The 3.0 GPA

College Admissions

If you’re looking at applying to colleges and have a 3.0 GPA, you’re probably wondering what schools you can get into. With all the talk about how competitive college admissions are now and the pressure to have the highest GPA and standardized test scores, you’re probably feeling like no place will accept you.

Good news! There are plenty of colleges that would be happy to have you as their student and consider a 3.0 GPA a very acceptable number to bring with you. Keep reading to learn more about what reach, match, and safety schools are available to you with a 3.0 GPA.

What Schools Can You Get into With a 3.0 GPA?

Remember: your GPA is not the only determining factor when colleges review your application. Other things are considered like your extracurricular activities, essays, standardized test scores, and letters of recommendation. But I’ve done a little research so you can get an idea of the schools available to you with a 3.0 GPA.

Reach Schools

With a 3.0 GPA, below are schools that will be harder to get into based on your GPA alone. Other things factor into your admission like standardized test scores and essays. These are not all of the schools that can be considered reach schools for you; they’re just a sampling.

School Name	Location	SAT (2400)	SAT (1600)	ACT	GPA
Champlain College	Burlington, VT	1668	1200	25	3.04
College at Brockport	Brockport, NY	1600	1160	24	3.06
Georgia Southern University	Statesboro, GA	1639	1180	23	3.24
Hampton University	Hampton, VA	1015	770	21	3.2
High Point University	High Point, NC	1623	1170	23	3.23
Howard University	Washington, DC	1635	1170	23	3.29
Maine Maritime Academy	Castine, ME	1575	1140	23	2.9
Old Dominion University	Norfolk, VA	1035	780	21	3.26
University of Akron	Akron, OH	1057	800	21	3.1
University of Tampa	Tampa, FL	1595	1150	24	3.3
Washington State University	Pullman, WA	1555	1130	23	3.3

Match Schools

Unlike your reach schools, match schools are the ones that, based on your GPA alone, you’re a good fit for. I’ve taken just a sampling of the schools that would accept a 3.0 GPA or thereabouts from their application pool and are likely to extend an admissions offer. These are definitely not all of the schools in the country, just the ones I’ve chosen to list.

School Name	Location	SAT (2400)	SAT (1600)	ACT	GPA
California State University East Bay	Hayward, CA	1366	1010	19	3.1
California State University Northridge	Northridge, CA	920	720	19	3.18
College at Old Westbury	Old Westbury, NY	1477	1080	22	3.1
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	Tallahassee, FL	1419	1040	20	3.27
Penn State Harrisburg	Middletown, PA	1495	1090	24	3.08
Regis College	Weston, MA	1435	1050	21	3.02
St. Joseph's College of Maine	Standish, ME	1430	1050	22	3
St. Thomas Aquinas College	Sparkill, NY	1413	1030	20	2.94
Thiel College	Greenville, PA	1396	1030	21	3.07
University of Maine at Fort Kent	Fort Kent, ME	1358	1150		3.1
University of Texas at El Paso	El Paso, TX	925	720	20	3.15

Safety Schools

Unlike the other schools we’ve talked about so far, safety schools are ones that, based on GPA alone, you can be accepted into with a problem. The ones below are just a sampling, to give you an idea of the sorts of places you can apply to.

School Name	Location	SAT (2400)	SAT (1600)	ACT	GPA
Alabama State University	Montgomery, AL	865	670	18	2.8
Albertus Magnus College	New Haven, CT	1284	950		2.9
Boston Architectural College	Boston, MA	0	0		2.9
California State University Dominguez Hills	Carson, CA	1274	940	17	3.07
California State University Fresno	Fresno, CA	1355	1000	19	3.09
California State University Los Angeles	Los Angeles, CA	1315	970	18	3.18
Clark Atlanta University	Atlanta, GA	861	670	19	3
Kean University	Union, NJ	905	700	19	3
State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill	Cobleskill, NY	880	690	19	3.04
Texas Southern University	Houston, TX	1231	910	17	2.96
University of Texas at Brownsville	Brownsville, TX	905	700	19	3.09

What Can You Do Next?

The answer to this question varies depending on where you are in your high school career. So I’ve broken down my answers and advice based on your grade. If you’re a…

Freshman: You have plenty of time to improve your GPA so you can apply to more competitive colleges. Now is a great time to work with a tutor if you’re struggling with specific subjects or a personal coach if you have a time management problem.
Sophomore: Don’t worry, if you work really hard this year and your junior year, you can bring up your GPA slightly. You should concentrate on developing good study habits and working with someone to keep you accountable.
Junior: Because the GPA you have now is what will show up when you apply to college, there’s not much you can do to change your GPA. I suggest you maintain your grades and focus your efforts on test prep instead.
Senior: You’re probably in the middle of applying for schools right now! Work with a college consultant to help you identify more schools that fit your GPA and standardized test scores.

Remember, if you want to go to a more competitive school, but it’s not possible right now, you can always work towards transferring. Be sure to do your research to make sure you can coordinate classes and that the move won’t be a great strain financially.

College is competitive now and leaves a lot of students feeling left out if their GPAs aren’t over a 4.0, but trust me when I say a 3.0 GPA is something to be proud of. You now have a list of reach, match, and dream schools you can apply to with a 3.0 GPA and stand a very good chance of being accepted into.

Do you have a 3.0 GPA? What are your thoughts on some of the schools listed? Comment below and tell us what’s on your mind!

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