2.1 GPA Colleges: Browse Schools That Accept a 2.1 GPA
A Grade Point Average (GPA) is determined by calculating a numerical average of your final grades throughout your high school career. A 2.1 GPA is slightly above a straight “C” average and indicates that almost all of your grades have been Cs.
What Letter Grade is a 2.1 GPA?
A 2.1 GPA equates to a 76%, or a C. It indicates that the large majority of grades in your classes have been Cs.
Is A 2.1 GPA Good?
While a “C” is typically synonymous with “average,” a 2.1 won’t help you much in your quest to college. With the national average GPA for graduating high school students at 3.0 (and the average for students who apply to college higher than that), a 2.1 isn’t considered competitive. Technically, a 2.0 GPA is unofficially the lowest grade point average that qualifies for acceptance into a standard college, but a 2.1 is still too low to clear the bar for admission at most schools.
What Colleges Can I Get Into with a 2.1 GPA?
A comparatively small number of colleges accept students with a 2.1 GPA, but there are plenty of routes you can take to get to higher education.
For freshman and sophomores, there’s still time to bring your GPA up to the national average of 3.0. The best advice is to commit yourself to slow and steady improvements in all your classes by studying more. If your high school has academic counselors or tutors, utilize their services. Start with a goal of making incremental growth from C to C+ or from C+ to B-. And once you reach those goals, keep striving to improve. If you’re eventually able to earn Bs and a few As in all of your classes, your GPA will start rising closer to the 3.0 mark.
Juniors have a more difficult task at this point since there isn’t enough time to raise a 2.1 GPA to a 3.0. Every tenth of a point you get closer to that competitive level opens up more college options, though. Focus on improving your grades as well as on earning some good standardized test scores—the combination makes your odds of acceptance all the better!
Unfortunately, for seniors it’s not possible to significantly raise your GPA by the application deadline for most colleges. At this point, a good option to consider is a 2-year college. Most local community colleges or junior colleges feature an open enrollment policy, which means that all students can attend regardless of GPA. Community colleges also offer the added benefit of saving money thanks to lower tuition and the opportunity to commute from home. During this time, community college provides the opportunity to establish a good GPA over two years and become eligible to transfer to a 4-year college or university with junior standing.
What Are Colleges Looking at Other Than a 2.1 High School GPA?
GPA is just one aspect colleges review when looking through your college application. Make sure to include as many aspects of your high school career as possible, including as any (or all) of the following:
- SAT Scores / ACT Scores
- Extracurricular/Afterschool activities
- Sports
- Application Essays
- Volunteer Work
- Jobs / Internships / Special Projects
- FAFSA
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 2.1 GPA in high school considered good?
A 2.1 is equivalent to a 76%, or a C. While a grade of “C” is generally considered “average,” unfortunately it won’t help with college admissions. To be competitive for college admissions, you’ll want to get to as close to 3.0 as possible.
What colleges can I get into with a 2.1 GPA?
Options are limited, but there are some colleges that accept students with an average GPA of 2.1. You can include the Metropolitan College of New York in target institutions to apply to, as well as Voorhees College as a likely institution and Southern Vermont University as a reach institution!
What percentile is a 2.1 GPA?
A 2.1 GPA is a percentile of 76 percent, landing you squarely in a mid-C grade range.
What scholarship can you get with a 2.1 GPA?
While you’re unlikely to get most scholarships with GPA requirements since they usually require at least a 2.5, you’re eligible for other scholarships! Search by passions, extracurriculars, and more to find ones to apply for. You can begin by searching our extensive scholarship database.
