Eastern Colleges for a 3.5 GPA

With a 3.5 GPA, you are competitive at 372 four-year colleges in the East (171 target, 70 reach, 131 safety). A 3.5 is typically a A- (~88%) on a common grading scale.

Colleges in the East for a 3.5 GPA

Target Schools (Competitive Chance of Admission)

Target schools have average GPAs near 3.5 - your grades fit squarely in the admitted pool.

College	Avg GPA	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Temple University Philadelphia, PA	3.46	80%	Medium
Syracuse University Syracuse, NY	3.69	46%	Medium
University at Albany Albany, NY	3.3	69%	Medium
Fordham University Bronx, NY	3.67	59%	Medium
Rutgers University New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	3.3	58%	Medium
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA	3.67	79%	Medium
Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT	3.39	72%	Medium
Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA	3.62	29%	Medium
CUNY Hunter College New York, NY	3.7	54%	Medium
West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA	3.43	78%	Medium
University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI	3.58	72%	Medium
St. John's University New York Queens, NY	3.5	83%	Medium

View all 171 target colleges

Reach Schools (Lower Admission Chance)

Reach schools typically enroll students with higher average GPAs; admission is possible but more competitive.

College	Avg GPA	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Harvard University Cambridge, MA	4.0	4%	Low
New York University New York, NY	3.79	9%	Low
Princeton University Princeton, NJ	3.93	5%	Low
Boston University Boston, MA	3.79	11%	Low
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA	3.95	5%	Low
Yale University New Haven, CT	3.95	4%	Low
Villanova University Villanova, PA	3.87	27%	Low
Cornell University Ithaca, NY	3.9	9%	Low
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA	3.89	12%	Low
Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA	3.86	16%	Low
Brown University Providence, RI	3.94	5%	Low
Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY	3.94	49%	Low

View all 70 reach colleges

Safety Schools (Very High Chance of Admission)

Safety schools have average GPAs well below 3.5; you have a very high chance of acceptance.

College	Avg GPA	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Kean University Union, NJ	3.2	76%	High
Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park, NY	3.26	91%	High
Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA	3.21	88%	High
CUNY Queens College Queens, NY	3.0	64%	High
Dean College Franklin, MA	2.88	74%	High
Salem State University Salem, MA	3.17	96%	High
SUNY Brockport Brockport, NY	2.79	71%	High
Framingham State University Framingham, MA	3.07	84%	High
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA	3.23	87%	High
Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT	3.2	73%	High
SUNY Buffalo State University Buffalo, NY	2.84	73%	High
Bloomfield College of Montclair State University Bloomfield, NJ	2.69	70%	High

View all 131 safety colleges

View the full list of colleges that accept a 3.5 GPA in the East

See all colleges nationally for a 3.5 GPA

Published: August 19, 2026