Mid Atlantic Colleges for a 4.0 GPA

Mid Atlantic 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 Mid Atlantic colleges like New York University, Princeton University and University of Pennsylvania. Based on incoming freshman GPA data for Mid Atlantic schools, our analysis indicates that 50 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 Mid Atlantic Public Private 4 year

50 results

List of 4.0 GPA Colleges

Displaying 50 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 84 target schools (good chance), 36 reach (harder) schools and 681 safety (easier) schools you can consider.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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R
Troy, NY

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

3.88 Average GPA

#12 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 6,968enrollment
  • $39,127net price
  • 65%acceptance rate
  • 1360-1520SAT range
  • 30-34ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance71%

Applications Due Jan 15

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Hofstra University
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H
Hempstead, NY

Hofstra University

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

3.74 Average GPA

#25 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 10,238enrollment
  • $35,036net price
  • 69%acceptance rate
  • 1190-1370SAT range
  • 26-31ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance80%

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Rochester Institute of Technology
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R
Rochester, NY

Rochester Institute of Technology

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

3.7 Average GPA

#22 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 16,615enrollment
  • $39,600net price
  • 67%acceptance rate
  • 1270-1450SAT range
  • 29-33ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance80%

Applications Due Jan 15

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Skidmore College
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S
Saratoga Springs, NY

Skidmore College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

3.75 Estimated Average GPA

#8 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 2,758enrollment
  • $33,389net price
  • 26%acceptance rate
  • 1300-1460SAT range
  • 30-33ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance39%

Applications Due Jan 15

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New Jersey Institute of Technology
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N
Newark, NJ

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Public 4 Year

1 reviews

3.72 Average GPA

#3 Best Public Universities in New Jersey

  • 12,332enrollment
  • $17,762net price
  • 66%acceptance rate
  • 1190-1450SAT range
  • 27-33ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance79%

Applications Due Mar 1

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Haverford College
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H
Haverford, PA

Haverford College

Private 4 Year

7 reviews

3.9 Estimated Average GPA

#1 Best Value in Pennsylvania

  • 1,421enrollment
  • $23,476net price
  • 14%acceptance rate
  • 1430-1540SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance17%

Applications Due Jan 15

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CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
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B
New York, NY

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

Public 4 Year

1 reviews

3.7 Average GPA

#4 Best Public Universities in New York

  • 19,854enrollment
  • $4,991net price
  • 50%acceptance rate
  • 1170-1360SAT range
  • 26-30ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance67%

Applications Due Feb 1

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Duquesne University
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D
Pittsburgh, PA

Duquesne University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

3.8 Average GPA

#16 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania

  • 8,107enrollment
  • $33,919net price
  • 87%acceptance rate
  • 1160-1330SAT range
  • 25-31ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance91%

Applications Due Aug 15

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United States Military Academy
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A
West Point, New York

United States Military Academy

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

4.0 Average GPA

 

  • 4,393enrollment
  • -net price
  • 12%acceptance rate
  • 1220-1450SAT range
  • 27-33ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance12%

Applications Due Jan 31

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Pratt Institute Main
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P
Brooklyn, NY

Pratt Institute Main

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

3.86 Average GPA

#23 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 5,494enrollment
  • $47,326net price
  • 50%acceptance rate
  • 1160-1430SAT range
  • 26-31ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance58%

Applications Due Jan 5

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Hamilton College
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H
Clinton, NY

Hamilton College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

3.87 Estimated Average GPA

#3 Best Value Colleges in New York

  • 2,072enrollment
  • $24,503net price
  • 12%acceptance rate
  • 1420-1540SAT range
  • 33-34ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance16%

Applications Due Jan 5

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Stevens Institute of Technology
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S
Hoboken, NJ

Stevens Institute of Technology

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

3.88 Average GPA

#2 Best Colleges in New Jersey

  • 9,314enrollment
  • $41,689net price
  • 46%acceptance rate
  • 1380-1510SAT range
  • 31-34ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance53%

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SUNY at Geneseo
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G
Geneseo, NY

SUNY at Geneseo

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

3.72 Average GPA

#6 Best Public Universities in New York

  • 4,184enrollment
  • $19,557net price
  • 75%acceptance rate
  • 1160-1320SAT range
  • 25-31ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance85%

Applications Due Feb 1

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Clarkson University
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C
Potsdam, NY

Clarkson University

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

3.8 Average GPA

#28 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 3,719enrollment
  • $32,450net price
  • 78%acceptance rate
  • 1190-1370SAT range
  • 25-30ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance85%

Applications Due Jan 15

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SUNY College at Cortland
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C
Cortland, NY

SUNY College at Cortland

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

3.7 Average GPA

#16 Best Public Universities in New York

  • 6,690enrollment
  • $18,304net price
  • 60%acceptance rate
  • 1090-1240SAT range
  • 22-27ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance75%

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Sarah Lawrence College
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S
Bronxville, NY

Sarah Lawrence College

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

3.75 Average GPA

#15 Best Private Colleges in New York

  • 1,696enrollment
  • $42,781net price
  • 50%acceptance rate
  • 1260-1450SAT range
  • 29-33ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance64%

Applications Due Jan 15

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Bryn Mawr College
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B
Bryn Mawr, PA

Bryn Mawr College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

3.85 Estimated Average GPA

#11 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania

  • 1,742enrollment
  • $39,072net price
  • 31%acceptance rate
  • 1280-1495SAT range
  • 29-33ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance39%

Applications Due Jan 15

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Messiah College
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M
Grantham, PA

Messiah College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

3.8 Average GPA

#29 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania

  • 3,231enrollment
  • $24,120net price
  • 79%acceptance rate
  • 1090-1340SAT range
  • 25-30ACT range
Your 4.0 GPA
Admission Chance86%

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