Is this good? Colleges you can get into with a 2.1 (2024)

Do you have a 2.1 GPA? Are you wondering whether a 2.1 is good, and what colleges you can get into with a 2.1?

We've written the most detailed guide to your GPA here:

Find out which colleges you can get into with a 2.1 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 2.1 GPA, our advice is the same for close GPAs, like 2.12 and 2.08 GPAs. You can use this guide for all GPAs between 2.0500000000000003 and 2.14.

Is a 2.1 GPA good?

A 2.1 GPA indicates that you have around a C average across all of your classes. This is a low GPA, so you may end up experiencing some difficulties in the college admissions process.

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 2.1 GPA compares to the nation:

Percentile:0th
0.32% of schools have an average GPA below a 2.1.
Competitive For:5 Schools
You can apply to colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted.
Missing Out On:1564 Schools
You have a low chance of getting into with a 2.1 GPA.

To elaborate, the national average for GPA is around a 3.0, so a 2.1 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 2.1 GPA. Click your grade level to see our evaluation.

Freshman
Sophom*ore
Junior
Senior

You may have had somewhat of a difficult start to your freshman year, but it's not too late to improve your grades! Right now you're close to the tipping point for attending college, meaning there are only a few schools where you would have a good chance of being accepted with this GPA. It's really important that you realize this now and start working hard to improve your study habits and give yourself a better range of options. As a freshman, you probably don't know where you want to apply yet, but if you're interested in any particular school, you can search for it with the tool in the next section and figure out your chances of admission. Even if the odds don't look great right now, remember that things can change in the next couple years if you make the effort.

If you have a 2.1 GPA your sophom*ore year, you might be heading towards a difficult time with college applications. Though your GPA still has the potential to change between now and senior fall, it will be hard to raise it significantly at this point. Improving your grades junior year is critical if you want to have more options for college. Seach for any schools that interest you in the next section to see what your chances of admission might look like based on your current GPA. Your GPA isn't set in stone yet, but you're going to need to step it up next year if you want to be absolutely sure of getting into college.

At this point, it's pretty much guaranteed that your GPA will stay the same or nearly the same between now and when you apply to college. This means that you'll face some struggles in the application process with finding schools where you can rely on being accepted. Unfortunately, there are only a few colleges where a 2.1 GPA will leave you with a high chance of admission. If you're thinking of applying anywhere in particular, you can search for schools using the tool in the next section. You'll be able to see your chances of admission based on your current GPA and test scores.

Your GPA senior year is the GPA you'll be using to apply to colleges. With a 2.1, there's no question that you'll be faced with limited options in the college application process. You can still expect to be admitted to a couple of the least selective schools, but your freedom of choice about where you apply is severely limited by your GPA. You may already have a list or schools planned out or have even begun applying, so if you're curious about your chances of admission you can search for colleges in the next section.

Your Chances With a 2.1 GPA

This is probably the biggest question on your mind. What colleges can you get into with a 2.1? 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:

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.

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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.
We guide you through your program step-by-step so that you're never confused about what you should be studying. Focus all your time learning, not worrying about what to learn.
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.
We've gotten tremendous results with thousands of students across the country. Read about our score results and reviews from our happy customers.

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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 sophom*ore 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
	2.1	0		2.1

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 2.1 GPA. As we explain next, your best chance at improving your chances of getting in may be to improve your SAT/ACT score.

Since you're still a freshman, it's early enough that you have the potential to make big changes to your GPA before you apply to college. Your current GPA is low enough to put your chances of getting into college in jeopardy, so the time to take action is now. Try to figure out what's going wrong in your classes and ask for extra help if you need it. Diagnosing the problems you're having is the first step towards improvement.

You have at least two full school years to turn things around and give yourself many more reliable options for college. You also have standardized tests ahead of you that have the potential to boost your chances of acceptance significantly if you study and do well. Remember to keep pushing yourself, and try not to let the struggles you're having this year define the rest of your time in high school.

You have a low GPA, but you can still make changes before senior year. A 2.1 at this point is not going to ruin your chances at getting into college, but it will place a lot of limits on your choices. That's why it's important to set goals for yourself for next year and figure out where you're having the most problems. Don't be afraid to ask for help from your teachers or to change your study habits.

You should also start thinking seriously about standardized tests. The best time to take the SAT or ACT for the first time will be early next year, so you should start preparing as soon as you can. If you manage to get a good score, you will increase your chances of admission at most colleges even if your GPA stays similar to what it is now. The key is not to let yourself become complacent in your current academic situation - you still have a full year to make changes, so don't let it go to waste!

As a junior, you don't have much time left to make changes to your GPA. If you used the tools in this article, you know that having a 2.1 GPA places pretty severe limits on your options for college. You still have a couple of safe choices, but any schools that are slightly selective will end up being reaches. Though your GPA may not be easy to change this late in the game, you can still make a difference in your chances of admission through standardized test scores.

Over the course of this year, you should try and study for the SAT or ACT and improve your scores as much as possible. If you manage to get high scores, you will have a much better chance of admission at most schools. You'll have opportunities to retake the SAT or ACT up until your senior winter, so there's plenty of time for more test prep. You should also continue trying to improve your grades over the course of this year - even small changes will help you in the long run!

Since you don't have much time left before you apply to college (or may already have begun applying), your GPA isn't going to change. At this point, you just need to be smart about where you apply. Make sure you apply to at least one or two schools where you have a strong chance of getting in even though your options are severely limited. You can also improve your chances of admission by retaking the SAT or ACT and raising your scores. A little bit of studying for standardized tests can go a long way. If you raise your scores by a couple hundred points, your chances of getting into college will increase quite a bit.

Colleges that Accept a 2.1 GPA

What schools can you get into with a GPA of 2.1?

We've picked out a set of schools that are within range. Click on each school to learn more about it.

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

With a GPA of 2.1, 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
Talladega College	Talladega, AL	980	19	2.4
Southern Vermont College	Bennington, VT	970	18	2.35
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania	Cheyney, PA	890	18	2.37
Livingstone College	Salisbury, NC	820	15	2.32

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.

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School Name	Location	Chances: 2.1 GPA +	Chances: 2.1 GPA +	Average GPA
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