What GPA do you need to go to Harvard?

Asked by: Dr. Maribel Osinski  |  Last update: August 11, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (29 votes)

GPA requirements for Harvard At Harvard, the standard GPA is 4.18. (While some schools publish an unweighted GPA, most utilize a weighted GPA out of 4.0.) Harvard needs you to be at the top of your class with a GPA of 4.18. To compete with other applications, you'll need to receive almost all A's.

Can you get into Harvard with a 3.5 GPA?

Can I Get into Harvard with a Low GPA? While it's certainly possible to get into Harvard with a low GPA, as the numbers bear out, it's improbable. For the Class of 2027, a mere 2.21% of admitted students to Harvard had GPAs below 3.5.

Will Harvard accept a 5.0 GPA?

Harvard is highly competitive, and the average unweighted GPA of successful applicants is around 3.9, with most admitted students having an unweighted GPA of 4.0. Likewise, the average weighted GPAs tend to be in the 4.5 to 4.8 range.

Is a 4.7 GPA good for Harvard?

Average GPA: 4.2

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA. With a GPA of 4.2, Harvard requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants.

Can I get into Harvard with a 1.0 GPA?

What GPA should I have? Applicants should be between 3.9 and 4.0 to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by increasing your SAT or ACT score.

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17 related questions found

Is 3.98 GPA good?

A 3.9 GPA on a 4.0 scale is indicative of exceptional academic achievement. It typically corresponds to an average grade in the 'A' range, suggesting that the student has consistently achieved high marks, primarily A's, with very few B's in their coursework.

Is 1600 SAT good for Harvard?

What is the average SAT score at Harvard? As one would expect, Harvard SAT scores are highly competitive. The average score at Harvard hovers around 1520, out of the maximum SAT score of 1600. The 25th percentile for SAT scores at Harvard College lies at a 1460, and the 75th percentile is a 1570.

What GPA for Yale?

To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1560 SAT or a 35 ACT. 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.

What GPA is needed for Oxford?

Undergraduate qualifications

If your graduate course at Oxford requires a 'first-class undergraduate degree with honours' in the UK system, you will usually need a bachelor's degree from a recognised university with an an overall grade of 85% ('A') or 'Excellent', or a GPA of 3.7 out of 4.0.

What is the hardest college to get into?

Harvard University

The Harvard acceptance rate is 3%, tied with Caltech for the #1 spot on our list of hardest colleges to get into. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard is a quintessential New England school globally recognized for its rigorous academic programs and influential alumni.

What is the lowest GPA ever?

Technically speaking, the lowest GPA you can receive is 0.0, which is a complete fail. You can only score a 0.0 for an unweighted GPA. That said, a 1.0 is considered the lowest GPA you can get. A 1.0 means, overall, you have received a D average in high school or college.

Why is Harvard so famous?

Harvard University is the most undisputed leader in education, research, international outlook and teaching. Professors at Harvard are mostly scholars or Nobel Prize holders, thus, students willing to begin research at an early stage are advantageous. The extracurricular activities at Harvard are renowned.

Is 3.5 an OK GPA?

Is a 3.5 GPA good? A 3.5 unweighted GPA means that you've earned an A- average across all of your classes. You're well above the national average for GPA and should have a solid chance of acceptance at a wide variety of colleges. 70.97% of schools have an average GPA below a 3.5.

Is 1400 SAT enough for Harvard?

A 1400 SAT score is certainly a solid score, but it's important to remember that Ivy League admissions are highly competitive, and the average SAT score for these schools is generally a bit higher. For example, the middle 50% of admitted students at Harvard have an SAT score ranging from 1480 to 1580.

Should I submit a 33 ACT to Yale?

Because competition for elite schools is fierce, every extra point both on your ACT score and GPA will help. A 33 lands you solidly in the mid-range for average acceptance at places like Yale and Harvard, above their 25th percentile, which is 32, but below the 75th, which is 34-35.

Does Harvard require SAT?

Harvard requires the SAT or ACT to meet its standardized testing requirement. In exceptional cases, when those are not accessible for a student, one of the following can meet the requirement: AP exam results. IB Actual or Predicted Scores.

What GPA is needed for Princeton?

GPA Requirements

Princeton University does not have a strict minimum GPA requirement for undergraduate admissions. However, admitted students typically have very high GPAs, ranging from 3.9 to 4.0, with an average GPA of 3.92.

Is 1300 SAT bad?

The scale of SAT scores ranges from 400 to 1600, so a 1300 is a reasonably strong score. It places you in approximately the 87th percentile of all test takers. This means you scored better than 87% of the students who took the SAT, which is an achievement!

Did Will Smith get a 1600 on the SAT?

Will Smith SAT score was a perfect 1600. A rare score few people have earned. Despite this incredible score, Will chose not to attend college, did not even enroll, and decided to pursue his career in music.

How rare is 1600?

A 1600 is only achieved by around 300 test takers per year and makes you eligible and highly competitive for admission at every college. Looking at this from another angle, a 1600 SAT score is in the 99nth percentile, which means you scored higher than 99% of all other 2 million+ test takers.

Is a 5.0 GPA good?

A 5.0 GPA is definitely considered impressive as it shows that you have consistently performed well in your classes, and you likely took a number of Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, which increased your weighted GPA above the typical 4.0 unweighted scale.

What is the first honor in college?

Generally, the requirements for each academic honor are: Cum laude: Top 20% of students or those with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.7. Magna cum laude: Top 10% of students or those with GPAs from 3.8 to 3.9. Summa cum laude: Top 5% of students or those with a cumulative GPA of 4.0+

Is a 4.8 GPA good for Harvard?

GPA Requirements

Harvard University does not have a strict minimum GPA requirement for undergraduate admissions. However, admitted students typically have very high GPAs, ranging from 3.8 to 4.0, with an average GPA of 3.9.