Eastern Colleges for a 4.0 GPA

Eastern colleges that accept a 4.0 grade point average

What is a 4.0 GPA?

A 4.0 grade point average is a numerical representation of your course letter grades on a 4.0 scale. Your 4.0 GPA indicates you averaged A/A+ grades in your classes and delivered perfect performance. The percent equivalent of a 4.0 grade point average is 93-100% on the percentage grading scale. This means that you scored an average of 93-100% on tests and assignments. At most high schools and colleges, an A or A+ are both worth 4.0 grade points. A student with a 4.0 may have a mix of A+'s or A's. Any grade below an A, including an A-, will result in not achieving a 4.0. Learn more about what the A/A+ letter grade signifies.

Is a 4.0 GPA good?

A 4.0 is the highest possible GPA on the unweighted 4.0 scale and is far above the national high school average of 3.0. It indicates you've achieved straight A's throughout your high school career. Earning a 4.0 demonstrates exceptional academic performance an mastery of all of the classes you've taken. This outstanding achievement reflects a strong work ethic, dedication, and mastery of the subject matter. A 4.0 puts you in an excellent position for acceptance at the most selective colleges in the U.S including the Ivy League. A 4.0 GPA is also highly beneficial towards you chances in receiving a merit based scholarship.

What colleges can I get into with a 4.0 GPA?

Graduating with a high school GPA of 4.0 places you within of the academic range at Eastern colleges like Harvard University, New York University and Princeton University. Based on incoming freshman GPA data for Eastern schools, our analysis indicates that 81 colleges would consider your 4.0 GPA competitive. The most popular colleges, historically accepting students with GPAs within the range of 3.8 to 4.2 (4.0 +/- 0.2), are listed below. To view your chances of admission at each school, scroll down and explore the full list.

What is a perfect 4.0 GPA?

A 4.0 is considered "perfect" as it can only be earned if you earn all A's or A+'s in every class you take. If you get any A-'s or lower grades your GPA will drop below a 4.0 and can never be recovered to a 4.0. You cannot have a 4.0 with any B grades. This is true for the unweighted 4.0 grade scale. If using a weighted scale, it's possible to get a B+ in an AP class and still have a 4.0.

4.0 for Harvard and Ivy League

A 4.0 unweighted can definitely get you into Harvard or any Ivy League school. 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 intense that even a 4.0 usually doesn't cut it.

Here are the average GPAs and estimated chances for admission with a 4.0 at Ivy League and other prestigious colleges and universities.

  • Harvard - 4.0 average GPA / 3.0% chance
  • Princeton - 3.93 average GPA / 7.0% chance
  • Yale - 3.95 average GPA / 5.6% chance
  • Penn - 3.95 average GPA / 7.8% chance
  • Dartmouth - 3.9 average GPA / 7.5% chance
  • Brown - 3.94 average GPA / 5.7% chance
  • Cornell - 3.9 average GPA / 8.7% chance
  • Columbia - 3.91 average GPA / 4.9% chance
  • Stanford - 3.96 average GPA / 4.4% chance
  • MIT - 3.96 average GPA / 4.4% chance
  • Caltech - 3.97 average GPA / 3.2% 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 4.0 GPA is typically eligible for the summa cum laude distinction.

Demographic Statistics

Let's examine how a 4.0 GPA stacks up to the national high school averages across various demographic groups

Gender

  • Male: A 4.0 is 1 points (33%) higher than the average male student GPA of 3.0
  • Female: A 4.0 is 0.8 points (24%) higher than the average female student GPA of 3.23

Race/ethnicity

  • White: A 4.0 is 0.8 points (24%) higher than the average white student GPA of 3.23
  • Black: A 4.0 is 1.2 points (41%) higher than the average black student GPA of 2.83
  • Hispanic: A 4.0 is 1 points (36%) higher than the average Hispanic student GPA of 2.95
  • Asian/Pacific Islander: A 4.0 is 0.6 points (18%) 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)

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GPA 4.0 East Public Private 4 year

81 results

List of 4.0 GPA Colleges

Displaying 81 colleges where your 4.0 GPA is within the typical range of past accepted students. You have a chance at being accepted but admission may be challenging at more selective colleges. Filter by admission chance for 135 target schools (good chance), 75 reach (harder) schools and 999 safety (easier) schools you can consider.

Harvard University
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H
Cambridge, MA

Harvard University

Private 4 Year

4 reviews

4.0 Average GPA

#4 Best Colleges in America

  • 30,631enrollment
  • $19,491net price
  • 3%acceptance rate
  • 1490-1580SAT range
  • 34-36ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance3%

Applications Due Jan 1

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New York University
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N
New York, NY

New York University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

3.79 Average GPA

#6 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 59,144enrollment
  • $29,499net price
  • 12%acceptance rate
  • 1470-1570SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance18%

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Princeton University
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P
Princeton, NJ

Princeton University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

3.93 Average GPA

#1 Best Colleges in America

  • 8,842enrollment
  • $18,698net price
  • 6%acceptance rate
  • 1490-1580SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance7%

Applications Due Jan 1

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Boston University
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B
Boston, MA

Boston University

Private 4 Year

9 reviews

3.79 Average GPA

#9 Best Private Colleges in Massachusetts

  • 36,714enrollment
  • $27,829net price
  • 14%acceptance rate
  • 1350-1500SAT range
  • 31-34ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance21%

Applications Due Jan 4

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University of Pennsylvania
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P
Philadelphia, PA

University of Pennsylvania

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

3.95 Estimated Average GPA

#23 Best Colleges in America

  • 28,201enrollment
  • $26,123net price
  • 7%acceptance rate
  • 1500-1570SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance8%

Applications Due Jan 5

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Yale University
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Y
New Haven, CT

Yale University

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

3.95 Estimated Average GPA

#6 Best Colleges in America

  • 14,776enrollment
  • $18,647net price
  • 5%acceptance rate
  • 1500-1580SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance6%

Applications Due Jan 2

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Villanova University
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V
Villanova, PA

Villanova University

Private 4 Year

4 reviews

3.87 Average GPA

#8 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania

  • 10,383enrollment
  • $34,837net price
  • 23%acceptance rate
  • 1378-1500SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance29%

Applications Due Jan 15

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Cornell University
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C
Ithaca, NY

Cornell University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

3.9 Estimated Average GPA

#19 Best Colleges in America

  • 25,898enrollment
  • $26,060net price
  • 7%acceptance rate
  • 1470-1570SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance9%

Applications Due Jan 2

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Carnegie Mellon University
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C
Pittsburgh, PA

Carnegie Mellon University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

3.89 Average GPA

#4 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania

  • 16,002enrollment
  • $33,499net price
  • 11%acceptance rate
  • 1490-1570SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance14%

Applications Due Jan 1

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Boston College
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B
Chestnut Hill, MA

Boston College

Private 4 Year

4 reviews

3.86 Estimated Average GPA

#7 Best Private Colleges in Massachusetts

  • 15,287enrollment
  • $30,559net price
  • 17%acceptance rate
  • 1435-1540SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance22%

Applications Due Jan 1

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Brown University
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B
Providence, RI

Brown University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

3.94 Estimated Average GPA

#11 Best Colleges in America

  • 11,189enrollment
  • $26,723net price
  • 5%acceptance rate
  • 1490-1580SAT range
  • 34-36ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance6%

Applications Due Jan 5

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Stony Brook University
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S
Stony Brook, NY

Stony Brook University

Public 4 Year

2 reviews

3.94 Average GPA

#25 Best Public Universities in America

  • 25,710enrollment
  • $17,213net price
  • 49%acceptance rate
  • 1320-1500SAT range
  • 28-34ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance53%

Applications Due Jan 15

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SUNY at Binghamton
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B
Vestal, NY

SUNY at Binghamton

Public 4 Year

4 reviews

4.0 Average GPA

#23 Best Public Universities in America

  • 18,312enrollment
  • $19,535net price
  • 42%acceptance rate
  • 1340-1510SAT range
  • 29-34ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance42%

Applications Due Jan 15

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University of Massachusetts Amherst
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M
Amherst, MA

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Public 4 Year

1 reviews

3.99 Average GPA

#1 Best Public Universities in Massachusetts

  • 32,229enrollment
  • $22,291net price
  • 64%acceptance rate
  • 1260-1480SAT range
  • 29-33ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance65%

Applications Due Jan 15

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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M
Cambridge, MA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

3.96 Estimated Average GPA

#8 Best Colleges in America

  • 11,858enrollment
  • $20,232net price
  • 4%acceptance rate
  • 1530-1580SAT range
  • 35-36ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance4%

Applications Due Jan 1

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Northeastern University
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N
Boston, MA

Northeastern University

Private 4 Year

6 reviews

3.91 Estimated Average GPA

#16 Best Private Colleges in Massachusetts

  • 30,013enrollment
  • $35,827net price
  • 7%acceptance rate
  • 1440-1550SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance9%

Applications Due Jan 1

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Columbia University in the City of New York
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C
New York, NY

Columbia University in the City of New York

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

3.91 Estimated Average GPA

#22 Best Colleges in America

  • 34,782enrollment
  • $22,058net price
  • 4%acceptance rate
  • 1490-1580SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance5%

Applications Due Jan 1

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University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus
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P
Pittsburgh, PA

University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus

Public 4 Year

5 reviews

3.79 Estimated Average GPA

#24 Best Public Universities in America

  • 33,767enrollment
  • $24,286net price
  • 49%acceptance rate
  • 1280-1470SAT range
  • 29-33ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance61%

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