Is a 3.5 GPA good for college?

Yes, a 3.5 GPA is considered good and qualifies for admission in many reputable institutions like California State University, University of Houston, and more. It equates to an A- and is above the national high school average.

What percentage is a 3.5 GPA?

A 3.5 GPA typically translates to approximately 87% in the percentage system and falls within the B+ to A- grade range.

What grades make up a 3.5 GPA?

A 3.5 GPA includes mostly A- and B+ grades. It reflects consistent above-average academic performance.

Can I get into a good university with a 3.5 GPA?

Yes, universities like Rollins College, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and University of Tampa accept students with a 3.5 GPA. You can enhance your chances with strong SAT/ACT scores and extracurriculars.

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Is A 3.5 GPA Good to Get Into a Reputable institution? Here is the Explained Answer

Q: Is a 3.5 GPA good in high school?

Yes, in high school, a 3.5 GPA is above average. It reflects strong academic performance and is competitive for many colleges.

Updated on May 21, 2025 | By Himanshu Mehra

Scoring a good GPA is a complex interplay of various factors. With soaring competition, GPA grades have become a litmus test to gauge the candidate’s caliber, which has proportionally thrust the students’ endeavor to boost their scores.

However, most of the students get tangled in the spiral of scoring a 3-3.7 GPA. This raises the most critical question, i.e., is a 3.5 GPA good, and will it get us admission to a reputable institution?

To help you out, here we have explored all the facets linked to this multi pronged question that will sort out all your doubts.

Table of Contents:

Is a 3.5 GPA Good?
How is GPA calculated?
Where is a 3.5 GPA Accepted?
How to Improve GPA?
Conclusion
FAQs

Is a 3.5 GPA Good?

Yes, a 3.5 GPA is good to get admitted to some esteemed institutions. It is below the average GPA level and is considered a good score. However, several intrinsic factors are embedded in the dimensions of this topic.

Firstly, what is a 3.5 GPA in true spirit?

In a 4.0 GPA system, it signifies an A(-) grade and is equivalent to around 87% in the percentage system, which is considered good across the academic spectrum.

But why is a 3.5 GPA good?

Accepted by many prestigious institutions, such as California State University and Western Washington University.
Less than 30% of the students get a 3.5 or above score.
The average high school GPA is 3.0.

Although a 3.5 GPA has been considered a decent score, there has been a rise in the average GPA scored by the students due to certain factors. They have brought the average score closer to a 3.5 GPA. So, do not bother yourself much by thinking, “is a 3.5 gpa good in high school?”

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Why Has There Been an Increase in Average GPA?

An increase in average GPA has been due to the widening reach of educational services and a highly competitive academic ecosystem. Apart from that, certain other attributes bear an impact on it, which are described as follows.

Weighted-Unweighted Dichotomy: In a weighted GPA system, the AP and honors courses are considered, which sometimes even take the GPA score beyond the upper range.
Evolving Grading Policy: The grading system of some institutions has been relaxed, making it easier to score high on the same exam level.
Competitive Admissions: There has been an increase in the grading requirements in some top institutions, which has inspired the students to score higher.
Easy Resource Availability: With the expansion of mediums for creating and sharing study material, there has been a significant improvement in the general caliber of students, leaving a significant impact on increased GPA.
Grade Inflation: It has been observed that higher grades are offered for the same work level in academics, which is causing inflation in grades.

The students need to note that the definition of a good GPA is very subjective and depends on the discipline and the institution. Another point to consider is that the weighted and unweighted system in GP has a significant impact on the grades, which is substantially significant in analyzing this GPA level.

How is GPA Calculated?

The GPA, i.e., Grade Point Average, is calculated based on the grades and respective percentage range. In a 4-grade system, the score is calculated using a predefined pattern among these 3 factors.

Here is a simplified table to help you figure out this pattern.

Grade	GPA	Percentage
A+	4	97-100
A	4	93-96
A-	3.7	90-92
B+	3.3	87-89
B	3	83-86
B-	2.7	80-82
C+	2.3	77-79
C	2	73-76
C-	1.7	70-72
D+	1.3	67-69
D	1	63-66
D-	0.7	60-62
F	0	0-59

This table explicitly depicts the GPA calculation method. However, there are some prominent differences between weighted and unweighted GPA. One of the notable differences is that while calculating the former GPA type, certain supplementary factors are considered, which generally increase the score.

Considering “Is 3.5 A Good GPA?”, it has been explicated above. But what are the best options for students who have this score?

Where is a 3.5 GPA Accepted?

As the top institutions accept students with a score of GPA closer to 4.0, some schools have a good record of admitting applicants with a 3.5 GPA. The candidates can trace out the best option among them and initiate the process to get into it.

Below is a list of the top 60 options to apply in 2025 for those with having 3.5 GPA.

S. No.	Institution Name	Address	Average ACT	Average SAT	Acceptance Rate
1	Union College	807 Union Street, Schenectady, NY	30-33	1300-1450	45%
2	Rollins College	1000 Holt Avenue, Winter Park, FL	26-30	1180–1350	50%
3	University of Missouri–St. Louis \| UMSL	1 University Blvd, St. Louis, MO	20-27	1050-1200	51%
4	Providence College	212 Huxley Avenue, Providence, RI	30	1050-1300	53%
5	The University of Tampa	401 W. Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL	25	1200	55%
6	Toccoa Falls College	107 Kincaid Dr, Toccoa Falls, GA	20-25	1050-1250	62%
7	Southern Arkansas University Main Campus	100 East University, Magnolia, AR	21	~1030	62%
8	Belhaven University	1500 Peachtree St, Jackson, MS	22-27	1000-1200	65%
9	Morehouse College	830 Westview Drive, S.W., Atlanta, GA	21+	~1050	65%
10	University of Houston	4800 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas	23-28	1150-1350	66%
11	University of North Georgia	82 College Circle, Dahlonega, GA	19-25	1040–1200	68%
12	Wichita State University \| WSU	1845 N. Fairmount St., Wichita, KS	21+	1050+	69%
13	Truett McConnell University	100 Alumni Dr, Cleveland, GA	18-23	1000-1200	69%
14	Ramapo College of New Jersey \| RCNJ	505 Ramapo Valley Rd, Mahwah, NJ	~24	1100-1250	70%
15	The State University of New York at Oneonta \| SUNY Oneonta	108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta, NY	26	~1110	70%
16	Frostburg State University	101 Braddock Rd, Frostburg, MD	18-25	950-1150	73%
17	Montana State University \| MSU	1600 Technology Blvd, Bozeman, MT	~25	1200	73%
18	University of Idaho	875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID	20-30	950-1200	74%
19	University of North Carolina at Asheville	1 University Heights, Asheville, NC	23-29	1150-1300	74%
20	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania	1 Morrow Way, Slippery Rock, PA	20-25	1055	74%
21	Western Illinois University	1 University Circle, Macomb, IL	17-25	850-1150	76%
22	Hamline University	1536 Hewitt Ave, St Paul, MN	20-26	1150-1250	76%
23	University of Illinois at Springfield	One University Plaza, Springfield, IL	21–28	1010-1250	77%
24	Wheaton College	501 College Ave, Wheaton, IL	27-32	~1150	77%
25	Marymount Manhattan College	221 E 71st St, New York, NY	~25	1100-1300	77%
26	Loyola University New Orleans	6363 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA	22-28	1050-1250	78%
27	Saginaw Valley State University	7400 Bay Rd, Saginaw, MI	19-25	950-1150	78%
28	St Bonaventure University	3261 W. State Road, St. Bonaventure, N.Y.	23-29	~1150	79%
29	Central Michigan University \| CMU	1200 S. Franklin St., Mount Pleasant, MI	~21	~1000	79%
30	Temple University	1801 N. Broad St, Philadelphia, PA	~28	~1250	79%
31	New York Institute of Technology \| NYIT	1855 Broadway, NY	21-28	1050-1250	80%
32	The State University of New York at Oswego \| SUNY Oswego	7060 State Route 104, Oswego, NY	23-27	1050-1250	80%
33	University of Central Oklahoma	100 N University Dr, Edmond, OK	~20	~1050	81%
34	Point Park University	201 Wood St, Pittsburgh, PA	~22	1050-1250	82%
35	University of North Dakota \| UND	3501 University Avenue, Grand Forks, ND	21-27	1120-1300	83%
36	University of Akron	302 Buchtel Common, Akron, OH	~22	950-1200	83%
37	Washington State University \| WSU	1260 NE Palouse Ridge Rd, Pullman, Washington	~20	~1000	83%
38	Western Michigan University \| WMU	1903 West Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI	~20	~990	84%
39	University of the Cumberlands	6178 College Station Drive, Williamsburg, KY	~22	950-1150	85%
40	Oral Roberts University	7777 South Lewis Avenue, Tulsa, OK	19-25	990-1200	85%
41	Houston Baptist University	7502 Fondren Rd, Houston, TX	~21	~1070	85%
42	University of Arizona	1200 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ	21-30	1160-1450	86%
43	Assumption University	500 Salisbury St, Worcester, MA	~24	~1090	86%
44	Northwest Missouri State University	800 University Dr, Maryville, MO	18-23	950-1150	86%
45	Widener University	One University Place, Chester, PA	~23	1050-1200	87%
46	Misericordia University	301 Lake Street, Dallas, PA	19-22	1070-1230	89%
47	Fort Hays State University	600 Park Street, Hays, KS	~23	950-1180	90%
48	Western New England University \| WNE	1215 Wilbraham Rd, Springfield, MA	25-27	1130-1300	90%
49	Bloomsburg University \| BloomU	400 E 2nd St, Bloomsburg, PA	~19	~1080	90%
50	West Virginia University \| WVU	1500 University Avenue, Morgantown, WV	~23	~1118	90%
51	California State University-Monterey Bay	5108 Fourth Avenue, Marina, CA	20-25	900-1200	92%
52	California State University, Stanislaus \| Stanislaus State	1 University Cir, Turlock, CA	19+	900-1080	92%
53	Western Washington University \| WWU	516 High Street, Bellingham, WA	23-29	1100-1300	92%
54	Delaware Valley University	700 E Butler Avenue, Doylestown, PA	24-27	1050-1250	93%
55	University of the Incarnate Word	4301 Broadway, San Antonio, TX	19	900-1025	93%
56	University of New Haven \| UNH	300 Boston Post Road, West Haven, CT	25-29	1090-1250	94%
57	University of Southern Indiana \| USI	8600 University Blvd, Evansville, IN	21-26	1020-1220	94%
58	University of Memphis	3720 Alumni Avenue, Memphis, TN	17-24	900-1200	94%
59	Dallas Baptist University \| DBU	3000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX	21-27	950-1200	94%
60	Troy University	601 University Avenue, Troy, AL	20+	~1030	95%

These institutions have varying admission criteria, which you need to consider and adhere to get admission. But you can improve your score beyond a 3.5 GPA by following a brief strategy.

How to Improve GPA?

After understanding the importance of a 3.5 GPA, the thing that you need to figure out is how to improve your score and get admitted to your dream institution.

To help you out in this endeavor, here is a clear and workable plan to improve your GPA score.

Make a Good Strategy: The foundational factor in scoring a good GPA is framing a strategy to follow during the learning process.
Prioritize Study Objectives: Approaching the exam consists of various objectives, such as studying through books, making notes, preparing assignments, etc. All these tasks need to be prioritized according to their requirement.
Arrange Reliable Resources: Nowadays, the learning process is supported by several resources, such as books, notes, and online material. These need to be kept ready at hand or made available during the process.
Take Tuition or Mentorship: The entire process will have hurdles and a point of rigor and lag. To keep the learning process uninterrupted and continuous, you must consult a mentor or get a tutor for help.
Ensure Time Management: One of the pivotal factors in the entire process is to manage the time with your objectives, failing which can cause unsatisfactory results and ultimately affect the GPA score.
Revise and Take Tests: To imprint the learned knowledge, you must revise it at a specific interval and take tests to gauge your retention power.

Following these steps and optimizing them as per your convenience will help you understand the art of scoring the highest GPA.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned information has sufficiently answered, “Is a 3.5 GPA good?”. You can choose from the list of institutions provided above and get admission in the discipline of your choice. However, as many institutions have removed the GPA requirement from their eligibility criteria, it is highly advised to go through the brochure of your targeted institutions before making a decision.

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