Is a 2.0 GPA good? A C average (73-76%) explained
A 2.0 GPA is a C average, about 73 to 76 percent on the US 4.0 scale. It is passing but not good. It sits right at the usual minimum to graduate and stay in good standing, a full point below the 3.0 that many scholarships and grad programs ask for. It is enough to finish a degree, and it is very recoverable.
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In more detail
What is a 2.0 GPA? On the standard 4.0 scale a C is worth 2.0 grade points, so a 2.0 GPA means your grades average out to C work. Straight C's give exactly 2.0, but so can a mix, such as the same number of B's and D's, or of A's and F's. The table below shows how every letter grade compares to a 2.0.
Is a 2.0 GPA passing? Yes. It is the usual floor for good academic standing, for graduating college and for a US high school diploma. Drop below it and many colleges put you on academic probation, and some aid can end. Rules differ by school, so check your handbook for the exact line.
High school vs college. In high school a 2.0 unweighted GPA is usually enough for a diploma, and many schools and athletic associations set 2.0 as the minimum to play sports. Weighted scales give extra points for honors and AP classes, so compare unweighted with unweighted. In college, 2.0 is the common floor for good standing and graduation, and some majors also want a 2.0 inside the major.
Financial aid. US federal student aid requires satisfactory academic progress. In programs longer than two years, that means at least a C average, which is a 2.0, by the end of your second year, plus passing enough of the credits you attempt. Many schools check the 2.0 line every term, and merit scholarships often need a 3.0 or more to renew.
Colleges that accept a 2.0 GPA. Community colleges are open admission, so a high school diploma or GED is usually enough. Some four-year schools also admit broadly and look at test scores, essays and an upward grade trend next to the GPA. A common path is two years at a community college, a stronger GPA there, then a transfer to a four-year school, often through a transfer agreement with a state university.
What a 2.0 does not do is open doors. Merit scholarships often ask for 3.0 or more, majors with entry cutoffs often want 2.75 to 3.0, and grad programs usually set 3.0 as a minimum. The good news is that GPA is cumulative, so a weak start is very recoverable. Each term of better grades pulls the average up.
US letter grades against a 2.0 GPA (4.0 scale)
| Letter grade | GPA points | Typical percentage | Against a 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | 93-100% | Above 2.0 |
| A- | 3.7 | 90-92% | Above 2.0 |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87-89% | Above 2.0 |
| B | 3.0 | 83-86% | Above 2.0 |
| B- | 2.7 | 80-82% | Above 2.0 |
| C+ | 2.3 | 77-79% | Above 2.0 |
| C | 2.0 | 73-76% | Exactly 2.0 |
| C- | 1.7 | 70-72% | Below 2.0 |
| D+ | 1.3 | 67-69% | Below 2.0 |
| D | 1.0 | 63-66% | Below 2.0 |
| D- | 0.7 | 60-62% | Below 2.0 |
| F | 0.0 | Below 60% | Below 2.0 |
Step by step
- 1
Find your lowest grades first. Moving a D or C up to a B in your weakest classes lifts the average the most.
- 2
Do the math before the term starts. After 30 credits at 2.0, a year of straight B's (30 more credits) lifts you to 2.5, and a year of straight A's lifts you to 3.0.
- 3
Protect the heavy classes. A 4-credit course moves your GPA twice as much as a 2-credit one.
- 4
Ask your advisor whether you can retake a failed or very low class and whether the new grade replaces the old one.
- 5
Study a little every day with practice questions instead of re-reading, and ask for help in week three, not week ten.
How StudyPDF helps
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More questions
Is a 2.0 GPA all C's?
Straight C's give exactly a 2.0, so all C's is a 2.0 GPA. You can also land on 2.0 with a mix, like a B and a D, or a C+ and a C-. All C+ is a 2.3 and all C- is a 1.7.
Do colleges accept a 2.0 GPA?
Yes, but your choices are narrower. Community colleges and open-admission schools take students with a 2.0 or lower, and many students transfer to a four-year school after raising it. Selective colleges usually admit students well above 3.0, so a 2.0 on its own rarely gets you in there.
What is a 2.0 GPA in percent and as a letter grade?
A 2.0 GPA is a C, which is about 73 to 76 percent on most US scales. Schools set their own cutoffs, so the same percent can be a C+ at one school and a C- at another.
Can you raise a 2.0 GPA to a 3.0?
Yes, and the earlier the easier. GPA is a running average, so the more credits you have already earned, the more A's it takes. At 30 credits, one more year of straight A's gets you to 3.0. At 60 credits you would need two more years of straight A's.
Is there a 0.0 GPA?
Yes. A 0.0 is the lowest GPA on the 4.0 scale and means every graded class was an F. Withdrawals and pass/fail classes usually do not count toward GPA, so a 0.0 almost always comes from failed classes. At most colleges it leads to probation or dismissal.
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