What is a 1.50 GPA?
A 1.5 GPA is equivalent to 70% or C- letter grade. The national average GPA is 3.0 which means a 1.5 GPA is definitely below average and will not work in your favor.
Since this GPA is significantly below a 2.0, it will make things very difficult for you in the college application process. 0.19% of schools have an average GPA below a 1.5. You can apply to colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted.
Letter Grade | Percent Grade | 4.0 Scale |
---|---|---|
C | 73-76 | 2.0 |
C- | 70-72 | 1.7 |
D+ | 67-69 | 1.3 |
D | 65-66 | 1.0 |
Maintaining a minimum 2.0 GPA is often necessary to participate in sports, extracurricular activities, and selected classes. A 2.0 GPA meets high school graduation requirements but most colleges—and some trade schools—expect a high school GPA of at least 3.0 (B) or better.
A 1.5 GPA is equivalent to 70% or C- letter grade. The national average GPA is 3.0 which means a 1.5 GPA is definitely below average and will not work in your favor.
Unofficially, 2.0 is the lowest GPA accepted into a standard college, so while there's a chance that college admission is possible, it's not likely at more than a few institutions.
At minimum, experts say, students must generally meet a GPA standard of 2.0, or a C average, on a 4.0 scale to graduate and remain eligible for federal financial aid. Institutional scholarships and program enrollment at many colleges often hinge on academic achievement above a C average.
The national average for a GPA is around 3.0 and a 2.5 GPA puts you below that average. A 2.5 GPA means that you've gotten only C-s and D+s in your high school classes so far.
Depending on the grading scale of a college or university, anything below 70% is considered failed. However, there are colleges and universities that have different standards and designate grades below 60% as failing.
Usually, a GPA of 3.0 - 3.5 is considered good enough at many high schools, colleges, and universities. Top academic institutions usually require GPAs higher than 3.5.
Is a 2.3 GPA passing?
In a by-the-textbook definition, a 2.3 GPA is considered “below-average.” Even though it's considered a passing grade, a 2.3 GPA, or a C-grade average, isn't ideal for getting accepted into college.
Normally, you would expect the highest score to be the 'perfect' 4.0 score, however, there are several things that a student can do to receive an even higher score. For example, one student actually managed to get a 10.03 GPA score. He did this by taking 17 advanced classes at his school, which awarded him many points.

The unweighted scale is most common, and the highest possible GPA on this scale is a 4.0. The unweighted scale doesn't take the difficulty of a student's classes into account. Weighted scales are also used at many high schools. Typically, they go up to a 5.0.
It's found in high schools and colleges alike and is very straightforward. Essentially, the highest GPA you can earn is a 4.0, which indicates an A average in all of your classes. A 3.0 would indicate a B average, a 2.0 a C average, a 1.0 a D, and a 0.0 an F.
The failing grade will NOT calculate in your GPA, but it will still show on your transcript. On your transcript, an "E" will show to the right of your failing grade to mark the course as "Excluded". On your transcript, an "I" will show to the right of the second time you took the class, marking it as "Included".
3.5-2 which corresponds to good but not excellent work; 2-1 where one can barely pass their classes without enough effort on their part; 1-. 75 where one has difficulty passing their classes even when they try hard.
Will one “C” ruin my GPA in high school? While receiving a “C” will impact your GPA, it will certainly not ruin it. That “C” won't ruin your chances of getting into college either. However, how leniently colleges view the “C” will largely depend on what grade you received it in.
What's a Low GPA for College? First, we should clarify what we mean by a low GPA. The definition of a low GPA depends heavily on your personal goals and target colleges, but a general rule of thumb is that any GPA below a 3.0 puts you in the lower range for most colleges in the country.
You should also have a 4.18 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Harvard, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.
Poor study habits are a common reason for a low GPA. Many students never learn how to study effectively, as it's not something many high schools teach. Therefore, it's worth taking some time to learn how to study.
What is the lowest GPA you have to maintain in college?
Once you're in college, many institutions expect you to maintain at least a 2.0 to remain enrolled. However, programs and scholarships tend to require a higher minimum GPA, usually around 3.0. As you get ready to graduate, a particularly high GPA (3.75 or higher) may mean that you graduate with distinction.
The average high school GPA in the US is 3.0, which also accounts for roughly 35% of students who don't end up applying for college. However, for college applicants, the average GPA is more likely between 3.5 and 4.0.
The GPA requirements for Harvard University are between 3.9 to 4.1. You will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating at the top of their class in order to get into Harvard University.
Whether you're a current high school student, just graduated or returning to college education after a break, it is still possible to be successful with a low GPA. It takes a significant amount of work and a dedication to improving yourself, but there are options for you.
If you don't meet your minimum academic progress requirements, you may be placed on an academic progress status such as academic notice, academic probation, or academic suspension. This process is meant to help you identify where and why you may be experiencing difficulties, and determine how best to address them.
None of the Ivy League schools have a minimum GPA requirement for applications, which means anyone can apply regardless of their GPA.
Failing a class in college happens to even the best of students, and it's unrealistic to expect that you'll be able to do everything perfectly in college. You messed up. You failed a class. But in most cases, you probably didn't ruin your life or put yourself in some kind of disastrous situation.
A grade of C or better is required to earn a Passed; a C- or below will earn a Not Passed grade. A grade of C- may satisfy many requirements (e.g., General Education, elective) but a Not Passed grade will not earn any credit or satisfy requirements.
While pass/fail classes offer several benefits, they also come with significant drawbacks. At some schools, a failing grade equals a zero toward your GPA, which hurts your GPA more than getting a D in a letter-grade class. Colleges also limit how many pass/fail classes students can take.
Let's take a look. A 1.7 GPA is equivalent to 70-72% or C- letter grade. The national average GPA is 3.0 which means a 1.7 GPA is definitely below average and will not look good on a report card.
How much will one b drop my GPA in college?
B+=3.3, B=3.0, B-=2.7. Each class grade is multiplied by the credit for each class and added together to determine an unweighted GPA. Understand how colleges may recalculate your GPA.
A GPA of 1.0 is generally considered below average or below the standard that most community colleges and universities expect of their students.
If you have a 3.0 GPA and 15 credit hours, by earning straight A's during your next (15 credit) semester, you can bump your GPA to a 3.5. However, if you have already earned 60 credit hours and have a 3.0 GPA a straight-A semester will only bump your GPA to a 3.2.
Yes, it is possible, assuming that the 1.5 GPA is based on one semester. If you have 1.5 one semester and you get a 2.5 GPA the next semester, the average will be 2.0. This should not be too difficult, if you turn yourself around.
- Avoid classes you don't need.
- Meet with a tutor.
- Speak with your instructors.
- Set goals for yourself.
- Turn in assignments on time.
- Join a study group.
- Study topics as you go.
- Improve note-taking skills.
In most cases, a high GPA is somewhere between 3.50 and 4.00, and a low GPA is somewhere between 1.50 and 2.00. Understanding what constitutes a good grade point average (GPA) is important.
A good GPA in college has many benefits. Students must maintain a minimum GPA for federal financial aid eligibility. Though most schools set their requirements, it's usually no lower than a 2.0 GPA. Having a 3.5 GPA or higher also has its perks.
What is the highest GPA you can get? A 4.0 GPA is the highest possible score a student can get. This score means that a student received A grades in all of his or her classes.
Most schools calculate GPA on a 0.0-4.0 scale.
Although a GPA above 5.0 is uncommon, schools occasionally design their point systems so that students enrolled in difficult courses might accrue extra points.
Can you have a 7.0 GPA?
Your grade point average (GPA) is the average result of all your grades and is calculated on a 7-point grading scale. 7 being the highest (HD), and 0 is the lowest (fail). The GPA calculator can help you determine if you are eligible for scholarships, programs such as Honours or admission to other universities.
There are several reasons that the SAT is considered a more valuable admissions tool than your GPA. The most obvious is that the SAT is a standardized test. While your GPA compares you to the rest of your school, your SAT score compares you to the rest of the country.
One student even managed to land a stunning 10.03 GPA by taking 17 advanced classes at a school that awarded bonus points. If the different GPA scales seem a little confusing, check out our guide on how to calculate GPA for a straightforward explanation of weighted and unweighted GPAs.
Every semester, you'll receive a GPA based on the grades you earned in all of your classes during that semester. Throughout high school, you'll also maintain a cumulative GPA, which is an ongoing average of all your semester one and two grades beginning with freshman year.
One B will not hurt your chances, especially because it was in a rigorous AP class. Your B will hardly make a dent in your GPA, and assuming that will be your only B by graduation, your GPA will be in the high 90th percentile even at the most competitive schools.
B - is still a pretty good grade! This is an above-average score, between 80% and 89% C - this is a grade that rests right in the middle.
Having a 1.6 GPA means you're still below average and this can greatly hinder your application into college. All is not lost though, you just have to work extra hard for the rest of this year and next year to increase your GPA to at least a 2.0 and above.
While a 1.0 is typically the lowest GPA accepted to college, there are schools that only require applicants to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Even with grades that are lower than the national average, you can still go ahead and apply to 4 year universities.
Typically, colleges will not accept a GPA below 2.0 to a four-year program, but there are options for students with a GPA lower than this to succeed in being accepted.
High School Students:
If you're in high school and plan to attend college you will need to raise your 1.3 GPA by several points. More accredited institutions require a 3.0 GPA on your application. Don't lose heart though, there are many ways to raise your GPA and it's possible with hard work and dedication.
What's the lowest GPA you can get into Harvard with?
You should also have a 4.18 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Harvard, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.
When a student's cumulative GPA drops below 2.0, the institution can put them on academic probation. Academic probation means students risk losing financial aid and even being dropped from college. Low grades are a warning sign that students need to make changes quickly to continue their education.
Once you're in college, many institutions expect you to maintain at least a 2.0 to remain enrolled. However, programs and scholarships tend to require a higher minimum GPA, usually around 3.0. As you get ready to graduate, a particularly high GPA (3.75 or higher) may mean that you graduate with distinction.
Without making excuses, offer reasons why your GPA might be lower than your peers'. Reasonable explanations might include taking more rigorous electives, carrying a heavier course load, or working year-around to pay tuition.
The average GPA for graduating high school students is a 3.0, which 2.5 falls below. A 2.5 means that you received a C-average for academic performance, equally out to a percentile between 73% and 76%.
A letter grade of a D is technically considered passing because it not a failure. A D is any percentage between 60-69%, whereas a failure occurs below 60%.
Most colleges require a minimum GPA of 3.0 for admission. So if you are planning to attend college you should work to raise your 1.8 GPA by at a point or two.
References
- https://advising.stanford.edu/current-students/advising-student-handbook/academic-progress-difficulties
- https://blog.prepscholar.com/whats-the-average-high-school-gpa
- https://admissionsight.com/is-it-possible-to-get-a-5-0-gpa/
- https://www.thoughtco.com/if-i-fail-a-class-in-college-793262
- https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/what-is-a-good-gpa-college/
- https://www.utoledo.edu/dl/pdf/Gpa%202.0%20and%20UP.pdf
- https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/what-is-a-passing-grade-in-college/
- https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/what-to-do-failing-class/
- https://www.fau.eu/education/international/from-abroad/semester-abroad-at-fau/ects-and-german-university-grades/
- https://www.collegesimply.com/gpa/gpa-scale/1.7/
- https://www.powerscore.com/sat/help/sat_vs_gpa
- https://gpacalculator.io/faq/what-is-the-highest-gpa/
- https://www.mastersportal.com/articles/2126/what-is-a-gpa-and-why-is-it-so-important.html
- https://www.collegevine.com/questions/25880/i-m-a-senior-will-one-b-ruin-my-chances-of-getting-in-and-keeping-my-college-acceptances
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/what-a-good-college-gpa-is-and-why-it-matters
- https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/research/average-gpa
- https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/college-basics/how-to-convert-gpa-4.0-scale
- https://gpacalculator.net/gpa-scale/1-5-gpa/
- https://gpacalculator.io/gpa-scale/f/
- https://gpacalculator.net/how-to-raise-gpa/
- https://counselor1stop.org/wiki/grade-point-average-gpa/
- https://www.quadc.io/glossary/gpa/
- https://www.collegevine.com/questions/28517/will-one-c-mess-up-my-cumulative-gpa
- https://www.turito.com/blog/score-guide/is-1-5-gpa-good-or-bad
- https://medicalschoolhq.net/opm-145-can-i-recover-from-a-bad-gpa-to-get-into-med-school/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_grading_in_the_Philippines
- https://blog.prepscholar.com/the-best-colleges-with-low-gpa-requirements
- https://gpacalculator.io/gpa-scale/1.7/
- https://www.calcareercenter.org/Home/Content?contentID=318
- https://www.chase.com/personal/education/student/raise-your-gpa
- https://work.chron.com/explain-low-gpa-job-interviews-18729.html
- https://www.coursera.org/articles/what-is-a-good-college-gpa
- https://www.collegevine.com/questions/2907/will-one-bad-grade-affect-my-chance-into-colleges
- https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-for-me-to-raise-my-GPA-from-a-1-5-to-a-2-0-in-one-semester
- http://www.gradetracker.com/academy/4-0-gpa-scale-calculator
- https://www.degreeplanet.com/colleges-that-accept-1-0-gpa/
- https://gpacalculator.net/gpa/
- https://blog.prepscholar.com/strategies-to-raise-gpa-in-high-school-fast
- https://www.casita.com/blog/Improve-your-gpa
- https://gpacalculator.net/gpa-scale/1-9-gpa/
- https://ask.usc.edu/app/answers/detail/a_id/848/~/can-i-retake-a-course-and-have-it-count-towards-my-gpa%3F
- https://gpacalculator.net/gpa-scale/1-8-gpa/
- https://bemoacademicconsulting.com/blog/how-to-get-into-college-with-a-low-gpa
- https://gpacalculator.net/gpa-scale/1-3-gpa/
- https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/does-gpa-matter-college/
- https://www.cappex.com/colleges/GPA/2-5
- https://gpacalculator.net/gpa-scale/1-6-gpa/
- https://lindseypollak.com/career-qa-how-to-get-a-job-when-you-have-a-low-gpa/
- https://www.cappex.com/colleges/gpa/2-0
- https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/gpa/1.7-GPA-is-this-good-for-colleges
- https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/how-to-get-into-college-with-a-low-gpa/
- https://gpacalculator.net/faq/what-is-the-highest-gpa/
- https://www.crimsoneducation.org/us/blog/admissions-news/what-is-a-good-gpa/
- https://collegeinfogeek.com/how-to-raise-your-gpa/
- https://www.mastersportal.com/articles/2288/5-facts-you-should-know-about-the-us-grading-system.html
- https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/pass-fail-classes/
- https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Harvard-admission-requirements
- https://www.collegevaluesonline.com/faq/what-is-a-good-high-school-gpa/
- https://www.quadeducationgroup.com/blog/ivy-league-gpa-requirements-everything-you-need-to-know
- https://www.collegesimply.com/gpa-calculator/raise-gpa-from-1.7-to-2.0/
- https://gpacalculator.net/gpa-scale/2-5-gpa/
- https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/harvard-admission-requirements
- https://www.cappex.com/colleges/GPA/2-3
- https://gpacalculator.net/gpa-scale/1-7-gpa/
- https://caac.ucla.edu/policies/grading-repeats/
- https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/improve-your-gpa
- https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-gpa-scale
- https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/gpa/1.8-GPA-is-this-good-for-colleges
- https://admissionsight.com/is-1-0-a-good-gpa/
- https://research.com/education/what-is-a-passing-grade-in-college
- https://scholarships360.org/college-admissions/do-colleges-look-at-freshman-year/
- https://www.daniel-wong.com/average-gpa/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2013/11/20/4-college-admissions-strategies-for-students-with-bad-grades
- https://www.thinkimpact.com/average-gpa-in-high-school/
- https://www.campusexplorer.com/student-resources/what-is-a-gpa/
- https://www.utica.edu/academic/registrar/gpa.cfm
- https://www.newcastle.edu.au/current-students/study-essentials/assessment-and-exams/results/gpa-calculator
- https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/do-colleges-look-at-freshman-year
- https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/academic-probation/
- https://www.bestcolleges.com/research/average-college-gpa-statistics/
- https://www.coursera.org/articles/what-grade-do-you-need-to-pass-a-college-class
- https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/gpa/1.5-GPA-is-this-good-for-colleges