute.

A 3.9 GPA can be composed of three years of two semesters, each semester containing 5 classes, and all grades equal to As except 3, which are Bs. A 3.85 GPA is the same but 1 or 2 more Bs.

A 3.5 GPA correlates to a B+ average and indicates that you have consistently earned above-average grades and makes you eligible to apply for a wide range of colleges, so yes! Objectively, a 3.5 GPA is considered good.

However, it is important to realize that your GPA at the community college is what's going to get you into the university that you want to go to. Even though this GPA will not transfer to the university, it is the main thing that they are going to be looking at when wanting to accept you.

In terms of tuition, ease of admission, flexibility, school-life balance, and many other factors, community colleges are definitely “easier” than a university.

The first thing you need to be clear about is that retaking classes (in most cases) has a minimal effect on your GPA, because retaken classes don't replace your low grades – they average in with them. That's right: your low grade won't be dropped – the retaken class grade will be added to it and averaged.

Is it better to go to community college first then transfer to university?

In fact, many university advisors recommend that students attend community college “college transfer” programs first, and then transfer to universities for the final two years.

Is a 3.8 GPA in high school considered good? The average GPA of graduating high schoolers is 3.0, making 3.8 a definitively good GPA. It gives you a reasonable chance of acceptance at even competitive institutions, so reach as high as you can!

A 3.0 to 3.4 GPA is often considered average, though some employers suggest including any GPA that is at least 3.0.

Additionally, you may wonder, can you round up GPA on your resume? The short answer is yes, but only to one decimal place (e.g., 3.49 rounded up to 3.5). This guide will cover everything you want know about GPA on resume.

Continue to work hard, take difficult classes, and show your passions outside of school! To get to Harvard your GPA has to be at least a 4.0 and even then if you get in your lucky but they require at least a 4.18 GPA only .

You should also have a 4.14 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Yale, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application.

Science majors tend to have lower GPAs on average, with chemistry being the major with the lowest average GPA. Meanwhile, education majors earn the highest GPAs on average.

The exact dean's list GPA requirements will depend on each particular pool of students, but is usually at least a 3.5 GPA. To be eligible, you'll also need to be a full-time student taking a minimum number of credits (often around 12 credits).

The highest academic distinction is summa cum laude, followed by magna cum laude and cum laude.

Is a 3.8 GPA out of 5 good?

19 ÷ 5 = 3.8

A 3.8 GPA is very good! See how the 5.0 scale for the Honors and AP classes increased the GPA to an “A-” range, even though you earned 3 “B” grades?

Is a 3.8 GPA good enough to get into college? Your GPA reflects your entire academic record. A 3.8 sits between an A and an A- and is a strong average. However, as you look toward the college admission process, you may see that some of the most selective schools have freshman classes with higher GPAs.

Summa cum laude: 3.9-4.0 GPA. Magna cum laude: 3.7-3.8 GPA. Cum laude: 3.5-3.6 GPA.

So, a 3.8 GPA or Grade point average means an A-letter grade on a 4.0 GPA scale. Also, a 3.8 GPA is approximately equal to 90-92% marks. A 3.0 GPA is considered the national average GPA. Therefore, a 3.8 GPA is far better than a 3 GPA as it is above the average requirement.

Cum laude grade point average estimates: gpa for cum laude - 3.5 to 3.7; gpa for magna cum laude - 3.8 to 3.9; gpa for summa cum laude - 4.0+. Magna cum laude gpa and summa cum laude gpa can tie, broken by additional factors.

You should also have a 4.18 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Harvard, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application.

The unweighted scale is most common, and the highest possible GPA on this scale is a 4.0. The unweighted scale doesn't take the difficulty of a student's classes into account. Weighted scales are also used at many high schools. Typically, they go up to a 5.0.

Yes! Community college transfer students are accepted by Ivy League schools on merit. Applicants can be accepted into Ivy League schools as transferees whether or not they have already completed their associate degrees, as long as their college applications fulfill or even exceed the admissions requirements.

Getting a 4.0 GPA in Community College is Easy Enough

But the requirements are simple and finite to get on the dean's list. Although the exact specifications will differ by school, in most cases you will have to hold a 3.5 GPA or higher in order to receive this academic honor.

Those course grades are typically weighted and are usually graded on a five-point scale instead of four points, so if you get a “B, it equates to a 4.0, and an “A” would give you a grade of 5.0. At some schools, honors classes and advanced placement courses would be figured on a 6.0 GPA format.

What is the average GPA in America?

Recent studies show that the average GPA for students in high school in the United States is 3.0. It's slightly higher for college students at 3.1.

A 3.5 GPA, or Grade Point Average, is equivalent to an B+ letter grade on a 4.0 GPA scale. This means is equivalent to 87-89%. The national average GPA is 3.0 which means a 3.5 above average.

Key Takeaways

Putting a GPA on a resume is optional (most of the time). List your GPA if the employer requires you to. Add your GPA if it's equal or higher than 3.5. Consider putting your GPA only if you have under 3 years of experience.

A 3.9 GPA, or Grade Point Average, is equivalent to an A- letter grade on a 4.0 GPA scale. This means is equivalent to a 90-92%. The national average GPA is 3.0 which means a 3.9 is far above average. A 3.9 is so high that it can be hard to raise it any higher!

Unweighted GPAs are reported on a 4.0 scale and consider all classes equal. Weighted GPAs are reported on a 5.0 scale and consider class difficulty when awarding grades. Colleges consider both when reading your application for admission.

To elaborate, the national average for GPA is around a 3.0, so a 3.9 puts you above average nationally.

Is a 2.4 GPA Good? A 2.4 GPA signals to a college or university that a student has earned average scores within the B- and C+ range. A 2.4 is a hair away from the 2.5 range, which opens up eligibility for a number of colleges, but is still below the competitive benchmark for college applications of 3.0.

A 2.5 GPA corresponds to a C average, making it a common starting GPA for many colleges and universities, even some more competitive institutions — though acceptance at that level would be a long shot.

A 3.5 GPA correlates to a B+ average and indicates that you have consistently earned above-average grades and makes you eligible to apply for a wide range of colleges, so yes! Objectively, a 3.5 GPA is considered good.

The answer is No. The national average for a GPA is around 3.0 and a 2.0 GPA puts you below that average. A 2.0 GPA means that you've gotten only C-s and D+s in your high school classes so far. Since this GPA is significantly below a 2.0, it will make things very difficult for you in the college application process.

Does GPA reset after community college?

Your GPA will not transfer to your new college.

Unless you are transferring within a public college system, the GPA you graduate with will be calculated based on your grades at your new college.

While a 1.0 is typically the lowest GPA accepted to college, there are schools that only require applicants to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.

California applicants must earn at least a 3.0 GPA and nonresidents must earn a minimum 3.4 GPA in all A-G or college-preparatory courses to meet this requirement.

Are community college degrees worth anything? Yes. Many students go to community college to earn a quick associate's degree and earn more than $50,000. They can even transfer to a university and complete a bachelor's degree later if they choose to do so.

You should also have a 4.18 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Harvard, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.

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).

At minimum, experts say, students must generally meet a GPA standard of 2.0, or a C average, on a 4.0 scale to graduate and remain eligible for federal financial aid. Institutional scholarships and program enrollment at many colleges often hinge on academic achievement above a C average.