Colleges That Accept Specific GPAs

Not everyone was on their A-game in high school. There could be plenty of reasons for this. Some students have severe test anxiety, for example. Maybe you changed schools frequently, and didn’t have the benefit of a consistent curriculum. Maybe you started out behind, or were working through a learning disability. Maybe there was a language barrier! Whatever your reason was for falling behind, you’re not alone. Plenty of people struggled in school, only to come into their own later on. While it may seem like college isn’t in the cards, lots of schools out there want to give hard-working students like you that second chance, even if your GPA isn’t quite where you want it to be. Keep reading to learn more about colleges that accept specific GPA results, or that might be flexible on GPAs for admission.

Colleges That Accept 2.5 GPA

A 2.5 GPA indicates performance in the 80^th percentile. While the specifics could vary by school and student, a 2.5 GPA generally indicates that your grades consisted of high C’s and low B’s. Hard working students have graduated high school—or even college—with these kinds of grades. Luckily for you, universities know this. While not all best schools consider applicants with a 2.5, there are still a bunch of colleges that accept students with a 2.5 GPA. 

If you’re applying to schools with a GPA around the 2.5 range (or possibly lower), you might be able to offset this performance by demonstrating your top aptitude in other ways. Here are a few best ideas:

• Write a killer essay describing your hard work and challenges you’ve overcome
• Demonstrate leadership potential through career experience and extracurricular or volunteer activities
• Get letters of recommendation from teachers, employers, and mentors attesting to your hard work and perseverance

While none of these strategies are guaranteed to impress all colleges, they might help you get started. More than anything, make sure you talk to admissions at the colleges you want to attend, learn their priorities, and use your resources.

Here are a few example schools you might look into with a 2.5 GPA. However, keep in mind that the admissions policy at any given school is subject to change. Additionally, if you’re already a student and are interested in transferring colleges with bad grades, you might be subject to different requirements. In either case, if you’re interested, make sure you contact the school to double check their current policy.

Utica College

Based in New York, Utica College offers both undergraduate and graduate education, with campus and online education options. The school was established in 1946, and strives to combine diverse opportunities with and intimate and supportive environment. Areas of study offered include healthcare, education, technology, social sciences, business, the arts, communication, and more.

Utica’s undergraduate admissions process is rolling. While they have recommended course program at the high school level, they do not define a minimum GPA. They also offer early decision and early action applications, which may have additional requirements. At the graduate level, the prerequisites are program-specific. As such, there may be GPA requirements at or above 2.5 in some cases. For more information, contact Utica.

Colleges That Accept 2.0 GPA

A 2.0 GPA is in the 75^th Percentile, and equates to around a C average. What exactly that means for you could vary, depending on the difficulty of the school or program you attended, the level of competition, and mitigating circumstances. That said, while many colleges look for 3.0 GPA or higher, there are still plenty of solid options out there, plenty of colleges that accept students with a 2.0 GPA.

One thing to bear in mind about that GPA: many colleges have a top threshold to remain an active student in good standing. At some schools (though not all by any means) that threshold is 2.0. What that means is that, once you are accepted and enroll, if your GPA slips below 2.0 you might be put on academic probation. Academic probation is an enrollment status during which you might be required to improve your academic performance in order to remain enrolled. If you’re concerned about how you’ll best maintain your future GPA, talk to your admissions counselors about the academic support services at your school, so you’re familiar with all the resources you have within reach to keep your grades up.

If you’re searching for colleges that accept a 2.0 GPA, consider the examples below.

Kaplan University

Kaplan University can trace its roots to 1937, in Davenport, Iowa. Back then, the school that would become Kaplan went by the name The American Institute of Commerce. Over the decades that followed, they grew, changed, and merged with other schools, until November 2000, when they adopted their current name.

Kaplan has made it their mission to provide undergraduate, graduate, and professional education to the students who need it, in an effective and flexible way. They’ve designed their programs with student needs in mind, including career-oriented curriculums, convenient online courses, and the technical and academic support they need to thrive.

Kaplan uses a model of open admissions. While you might not need to meet a specific GPA minimum, you’ll probably be asked for documentation to demonstrate that you’ve graduated from high school and, if relevant to your program, an accredited university. You may also need to take a placement exam or submit other materials, which may vary by program and degree level.

Colleges That Accept 1.5 GPA 

A 1.5 GPA is equivalent to a low C or C- letter grade, usually around 70% for numeric grades. In many cases, maintaining a GPA at this level would put you on academic probation or prevent you from graduating. However, that might not be the case at every school. But don’t be discouraged: if you graduated from high school with a 1.5 GPA, the doors to a college education are not necessarily locked and barred! You might have to look a little harder to find your school, but it’s by no means out of the question.

Because a 1.5 GPA tends to fall within the range of academic probation at many universities, it’s possible you might receive conditional acceptances at some schools. In this case, that would mean you’d have to keep your grades up in order to stay enrolled. If you think you might need help doing that, don’t be afraid to ask your potential schools about the ways they could support you—for example, through tutoring and other services.

Below, here are a few examples of colleges with no minimum GPA requirement.

Ashford University

Ashford University is an online university headquartered in San Diego, CA. They offer more than 60 degree programs from associates through masters degrees. Each one aims to support specific career goals, and is offered in a flexible, tech-savvy format designed to fit into your real life.

These programs are housed in one of four Ashford colleges.

• Forbes School of Business and Technology
• College of Education
• College of Health, Human Services, and Science
• College of Liberal Arts

Ashford University uses a unique open admissions policy. While they don’t list a minimum GPA requirement, they do use a tiered admissions structure, which serves to help students acclimate to college life and make sure the school is a good fit for them. The first stage, Conditional Admission, helps students get used to the basic schedule, classroom requirements, and technology. The second stage, Provisional Admission, is a little longer, and is there to help the student get used to the academic requirements of college learning. This stage may carry grade and class attendance requirements. After provisional comes full admission status, which you could enter with the confidence you’re up to the task.

Find Colleges that Accept Specific GPA Scores

Don’t give up on your dreams of a college education. Explore eLearners.com to find colleges that accept specific GPA scores and that might be a good fit for you!