Is a 1.7 GPA Good? Best Colleges That Accept a 1.7 GPA

A 1.7 grade point average isn't very high, but there are several colleges and universities throughout the U.S. that still accept students with low GPAs.

One important thing to consider when applying to college is each school's admissions requirements. Every institution has different requirements that students need to meet. Some only require a high school diploma, while others require a minimum grade point average (GPA), minimum test scores, letters of recommendation, and more.

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Your GPA gives colleges an indication of your academic performance. Having a 1.7 GPA can make it harder to get into college, but there are <a href="https://learn.org/articles/colleges_that_accept_a_low_gpa.html">colleges that accept low GPAs</a>. Keep reading to learn more about colleges that accept a 1.7 GPA. <h2 id="section---WhatIsA1.7GPA">What Is a 1.7 GPA?</h2> GPA is a numerical representation of your grade. In each class you take, you're given a grade as a percentage out of 100. Your GPA is calculated by averaging the percentages of all your courses together. A standard or unweighted GPA scale ranges from zero to four. A weighted GPA scale, which takes into account the difficulty of your courses, can go up to five. A 1.7 GPA is the equivalent of earning 70% to 73% in a course or a C-. Although this is considered a below-average GPA, many schools are still willing to accept students with a low GPA. <h2 id="section---SchoolsThatAcceptA1.7GPA">Schools That Accept a 1.7 GPA</h2> Some colleges do not have minimum GPA requirements for admissions — others will accept students with lower GPAs as long as they meet other requirements. Below, we've highlighted several colleges that accept a 1.7 GPA across the U.S. Note that we've listed requirements for general admissions for each school. Specific programs and majors may have additional requirements. <h3 id="section---1.ThomasEdisonStateUniversity">1. Thomas Edison State University</h3> Thomas Edison State University is a public institution in Trenton, NJ. It's geared toward adult learners and offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus and online. TESU has an open admissions policy, meaning it 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 accepted: Not reported Acceptance rate: 100% In-state tuition: $427 per credit Out-of-state tuition: $556 per credit <h3 id="section---2.FranklinUniversity">2. Franklin University</h3> At Franklin University, students can complete undergraduate or graduate programs online or on campus. Areas of study include business, computer science, healthcare, and social sciences. Franklin University, a private, nonprofit school, is based in Columbus, OH. Similar to TESU, it's designed with adult learners in mind. Students can transfer up to 90 credits into bachelor's degree programs. Franklin is an ''open admissions'' institution, and applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent, like a GED. They must also be fluent in English. The school does not have a minimum GPA or require standardized test scores. Average GPA accepted: Not reported Acceptance rate: 100% In-state tuition: $398 per credit Out-of-state tuition: $398 per credit <h3 id="section---3.EmpireStateUniversity">3. Empire State University</h3> Empire State University offers associate through doctoral degrees primarily 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 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 accepted: Not reported Acceptance rate: 100% In-state tuition: $295 per credit Out-of-state tuition: $353 per credit <h3 id="section---4.UniversityOfMarylandGlobalCampus">4. University of Maryland Global Campus</h3> Online undergraduate and graduate programs are available 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. Its open admissions policy only requires a high school diploma or equivalent. UMGC also offers credit for military, life, and work experience. Average GPA accepted: Not reported Acceptance rate: 100% In-state tuition: $324 per credit Out-of-state tuition: $324 per credit <h3 id="section---5.UniversityOfMassachusettsGlobal">5. University of Massachusetts Global</h3> 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 undergraduate and graduate degrees online. 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 and time management. Average GPA accepted: Not reported Acceptance rate: 100% In-state tuition: $500 per credit Out-of-state tuition: $500 per credit <h3 id="section---6.WestTexasAMUniversity">6. West Texas A&M University</h3> Students at West Texas A&M can earn associate through doctoral degrees on campus and online. Areas of study include business, communication, engineering, and health sciences. WTAMU, a public university, is located in Canyon, TX. It offers three pathways for students to gain acceptance: <ul><li>be in the top 35% of your class </li><li>have a 3.0 GPA </li><li>have a composite ACT score of 21 or a composite SAT score of 1070 </li></ul>This means if you have a low GPA, you can still be accepted with solid scores on your standardized tests. Students must also have completed core high school coursework. Average GPA accepted: 3.5 Acceptance rate: 97% In-state tuition: $218.28 per credit Out-of-state tuition: $705 per credit <h3 id="section---7.SouthernNewHampshireUniversity">7. Southern New Hampshire University</h3> Southern New Hampshire University offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in fields such as business, liberal arts, and technology. SNHU is a private, nonprofit university in Manchester, NH, best known for its large number of online 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 accepted: Not reported Acceptance rate: 96% In-state tuition: $330 per credit Out-of-state tuition: $330 per credit <h3 id="section---8.HerzingUniversity">8. Herzing University</h3> Associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees are available in person and online at Herzing University. Areas of study include business, healthcare, legal studies, and technology. 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/ACT scores, have previous college credit, or complete entrance testing. Herzing University, based in Milwaukee, is a private, nonprofit institution with a dozen campuses throughout the U.S., as well as an online campus. It accepts up to 90 transfer credits and offers credit for prior learning. Average GPA accepted: Not reported Acceptance rate: 94% In-state tuition: $515 per credit Out-of-state tuition: $515 per credit <h3 id="section---9.UniversityOfNorthCarolinaAtPembroke">9. University of North Carolina at Pembroke</h3> The University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a public institution in Pembroke, NC. It offers on-campus and online undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students with a GPA below 2.5 will need to submit standardized test scores. They may gain eligibility with a composite ACT score of 19 or a combined SAT score of 1010. Admissions requirements also include completing core high school coursework. Average GPA accepted: 3.5 Acceptance rate: 92% In-state tuition: $41.67 per credit Out-of-state tuition: $208.33 per credit <h3 id="section---10.GeorgiaSouthernUniversity">10. Georgia Southern University</h3> Through Georgia Southern University, students can earn associate through doctoral degrees on campus and online. Areas of study include education, liberal arts, management, and natural sciences. Georgia Southern, a public research institution, is located in Statesboro, GA. It encourages students to have a GPA of at least 2.5 but will accept students with lower GPAs depending on the rest of their college application. Students with a GPA under 3.2 must submit test scores. Average GPA accepted: 3.5 Acceptance rate: 90% In-state tuition: $187 per credit Out-of-state tuition: $675 per credit <h2 id="section---HowWeRankSchools">How We Rank Schools</h2> To choose the schools listed above, we focused on four-year colleges that are public or nonprofit private and meet the following criteria: <ul><li>Accreditation: Each school is regionally accredited. </li><li>GPA requirement: All accept students with 1.7 GPAs, though some have additional requirements for these students. </li><li>Acceptance rates: We only selected schools with an acceptance rate over 90%. </li></ul><h2 id="section---CollegeAdmissionsWithA1.7GPA">College Admissions With a 1.7 GPA</h2> A 1.7 GPA is relatively low and, as a result, can make it more challenging to gain admission to college. However, it's far from impossible to finish your higher education. You can increase your chances of admission by having good standardized test scores, glowing letters of recommendation, or participating in extracurricular activities. You can also use the personal statement as an opportunity to tell the admissions committee why your GPA was low and how you plan to adjust that in college. Additionally, there are many schools that will still accept low GPAs. You can also look into open admissions schools, which are <a href="https://learn.org/articles/online_colleges_that_accept_everyone.html">colleges that accept everyone</a> who meets the minimum admissions requirements. <h2 id="section---StrategiesToImproveALowGPA">Strategies To Improve a Low GPA</h2> There are different strategies you can use to improve your GPA depending on where you're at in your education. If you're in your sophomore year of high school, or even your junior year, you may have enough time to work toward a higher GPA by studying hard and reaching out to teachers or tutors for assistance. Many schools perform a holistic review, looking at several things besides your academic performance. You can increase your chances of admission by doing things like: <ul><li>scoring highly on your ACT or SAT </li><li>recieving good letters of recommendation from teachers </li><li>writing an inspiring personal statement </li><li>participating in extracurriculars like sports, debate, or community service </li></ul>If you're in your senior year or have already graduated, consider attending a community college or an open-admissions school for a year or two and working to achieve a good college GPA. Then, you can transfer to a more selective school. <h2 id="section---FAQsAboutCollegesAcceptingStudentsWithBelowAverageGPAs">FAQs About Colleges Accepting Students With Below-Average GPAs</h2> Trying to go to college with a low GPA can be tricky. Below, we've answered some questions about colleges that accept a 1.7 GPA. <h3 id="section---IsA1.7GPAGoodAtAUniversity">Is a 1.7 GPA Good at a University?</h3> 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, many community colleges, state schools, and even private schools accept students with low GPAs. <h3 id="section---WhatIsConsideredALowGPA">What Is Considered a Low GPA?</h3> A low GPA is generally considered anything below 2.5, but some say it's anything under 2.0. Below 2.0, it can be hard to get into a school or receive financial aid. However, it isn't impossible. <h3 id="section---WhatIsTheLowestGPAACollegeWillAccept">What Is the Lowest GPA a College Will Accept?</h3> Many colleges do not have a minimum GPA. These are typically open admissions schools that only require a high school diploma or equivalent. Some schools are also willing to accept students with a lower GPA on a probationary basis. Check the admissions process to see if this is an option for you. <h2 id="section---ExploreOnlineDegreePrograms">Explore Online Degree Programs</h2> A low GPA doesn't have to stop you from earning a degree. Check out the accredited programs on Learn.org and reach out to individual schools to learn more about admissions and enrollment.

Is a 1.7 GPA Good? Best Colleges That Accept a 1.7 GPA

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