GPA Resources
This page collects guides and articles on GPA calculation, weighted vs. unweighted GPA, college admissions requirements, and study strategies. Each resource is written to directly answer common student questions about understanding and improving grade point average.
Last updated: May 2026
Harvard's 20% A-Grade Cap and Grade Inflation Crisis (2026)
Harvard faculty voted in May 2026 on a proposal to cap solid-A grades at 20 percent of students per course. The vote follows data showing A grades rose from 24 percent of all marks in 2005 to over 60 percent in 2025, compressing the GPA scale until summa cum laude requires a 3.989 to differentiate candidates.
Minimum GPA Requirements: Academic Probation, Dean's List and Graduation
GPA thresholds determine academic standing, Dean's List eligibility, and graduation honors at every college. The probation floor is 2.0 at most institutions. Dean's List requires 3.5 with at least 12 credit hours. Latin honors at graduation begin at 3.5 for cum laude and reach 3.9 or higher for summa cum laude.
Retaking a Class for GPA: When It Helps (and When It Doesn't)
Retaking a class improves GPA only when the school uses grade replacement and the credit hours are high enough to move the cumulative average meaningfully. Under grade averaging policies, retaking a class rarely produces the GPA gain students expect.
What Is a Good GPA? Benchmarks for College, Grad School and Jobs (2026)
A good GPA depends on the goal. For most college programs, 3.0 is the minimum threshold that matters. For competitive graduate programs, employers in finance and consulting, and merit scholarships, the practical floor starts at 3.5. The national average college GPA sits at 3.15 according to NCES data.
Cumulative GPA vs Semester GPA Explained
Notice that simply averaging the four semester GPAs gives 3.33 as well in this particular case, but that is a coincidence caused by the similar credit hour counts per semester.
Pass/Fail Classes and GPA: What Actually Changes
A passing grade in a pass/fail class does not affect GPA. A failing grade does — it adds 0.0 quality points while counting the credit hours as attempted, lowering the cumulative GPA. The two outcomes are not symmetrical.