9 US College perfect for students with a lower GPA

With college becoming increasingly expensive and competitive, there are plenty of students out there who have considered attending school without having to worry about their grades or SAT scores.

If you’re worried about your GPA but still want to get your education, this list of 10 US colleges with low GPA requirements may be right up your preference.

These schools will overlook your low GPA and focus on your high GRE scores or the extracurricular activities you participate in, so you can earn an education even if you don’t have stellar grades from high school.

Check out this list of 10 US colleges perfect for students with a lower GPA!

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University

If you’re not getting perfect grades, but you can make up ground on your tests and through involvement in extracurriculars and community service, Carnegie Mellon University may be right for you.

The school doesn’t hold back when it comes to rewarding excellence, however.

Students at CMU have won more than 80 top awards including four Rhodes Scholarships, five Marshall Scholarships and two Nobel Prizes among others.

More than 2,000 companies recruit each year at Carnegie Mellon University and about 70 percent of all graduating seniors go on to graduate or professional school regardless of their GPA.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) admission policies aren’t as cut and dry as those of other prestigious universities, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply.

MIT has an open admissions policy, which means anyone can apply regardless of their standardized test scores or class rank. However, they are also one of three universities that don’t require SAT or ACT scores.

Instead, MIT encourages applicants to submit two short answers to questions about themselves and their interests. For example, What do you hope to accomplish in your life? and What is your greatest weakness? You should also include your high school transcript but if it isn’t good enough to get into college on its own merit.

Clarkson University

Clarkson University

Clarkson University – In order to be accepted, you must have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average or 2.8 if your major is engineering, business or applied sciences.

Non-engineering and business majors should have at least a 2.0 in all courses that are required prerequisites.

And even though other universities ask applicants to submit their standardized test scores as well, Clarkson doesn’t require these tests unless you’re applying as an international student (that means: international TOEFL).

Bottom line: If you want to go here, you’ll need at least average grades and very good test scores if your major is something other than science, math or engineering.

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Having a GPA of 3.2 or higher is not required for admission to Texas A&M University-Kingsville, meaning it’s quite possible to get accepted regardless of your academic performance in high school.

Tuition costs are also surprisingly low at $5,070 per semester and financial aid is available to 100% of applicants.

With campus locations in central Texas, Corpus Christi, and Kingsville, you can select where you’d like to attend based on your personal preferences. The campus hosts more than 300 student organizations along with several athletic teams (men’s and women’s soccer) that compete within NCAA Division II.

Seton Hall University

Seton Hall University

Seton Hall University is an eclectic university in New Jersey that recognizes talent, hard work and dedication over GPAs. Admitting potential isn’t based on strictly grade point average.

For example, if you have a 2.8 and strong SAT scores, you still might be accepted to Seton Hall University and receive merit scholarships that lower your overall cost of tuition down considerably.

Many  students say that Seton Hall University has one of the most welcoming atmospheres for first-year students, who often cite large social communities as a reason to love their school.

James Madison UUniversity

James Madison University

James Madison University is a public research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Established in 1908 as James Madison College, JMU became a four-year degree-granting institution in 1916 and was renamed James Madison University. In 2007, JMU’s storied history was celebrated by being named one of America’s Best Colleges by Forbes magazine. Famous alumni include Richard Nixon, Helen Thomas and Monica Lewinsky.

The student body at JMU is around 14,000 strong, with an average GPA of 3.0. The most popular major fields are business administration/management; education; psychology; biology/biological sciences; political science/international relations and social sciences. Tuition costs $6,838 annually for in-state students and $18,566 annually for out-of-state students.

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University

Admissions at Stony Brook University (SBU) don’t place as much weight on applicants’ grade point averages as they do on their SAT scores. SBU uses an academic index to determine applicants’ admissibility, which measures test scores against high school academic coursework.

Students also benefit from early admissions, allowing them to take college courses while still in high school. Of SBU’s fall 2021 class, 43 percent were admitted through early decision, and 26 percent were admitted through early action.

More than half of all freshman applications received a full financial aid package from SBU in 2021, it distributed $138 million in aid last year.

West Liberty State College

West Liberty State College

West Liberty State College (also known as WLSC or West Liberty) is a public liberal arts college in West Liberty, West Virginia, USA. Founded in 1876, it is currently operated by West Liberty University’s board of Governors and has an enrollment of 3,800 students. Students attend one of two four-year programs: general studies or pre-professional.

The main campus consists of over twenty buildings spread over 60 acres, located just outside downtown Wheeling and bordering Grafton High School.

A satellite center in Bridgeport offers adult evening classes for credit as well as noncredit courses; extramural course offerings include workforce development programs through outreach centers at local community agencies throughout northern West Virginia and southeastern Ohio.

Additionally, more than 80% of its classes are offered online.

Northern Arizona University (NAU)

Northern Arizona University (NAU)

NAU requires that incoming freshmen have at least a 2.0 GPA, while transfer students must have at least 2.5.

Overall, NAU tends to enroll students who perform above average academically and it also offers an extensive honors program, which may make it seem like grades are less important here than at other schools. But by focusing on academic quality, NAU is able to admit and graduate more diverse student bodies.

A third of all freshman applicants were admitted in 2020, making NAU one of just three public universities in Arizona where applications exceeded admissions.

Conclusion

Most US colleges require students to have at least a 2.5 GPA before they can apply, but these 10 schools have much lower requirements than that, making them perfect for students who did not do so well in school or are getting back into academics after some time off.

To learn more about what it takes to get accepted into any of these 10 colleges, check the list above. US College perfect for students with a lower GPA