Colleges for a 3.9 GPA

A 3.9 GPA puts you in a strong spot for college. You are well above the national average of 3.1, and about 1,544 colleges fall in range for you. That includes tough reaches such as Stanford and Duke, where lots of applicants also bring near-perfect grades. You've earned mostly A's, and that record opens real doors.

Quick Facts for a 3.9 GPA

Letter grade: Typically A (~92% on a common percentage scale).
vs national average: 3.9 is above the typical U.S. high school GPA near 3.1.
Scale note: Figures here use an unweighted 4.0 GPA unless a college reports otherwise.
College options: Competitive at 1,544 schools (237 target, 51 reach, 1,256 safety).

Colleges You Can Get Into with a 3.9 GPA

Selective schools show up often at this GPA level. Reaches like Harvard (average GPA 4.00), UCLA (3.92), and NYU (3.79) stay harder to get into because admit rates are low even when your grades match the pack. Good-fit targets such as the University of Florida (3.90) and UT Austin (3.80) sit closer to your range. Colleges still look past GPA at course rigor, test scores when they use them, essays, activities, and recommendations, so plan a mix of longer-shot reaches, solid targets, and safer backups.

Target Schools (Competitive Chance of Admission)

At target schools, your 3.9 sits near the typical admitted GPA, so you have a good shot if the rest of your application is solid. University of Michigan and Florida State are examples where your grades line up well with students they already enroll.

College	Avg GPA	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
University of Florida Gainesville, FL	3.9	24%	Medium
The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	3.8	27%	Medium
University of Michigan Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	3.88	16%	Medium
Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	3.7	24%	Medium
Clemson University Clemson, SC	3.75	38%	Medium
University of Miami Coral Gables, FL	3.7	19%	Medium
University of Georgia Athens, GA	4.0	38%	Medium
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	3.83	15%	Medium
Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA	3.97	55%	Medium
Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	3.72	85%	Medium
The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	3.76	77%	Medium
San Diego State University San Diego, CA	3.82	36%	Medium

View all 237 target colleges

Reach Schools (Lower Admission Chance)

Many top schools are still reaches with a 3.9 because they are highly selective, not just because of GPA. Stanford, Princeton, and Vanderbilt post average GPAs at or above yours and turn away strong applicants every year, so treat them as possible but tougher bets.

College	Avg GPA	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Harvard University Cambridge, MA	4.0	4%	Low
Stanford University Stanford, CA	3.96	4%	Low
University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	3.92	9%	Low
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA	3.83	10%	Low
New York University New York, NY	3.79	9%	Low
Duke University Durham, NC	3.94	6%	Low
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN	3.89	6%	Low
Princeton University Princeton, NJ	3.93	5%	Low
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD	3.92	6%	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

View all 51 reach colleges

Safety Schools (Very High Chance of Admission)

You also have a wide set of safety schools where the average GPA sits well below 3.9 and your odds look strong. Arizona State and University of Colorado Boulder are the kind of backups that can feel comfortable while you aim higher elsewhere.

College	Avg GPA	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Arizona State University Tempe, AZ	3.54	90%	High
University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	3.59	93%	High
East Carolina University Greenville, NC	3.33	89%	High
University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI	3.67	87%	High
University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	3.48	86%	High
University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO	3.68	78%	High
Texas State University San Marcos, TX	3.38	89%	High
University of Houston Houston, TX	3.46	74%	High
San Jose State University San Jose, CA	3.35	85%	High
Colorado State University Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO	3.68	89%	High
Temple University Philadelphia, PA	3.46	80%	High
George Mason University Fairfax, VA	3.68	87%	High

View all 1,256 safety colleges

View the full list of colleges that accept a 3.9 GPA

Top Choices in Popular U.S. States

Browse colleges for a 3.9 GPA in popular states:

Local Options for a 3.9 GPA

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Is a 3.9 GPA good?

A 3.9 is just short of the highest possible unweighted GPA of a 4.0. You've nearly earned straight A's throughout school, with only a few A-'s. Overall a 3.9 indicates consistently high level of academic performance. This near-perfect score positions you as a top candidate for scholarships, honors programs, and very competitive colleges.

What is a 3.9 GPA?

A 3.9 grade point average is a numerical representation of your course letter grades on a 4.0 scale. Your 3.9 GPA indicates you averaged A grades in your classes and delivered excellent performance. The percent equivalent of a 3.9 grade point average is 92% on the percentage grading scale. This means that you scored an average of 92% on tests and assignments. GPA values for A grades range from 3.7 to 3.9. Your 3.9 GPA positions you at the high end of the A range, demonstrating you have earned almost perfect straight A's. Learn more about what the A letter grade signifies.

See the full 3.9 GPA scale page and our GPA scale guide.

3.9 for Harvard and Ivy League

A 3.9 unweighted can definitely get you into Harvard or any Ivy League school. All of these universities have average GPA's in the 3.9 range. However you will need more than a perfect GPA to stand out. These elite colleges take a comprehensive look at at each applicant factoring in SAT, ACT, high school class load, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and essays. Competition is so extreme, even a 3.9 usually doesn't cut it.

Here are the average GPAs and estimated chances for admission with a 3.9 at Ivy League and other prestigious colleges and universities.

Harvard - 4.0 average GPA / 3.2% chance
Princeton - 3.93 average GPA / 4.7% chance
Yale - 3.95 average GPA / 3.6% chance
Penn - 3.95 average GPA / 4.5% chance
Dartmouth - 3.9 average GPA / 5.0% chance
Brown - 3.94 average GPA / 4.6% chance
Cornell - 3.9 average GPA / 9.0% chance
Columbia - 3.91 average GPA / 3.9% chance
Stanford - 3.96 average GPA / 3.5% chance
MIT - 3.96 average GPA / 4.4% chance
Caltech - 3.97 average GPA / 2.6% chance

Summa Cum Laude

The Latin phrase "summa cum laude" means "with highest honors" and is a distinction awarded to class graduates with the highest academic performance. The exact range for summa cum laude varies by college or high school but is generally between a 3.8 and 4.0 GPA. Thus a 3.9 GPA is typically eligible for the summa cum laude distinction.

3.9 GPA honor roll

Many high schools have honor rolls which are published to recognize students with consistently high performance. The qualifications for getting on the honor roll vary from school to school. Frequently, a high and standard honor roll is established with different criteria, sometimes for students above 3.0, 3.5 or 3.75 GPAs. In most cases a 3.9 will get you on the honor roll.

Demographic Statistics

How a 3.9 GPA stacks up to national high school averages across demographic groups.

Gender

Male: A 3.9 is 0.9 points (30%) higher than the average male student GPA of 3.0
Female: A 3.9 is 0.7 points (21%) higher than the average female student GPA of 3.23

Race/ethnicity

White: A 3.9 is 0.7 points (21%) higher than the average white student GPA of 3.23
Black: A 3.9 is 1.1 points (38%) higher than the average black student GPA of 2.83
Hispanic: A 3.9 is 0.9 points (32%) higher than the average Hispanic student GPA of 2.95
Asian/Pacific Islander: A 3.9 is 0.5 points (15%) higher than the average Asian/Pacific Islander student GPA of 3.39

Statistics source: 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript Study (HSTS)

How high can I still increase my 3.9 GPA?

The table below will help you see how high or low you can possibly change your GPA if you currently have a 3.9. As you progress in school it becomes more and more difficult to improve your overall grade point average. Select the tab and table column corresponding to the last semester you completed. Then find a row for your predicted future letter grade average. The result would be your GPA at graduation if you can maintain that letter grade.

Freshmen with a 3.9 after first semester can still possibly raise their GPA as high as a 3.99 or drop it to a 0.49. There is still a lot of time to change your GPA before graduation and it can vary by 3.50 grade points in the future.

Possible grades you can raise your 3.9 GPA to before graduation for freshmen
Future Grades	1st Semester Completed	2nd Semester Completed
A	3.99	3.98
A-	3.73	3.75
B+	3.37	3.45
B	3.11	3.23
B-	2.85	3.00
C+	2.50	2.70
C	2.24	2.48
C-	1.98	2.25
D+	1.62	1.95
D	1.36	1.73
D-	1.10	1.50
F	0.49	0.97

Sophomores with a 3.9 after first semester can still raise their GPA as high as a 3.96 or see it fall to a 1.46. You have some time to change your GPA before graduation and it can vary by 2.50 grade points in the future.

Possible grades you can raise your 3.9 GPA to before graduation for sophomores
Future Grades	1st Semester Completed	2nd Semester Completed
A	3.96	3.95
A-	3.77	3.80
B+	3.52	3.60
B	3.34	3.45
B-	3.15	3.30
C+	2.90	3.10
C	2.71	2.95
C-	2.52	2.80
D+	2.27	2.60
D	2.09	2.45
D-	1.90	2.30
F	1.46	1.95

Juniors with a 3.9 after first semester can still raise their GPA to a 3.94 or lower it to a 2.44. You have limited classes left to change your GPA before graduation and it can vary by 1.50 grade points in the future.

Possible grades you can raise your 3.9 GPA to before graduation for juniors
Future Grades	1st Semester Completed	2nd Semester Completed
A	3.94	3.92
A-	3.83	3.85
B+	3.67	3.75
B	3.56	3.67
B-	3.45	3.60
C+	3.30	3.50
C	3.19	3.42
C-	3.08	3.35
D+	2.92	3.25
D	2.81	3.17
D-	2.70	3.10
F	2.44	2.92

After first semester senior year your GPA is fairly locked in. A 3.9 can be raised a 3.91 or slip to a 3.41. You have very little time to change your GPA before graduation and it can vary by 0.50 grade points at the most.

Possible grades you can raise your 3.9 GPA to before graduation for seniors
Future Grades	1st Semester Completed	2nd Semester Completed
A	3.91	3.90
A-	3.88	3.90
B+	3.83	3.90
B	3.79	3.90
B-	3.75	3.90
C+	3.70	3.90
C	3.66	3.90
C-	3.62	3.90
D+	3.58	3.90
D	3.54	3.90
D-	3.50	3.90
F	3.41	3.90

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 3.9 GPA good for college?

Yes - a 3.9 GPA is well above the national high school average near 3.1 and puts you in a strong position at many selective colleges. You are competitive at about 1544 four-year schools in our match set, though the most selective universities may still be reaches.

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