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North Carolina Colleges for a 4.0 GPA

North Carolina 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 North Carolina colleges like University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and North Carolina State University at Raleigh. Based on incoming freshman GPA data for north-carolina schools, our analysis indicates that 7 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 North Carolina Public Private 4 year

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List of 4.0 GPA Colleges

Displaying 7 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. Hint: Filter by admission chance for 15 target schools (good chance), 3 reach (harder) schools and 156 safety (easier) schools you can consider.