A 3.7 GPA is an A- on the standard 4.0 scale, which usually means a 90 to 92 percent average. It is a good GPA: the average US high school graduate had a 3.11 in the 2019 NAEP transcript study, so a 3.7 sits well above it, and it clears the GPA requirements for most scholarships, honors and graduate programmes. At the most selective colleges, where many enrolled students report a 4.0, a 3.7 is competitive but not enough on its own.
People usually search for this number in one of three situations: they are building a college list and want to know where a 3.7 lands, they are trying to work out what grades produce it, or they are one semester from graduation and wondering whether it reaches an honors cutoff. This guide covers the letter grade and percentage, how different schools treat the A- that a 3.7 represents, which grades make a 3.7, what it can and cannot get you, and exactly how many credits it takes to move up to a 3.8 or 3.9.
3.7 GPA at a Glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Letter grade | A- |
| Percentage | About 90 to 92% |
| Is it good? | Yes, well above the national average |
| Average high school GPA (NAEP 2019) | 3.11 |
| Usually meets scholarship minimums? | Yes, most ask for 3.0 to 3.5 |
| Medical school | Above the 3.67 applicant mean, below the 3.81 matriculant mean (AAMC, 2025) |
| To reach 3.8 | Straight A’s in half as many credits as you have completed |
The detail that changes the answer is the scale. A 3.7 is an exact A- at some schools, a 4.0 at others, and a weighted 3.7 is a different result from an unweighted one. For the wider picture, see what is a good GPA.
Table of Contents
What Letter Grade and Percentage Is a 3.7 GPA?
A 3.7 GPA equals an A-, which is typically 90 to 92 percent. This is how the top of the common 4.0 scale looks, though percentage bands change by school, so check your own chart.
| Letter grade | Grade points | Typical percentage |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 | 97 to 100% |
| A | 4.0 | 93 to 96% |
| A- | 3.7 | 90 to 92% |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87 to 89% |
| B | 3.0 | 83 to 86% |
The values come from a common 4.0 scale chart, and Indiana University Northwest’s grades policy also lists A- as 3.7. For the complete table, see the college grading scale guide and the letter grade scale.
Is a 3.7 GPA Good?
Yes. A 3.7 is a strong GPA in high school and in college. The 2019 NAEP High School Transcript Study, as reported by K-12 Dive, found the average US high school graduate GPA was 3.11, so a 3.7 sits about 0.6 points above it. The table shows how it compares with published requirements.
| Benchmark | Cutoff | Does a 3.7 meet it? |
|---|---|---|
| University of California minimum | 3.0 residents, 3.4 nonresidents | Yes |
| Wayne State freshman award renewal | 3.0 for most awards, 3.5 for one | Yes |
| University of Washington Graduate School | 3.0 general minimum | Yes |
| Fashion Institute of Technology dean’s list | 3.5 with 12+ credits | Yes |
| Clayton State dean’s list | 3.60 | Yes |
| Clayton State magna cum laude | 3.70 to 3.89 | Yes, at the bottom of the range |
| Clayton State summa cum laude | 3.90 to 4.00 | No |
These are examples, not universal rules. A 3.6 GPA would miss the magna lines above, for instance, and your own college’s policy decides whether a 3.7 earns a particular honor.
Does a 3.7 GPA Mean the Same Thing at Every School?
No, because schools treat plus and minus grades differently, and a 3.7 is exactly an A-. The same transcript can produce different GPAs depending on who reads it.
| School or system | How it treats A- |
|---|---|
| Indiana University Northwest | A- is 3.7 |
| University of California (admissions) | Does not use plus and minus for high school coursework: A = 4, B = 3 |
| University of Michigan (admissions) | Ignores plus and minus, so A- counts as 4.0 |
So a student with a 3.7 built from A- grades can look like a 4.0 student to one college and a 3.7 student to another. Weighting adds a second variable: a weighted 3.7 can come from lower grades than an unweighted 3.7, because AP and honors courses add points. Read weighted vs unweighted GPA to see how schools add those points, and the GPA scale reporting guide for how to state your scale when you report it.
What Grades Make a 3.7 GPA?
A 3.7 comes from mostly A-range grades with some B’s, or from A- grades throughout. Here is one year of study, 30 credit hours across ten 3-credit courses.
| Courses | Credits each | Grade | Grade points | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 courses | 3 | A | 4.0 | 7 x 3 x 4.0 = 84 |
| 3 courses | 3 | B | 3.0 | 3 x 3 x 3.0 = 27 |
| Total | 30 | 111 |
GPA = total quality points ÷ total credits = 111 ÷ 30 = 3.70
The same 3.7 also comes from ten A- grades (10 x 3 x 3.7 = 111, and 111 ÷ 30 = 3.7). So you do not need a spotless transcript: three B’s in ten courses is still a 3.7. The step-by-step method is in how to calculate GPA, and you can try your own grades in the high school GPA calculator or the college GPA calculator.
Can You Get Into a Good College With a 3.7 GPA?
At many colleges, yes. At the most selective ones, it depends on the rest of your application. Colleges report the GPAs of their enrolled first-year students in their Common Data Sets, and College Transitions compiled those figures. They found that 97 percent of entering first-years at UNC Chapel Hill, 73.3 percent at Stanford and 72.4 percent at Harvard reported a 4.0 GPA. Across the 88 colleges it studied, the share ranged from 2.8 to 97 percent.
Two cautions apply. These are enrolled students, not admitted ones, and colleges report GPA in different ways. But the pattern is clear: at the top tier a 3.7 is below what most enrolled students report, and one tier down it is often right in the middle.
Rather than trusting a generic list of colleges, check your own targets in four steps:
- Search for “[college name] Common Data Set”.
- Open the section on first-year students and find the GPA breakdown.
- See what share of enrolled students sit above, around and below 3.7.
- Sort the college as a reach, target or likely school on that basis.
A college where most enrolled students are above 3.9 is a reach for a 3.7 student. One where a large share sit between 3.5 and 3.9 is a target. Remember that each college recalculates GPA in its own way, as the A- table above shows, so use the weighted vs unweighted GPA guide to work out which number each one will see.
Example: Maya, High School Junior
Maya has a 3.7 unweighted and is building a list. She opens the Common Data Sets of five colleges. At a large state university most enrolled students are between 3.5 and 3.9, so it is a target. At a selective private college most enrolled students report a 4.0, so it is a reach and she puts extra work into her essay and recommendations. She adds two colleges where a 3.7 is above the typical range as likely schools. One afternoon of reading gives her a list she can defend.
What Can a 3.7 GPA Get You Besides Admission?
| Goal | What a 3.7 does | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Latin honors | Reaches magna cum laude at some colleges | Clayton State: magna 3.70 to 3.89, summa 3.90 to 4.00. FIT: magna 3.70 to below 3.85, summa 3.85 or higher |
| Dean’s list | Usually qualifies | FIT 3.5 with 12+ credits, Clayton State 3.60 |
| Merit scholarship renewal | Clears the floor | Wayne State most awards 3.0, one 3.5 |
| Graduate school | Far above the minimum | University of Washington Graduate School general minimum 3.0 |
| Medical school | Near the middle | AAMC: 2025 applicants averaged 3.67 and matriculants 3.81 |
For medical school, a 3.7 is slightly above the typical applicant and slightly below the typical student who enrolled, so MCAT scores, experience and the rest of the file carry a lot of weight. For scholarships and graduate programmes, a 3.7 clears the GPA floor, and the competition then turns on research, leadership, recommendations and fit. Always read the exact criteria for the award or programme you want.
How Do You Raise a 3.7 GPA to a 3.8 or 3.9?
To raise a 3.7 to a 3.8 GPA with straight A’s, you need to earn half as many new credits as you have already completed. To reach a 3.9 you need twice as many. The reason is that each new A is only 0.3 above your current average, while a 3.8 is just 0.1 above it, so a small number of A’s goes a long way, and a 3.9 needs a much longer run.
Credits of straight A's needed for 3.8 = completed credits ÷ 2Credits of straight A's needed for 3.9 = completed credits x 2| Credits completed (at 3.7) | A-credits needed for 3.8 | A-credits needed for 3.9 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 15 | 60 |
| 60 | 30 | 120 |
| 90 | 45 | 180 |
Here is the check for 30 completed credits (111 quality points). Add 15 credits of A’s, which is 60 points: (111 + 60) ÷ 45 = 171 ÷ 45 = 3.8. For a 3.9, add 60 credits of A’s, which is 240 points: (111 + 240) ÷ 90 = 351 ÷ 90 = 3.9.
The math also works against you. If your next 30 credits average only 3.4 (102 points), your GPA becomes (111 + 102) ÷ 60 = 213 ÷ 60 = 3.55. That is why the earlier you push, the easier it is, and why a student with 90 credits needs a long run of A’s to move a decimal. Test your own numbers in the cumulative GPA calculator and use how to raise your GPA to plan each semester.
Is a 3.7 GPA Good in High School vs College?
In high school, a 3.7 is judged against your school’s course options, so a 3.7 with several AP or IB classes says more than a 3.7 in an easier schedule. Colleges also recalculate it, so know both your weighted and unweighted numbers.
In college, a 3.7 is a cumulative GPA over harder courses. It is a solid signal for graduate programmes, honors and employers that set a GPA cutoff, but requirements vary, so check each posting or programme.
What Is a 3.7 GPA Outside the US?
A 3.7 is a US-style number, and there is no single official conversion to other systems.
- India: Universities use a 10-point CGPA, so a US 3.7 does not convert to one fixed CGPA. The what is CGPA guide explains the Indian scale, and the CGPA calculator shows how it is calculated.
- United Kingdom: Degrees are classified (First, 2:1, 2:2) rather than given a GPA, and universities or credential evaluators convert a US GPA case by case.
- Europe: Countries use their own grade scales alongside ECTS credits, so a 3.7 is converted through the receiving university’s rules.
- Pakistan: Many universities report GPA on a 4.0 scale, so a 3.7 is read directly, but the rules differ by university.
- Canada, Australia and others: Scales vary by institution, so confirm how your target school reads a 3.7.
The study abroad GPA converter shows how grades are translated between systems, and when in doubt, ask the admissions office for its conversion table in writing.
FAQs About a 3.7 GPA
Is a 3.7 GPA good?
Yes. A 3.7 GPA is well above the US average. NAEP data show the average high school GPA was 3.11 in 2019, so a 3.7 is strong in high school and in college.
What letter grade is a 3.7 GPA?
A 3.7 GPA is an A- on the common 4.0 scale. An A is 4.0 and a B+ is 3.3, so 3.7 sits just below a straight A.
What percentage is a 3.7 GPA?
A 3.7 GPA is roughly 90% to 92%. This is an approximation, because each school sets its own percentage ranges for letter grades.
Is a 3.7 GPA good enough for college?
It is competitive at many colleges, but not a guarantee at the most selective ones. Check the GPA breakdown in a college’s Common Data Set to see where a 3.7 falls.
Is a 3.7 GPA good enough for Ivy League colleges?
It is below what most enrolled students at those schools report. College Transitions found 72.4 percent of Harvard’s enrolled first-years had a 4.0. A 3.7 is not disqualifying, but the rest of the application has to be exceptional.
Is a 3.7 GPA good for medical school?
It is above the 3.67 average for 2025 applicants and below the 3.81 average for matriculants, according to the AAMC. MCAT scores and experience carry a lot of weight at that point.
Can I get a scholarship with a 3.7 GPA?
Often yes. Many merit awards ask for 3.0 to 3.5, so a 3.7 usually clears the minimum. Each award has its own rules, so read the eligibility terms.
Does a 3.7 GPA qualify for dean’s list?
Usually, yes. Many colleges set the dean’s list cutoff at 3.5 or 3.6 for a semester with enough credits, for example 3.5 with 12 or more credits at Fashion Institute of Technology and 3.60 at Clayton State.
Is a 3.7 GPA magna cum laude?
At Clayton State, 3.70 to 3.89 is magna cum laude, and at Fashion Institute of Technology it is 3.70 to below 3.85, so a 3.7 reaches magna at both. Other colleges use different cutoffs.
How many A’s do you need for a 3.7 GPA?
With equal-credit courses, seven A’s and three B’s average exactly 3.7. Ten A- grades also give 3.7.
How do I raise a 3.7 GPA to a 3.8?
Earn straight A’s in half as many new credits as you have already completed. For example, 30 completed credits at a 3.7 need 15 more credits of A’s to reach 3.8.
Is a 3.7 weighted or unweighted?
It can be either, so check your transcript. A weighted 3.7 adds extra points for honors, AP or IB classes and is not the same as an unweighted 3.7. Read weighted vs unweighted GPA for the difference.
Sources
- Test Ninjas, GPA scale chart
- Indiana University Northwest, grades policy
- University of California, first-year admission 101
- University of California, GPA requirement
- University of Michigan, recalculated GPA for first-year applicants
- K-12 Dive, 2019 NAEP High School Transcript Study
- College Transitions, when everyone has a 4.0
- AAMC, U.S. medical schools enroll record number of students in 2025
- Clayton State University, academic honors
- Fashion Institute of Technology, Dean’s List and awards
- Wayne State University, freshman award renewal
- University of Washington Graduate School, Policy 3.1
Related Calculators
- High School GPA Calculator: weighted and unweighted GPA.
- College GPA Calculator: turn your grades into a GPA.
- Cumulative GPA Calculator: see how new terms change your average.
- CGPA Calculator: the Indian 10-point system.
- Study Abroad GPA Converter: compare grades across countries.