hen you're in college, your GPA (Grade Point Average) can feel like the number that defines your future. While that's not entirely true: your skills, experience, and personal growth matter too— but, your GPA still plays an important role in:
- Scholarship eligibility
- Landing certain jobs
- Getting into graduate school
Whether you're preparing for internships, applying to grad school, or simply trying to stay in good academic standing, understanding what qualifies as a “good” GPA is a crucial part of navigating college.
But “good” isn’t one-size-fits-all. A strong GPA can look different depending on your major, your goals, and the expectations of your program or future field. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what makes a realistic, good GPA by taking these into account!
GPA Across Various Majors
An Attainable GPA for Some Majors May Be Entirely Different in Others
In college, a "good" GPA varies depending on your major, career goals, and whether you're considering graduate school. Together we will explore an overview of average GPAs across different fields, factors influencing these numbers, and how they impact future opportunities.
First, let’s consider the factors influencing GPA variations. Several elements contribute to the differences in average GPAs across majors:
Grading Practices
STEM courses often have objective grading with clear right or wrong answers, potentially leading to stricter grading. In contrast, humanities and social sciences may involve more subjective assessments, like essays or other writing projects, which can sometimes result in higher average grades.
Grade Inflation
Some disciplines experience grade inflation, where higher grades are awarded more frequently, impacting the average GPA. In other words, students today may be getting higher grades for the same quality of work that would have earned lower grades in the past. This would make the average GPA higher than in STEM fields.
Course Structure
Majors with cumulative content, like mathematics and sciences, may pose ongoing challenges that affect GPA. When we say that some majors have “cumulative content,” we mean that what you learn in each course builds directly on what you’ve already learned in previous courses. So, in short, if you didn’t understand a concept in an early course, you are likely to struggle later on when it comes back up.
Okay, so now that we have some background on different factors on GPA, let’s start exploring the actual numbers across different majors.
STEM Majors (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
STEM majors are often considered more rigorous, with challenging coursework and objective grading (right or wrong answers). For this reason, these GPAs tend to be somewhat lower overall.
Kevin Rask, an economics professor at Wake Forest, did a study on GPAs across majors and came up with the following results for the top 5 majors with the lowest GPAs:
- Chemistry: 2.78
- Math: 2.90
- Economics: 2.95
- Psychology: 2.78
- Biology: 3.02
Obviously, these numbers can be taken with a grain of salt. But, this gives us a good perspective on the difficulty of STEM. For that reason, a lower GPA of around 3-3.5 should still be considered “good.” This will be nuanced when we take into account post-undergrad plans, but this is a good starting point.
Humanities and Social Sciences
That same study came up with this list in terms of highest GPAs:
- English: 3.30
- History: 3.20
- Philosophy: 3.39
- Psychology: 3.32
- Sociology: 3.25
While these fields may involve heavy reading and writing, grading tends to be more flexible and subjective, leading to slightly higher average GPAs. A GPA in the 3.4–3.7 range is typically considered strong.
Again, this is not a definitive answer, but GPAs in the liberal arts tend to be a bit higher than STEM as demonstrated above.
So, now that we have a bit of background on where your GPA should fall based on your major alone, now let’s consider your GPA based on your plans after graduating.
GPA Needed For Employment, Graduate School, + More
The Standards for GPA Will Change Depending on Your Plans Post-Grad
You know the saying “C’s get degrees?” Well, it’s not entirely off base. If you aren’t planning on graduate school or internships, and plan on working right after college, then your GPA isn’t necessarily make it or break it.
In fact, a 2024 report from Forbes noted that only 38% of employers still use GPA cutoffs to filter applicants, down from 75% in 2019. For many employers, especially in competitive industries like finance, tech, and consulting, GPA can be a screening tool, but it’s definitely losing influence.
Still, if you're aiming for internships or entry-level jobs at top companies, a GPA of 3.5 or higher is often expected. In other industries, especially creative or entrepreneurial ones, a lower GPA can be offset by other things. A lot of interviewing is about marketing yourself! If you don’t have a necessarily high GPA, you can make yourself standout through:
- Experience
- Projects
- An outstanding portfolio
So, GPA isn’t a standalone factor in getting employed. Great! However, graduate school is a different story.
Here, GPA matters a lot more. Most master’s and doctoral programs require at least a 3.0, but top-tier programs often look for 3.5–3.8 and above. Competitive law schools and medical schools may expect GPAs in the 3.7–4.0 range, depending on the rest of your application.
If you plan on grad school, no matter what your major, a high GPA will be very important. If you apply for scholarships, it is good to keep in mind that scholarships often have hard GPA cutoffs, and higher scores open up more opportunities.
This in mind, GPA isn’t everything. A high GPA is definitely good – it shows hard work and dedication, as well as consistency throughout your schooling. But it’s not the only thing that matters.
Employers and graduate schools are increasingly looking for the full package. This means work experience, leadership roles, research, internships, and more. In some cases, real-world accomplishments can outweigh a less-than-perfect GPA.
Also, grading practices vary from one college to another. A 3.4 GPA from a highly competitive program may be more impressive than a 3.8 from a less rigorous one. As we’ve established, context is key.
Raising Your GPA
What to Do if Your Grade Isn’t Where You’d Like it to Be
So, what’s a “good” GPA in college? The short answer: it depends! Here’s a quick guide, but there is definitely not one singular answer.
- 3.0–3.2 = Respectable, especially in tougher majors
- 3.3–3.6 = Strong, above average in most fields
- 3.7+ = Excellent, especially for grad school or scholarships
Still, GPA isn’t everything. If yours isn’t where you want it to be, focus on building a well-rounded resume, and don’t be afraid to tell your story. Academic numbers are just one piece; what you do with your education matters more.
