Is a 1.6 GPA Good? Best Colleges That Accept a 1.6 GPA
A grade point average of 1.6 is fairly low, however, there are many colleges and universities throughout the U.S. that will accept students with low GPAs.
There are many things you may have to submit when applying for college, such as your high school transcript, test scores, and letters of recommendation. Different schools have different admissions processes, and many have minimum requirements that students must meet, including a minimum GPA.
A 1.6 GPA is fairly low, so students with a GPA at this level will need to look for colleges with low GPA requirements. Keep reading to learn more about colleges that accept a 1.6 GPA.
What Is a 1.6 GPA?
Grade point average is a way to view your overall grade for the semester or year as a number. When you complete a class, you receive a grade percentage out of 100. To calculate your GPA, you average all those grades and convert the percentage to its corresponding number on the GPA scale.
A standard or unweighted GPA scale goes from zero to four, with zero being an F average and four being an A+ average. A weighted GPA scale takes into account the difficulty of your courses, if you're taking college-level coursework, and can go up to five.
A 1.6 GPA is considered a D+ average, or an average percentage of 67% to 69%. This is considered low, but there are still many schools willing to accept students with a low GPA. Keep reading to discover colleges that accept a 1.6 GPA.
Discover Accredited Online Programs
Find the program that works best for you and apply today.
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you reach them. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you.
University of Maryland Global Campus
University of Maryland Global Campus provides affordable, achievable, and flexible pathways to a college degree for adult learners. With over 90 degrees and certificates, UMGC is built to fit your schedule and goals.
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina offers a wide range of online programs designed for working adults. Earn your degree from a nationally recognized institution with flexible scheduling and strong academic support.
Arizona State University
Arizona State University offers more than 300 online degree programs, certificates and courses. ASU Online delivers the same rigorous academic programs as on campus, with the flexibility you need to succeed.
Schools That Accept a 1.6 GPA
While it can be hard to get into college with a high school GPA of 1.6, it's not impossible. Below, we've listed some colleges that accept students with this GPA.
1. Franklin University
Franklin University is a private nonprofit institution in Columbus, OH. It offers in-person and online associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. It's geared toward adult learners and accepts up to 90 transfer credits for bachelor's degree programs.
Franklin is an ''open admissions'' institution, meaning that students just have to meet the minimum requirements to be accepted, in this case, a high school diploma. The school does not have a minimum GPA or require standardized test scores.
Average GPA: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 100%
In-state tuition: $398 per credit
Out-of-state tuition: $398 per credit
2. Thomas Edison State University
At Thomas Edison State University, students can earn undergraduate and graduate degrees on campus or online. Areas of study include business, computer science, education, and humanities.
TESU, a public university primarily for adult learners, is located in Trenton, NJ. It has an open admissions policy and accepts all students with a high school diploma or equivalent, regardless of their GPA. However, students under 20 years old are limited to taking no more than nine credits during their first semester.
Average GPA: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 100%
In-state tuition: $427 per credit
Out-of-state tuition: $556 per credit
3. Empire State University
Empire State University offers associate through doctoral programs mainly online. The school is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and is located in Saratoga Springs, NY.
SUNY Empire has open admissions for undergraduate students and only requires students to have a high school diploma or equivalent. It does not require a minimum GPA and allows transfer students to earn credit for life and work experience.
Average GPA: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 100%
In-state tuition: $295 per credit
Out-of-state tuition: $353 per credit
4. University of Maryland Global Campus
Undergraduate and graduate programs are available online through the University of Maryland Global Campus. Areas of study include business, education, healthcare, and technology.
UMGC, based in Adelphi, MD, is the online campus of the public University System of Maryland. It's open admissions and only requires a high school diploma or equivalent. UMGC also offers credit for military, life, and work experience.
Average GPA: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 100%
In-state tuition: $324 per credit
Out-of-state tuition: $499 per credit
5. University of Massachusetts Global
The University of Massachusetts Global is a private, nonprofit, online affiliate of the public University of Massachusetts. It's located in Aliso Viejo, CA, and offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.
UMass Global has open admissions and does not set a minimum GPA requirement. However, students with a GPA below 2.0 will need to take a student success course during their first semester, which covers topics such as study habits, test prep, and time management.
Average GPA: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 100%
In-state tuition: $500 per credit
Out-of-state tuition: $500 per credit
6. Excelsior University
Students at Excelsior University can earn undergraduate and graduate degrees online. Areas of study include business, health sciences, liberal arts, and technology.
Excelsior University, a private, nonprofit online institution, is based in Albany, NY. It has open admissions for all bachelor's degree programs, with the exception of the nursing degree.
Average GPA: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 100%
In-state tuition: $510 per credit
Out-of-state tuition: $510 per credit
7. West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M offers in-person and online degrees from the associate to the doctoral level. WTAMU is a public university in Canyon, TX.
The university offers three pathways for students to gain acceptance: be in the top 35% of your class, have a 3.0 GPA, or have a composite ACT score of 21 or a composite SAT score of 1070. This means if you have a low GPA, you can still be accepted with solid scores on your standardized tests.
Average GPA: 3.5
Acceptance rate: 97%
In-state tuition: $218.28 per credit
Out-of-state tuition: $705 per credit
8. Southern New Hampshire University
A variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at Southern New Hampshire University. Areas of study include business, computer science, and liberal arts.
SNHU, based in Manchester, NH, is a private, nonprofit university. While it offers programs on campus, most students study online. The school accepts up to 90 transfer credits for bachelor's programs.
SNHU does not have a minimum GPA and does not require test scores. However, students applying to study on campus will need to submit a letter of recommendation as part of the application process.
Average GPA: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 96%
In-state tuition: $330 per credit
Out-of-state tuition: $330 per credit
9. Herzing University
Herzing University is a private, nonprofit institution based in Milwaukee, WI, with a dozen campuses spread across the U.S. It offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus and online.
There is no minimum GPA requirement for Herzing but students must have a high school diploma or equivalent. Students will also need to submit SAT or ACT scores, have previous college credit, or complete entrance testing.
Average GPA: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 94%
In-state tuition: $515 per credit
Out-of-state tuition: $515 per credit
10. East Carolina University
Through East Carolina University, students can earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in person or online. Areas of study include business, education, engineering, and health sciences.
ECU, a public university, is located in Greenville, NC. The North Carolina school does not have a minimum GPA requirement; however, students with a high school GPA under 2.8 will need to submit their SAT or ACT scores as part of their college application.
Average GPA: 3.3
Acceptance rate: 90%
In-state tuition: $185.50 per credit
Out-of-state tuition: $863.71 per credit
How We Rank Schools
To choose the schools listed above, we started by narrowing the list to only four-year colleges that are public or private nonprofit. Then we focused on:
- Accreditation: Every school on this list is regionally accredited.
- GPA requirement: We chose schools that will accept a 1.7 GPA, although some may have specific admissions requirements for students with low GPAs.
- Acceptance rates: All schools on this list have an acceptance rate of 90% or above.
College Admissions With a 1.6 GPA
A 1.6 GPA is fairly low. However, it is still possible to get into college with a low GPA.
You can increase your chances of admission by having solid standardized test scores, positive letters of recommendation, or by participating in extracurricular activities. You may also want to use the personal statement, if the application offers one, as an opportunity to tell the admissions committee why your GPA was low and how you plan to adjust that in college.
If these don't help, consider schools that accept low GPAs. You can also look into open admissions schools, which are colleges that accept everyone who meets the minimum admissions requirements.
Strategies To Improve a Low GPA
You can raise your high school GPA before applying to colleges, depending on where you're at in your education. If you're in your sophomore or junior year of high school, you may have enough time to work toward a higher GPA by studying hard and reaching out to teachers or tutors for assistance.
Often, schools look at several things besides your academic performance. You can increase your chances of acceptance by doing things like:
- scoring highly on your ACT or SAT and retaking these tests if necessary
- obtaining good letters of recommendation from teachers
- crafting a strong personal statement
- participating in extracurriculars
If you're already in your senior year or have graduated, there likely isn't much more you can do to raise your GPA. Consider attending a community college or an open-admissions school for a year or two and working to achieve good grades. Then, you can transfer to a more selective school.
FAQs About Colleges Accepting Students With Below-Average GPAs
Below, we've answered a few frequently asked questions about attending college with a 1.6 GPA.
Is a 1.6 GPA Good in College?
A 1.7 GPA is considered below average. While you can still attend college, you're likely not going to make it into an Ivy League school. That said, there are many community colleges and even four-year colleges that accept lower GPAs.
Can I Go to Community College With a 1.6 GPA?
You will most likely be able to attend community college with a 1.6 GPA. The majority of community colleges are open admissions, and those that aren't usually have very high admissions rates.
What Is the Lowest GPA a College Will Accept?
Many colleges, including those above, have open admissions without a minimum GPA. They'll accept all students who have a high school diploma or equivalent. Others will accept any GPA but require students to be on academic probation until they can raise their GPA to a certain level.
Explore Online Degree Programs
Find a college that accepts low GPAs by exploring the programs featured on Learn.org. Contact individual schools today to learn more about admissions, enrollment, and financial aid.
