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Yellowdog's avatar

What is the lowest possible GPA an individual could have and still pass or graduate?

Asked by Yellowdog (12216points) May 11th, 2021

In case they don’t use the system anymore, 4=A, so one cannot possibly get higher than a 4.00 Grade Point Average—or lower than a flat zero.

In my mind, it is trickier on the lower end. 0=F, so a “D” average of 1.00 would mean a student had as many C’s as F’s if anything other than all D’s.

But if an individual could still have more D’s than F’s and no C’s, they would have more barely passing grades (D’s) than failing ones. Still, their average would be less than a 1.00. That is, less than a D average, giving them a score in the ‘F’ range—but more D’s than F’s.

Could a person still graduate or pass with a 0.9 or 0.5 GPA? Zero-point-anything is still in the failure range, is it not?

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12 Answers

elbanditoroso's avatar

At the 4-year state school that my daughters attended, you had to have a 2.0 average to graduate.

That may be different at other universities, community colleges, and institutions.

Cupcake's avatar

Depends on both the school and the major/program. No one would graduate in nursing, for example, with a 2.0 GPA.

cookieman's avatar

What you want to look at is SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress). This is a cumulative GPA usually measured at the end of each semester. The minimum is often a 2.0 (C average) to stay in good standing, not be placed on academic probation, and ultimately graduate. Each school is different however and might have a higher required cum gpa.

When I went to undergraduate school, I had to maintain a 3.0 in my major courses and a 2.0 in everything else to graduate.

My daughter’s college, which she starts in the fall, requires a cum gpa of 2.5.

zenvelo's avatar

The University of California requires a 2.0 overall, and a 2.0 in one’s major, to graduate.

A “D” is not “passing”; you get credit for the units but are below acceptable performance.

LuckyGuy's avatar

Back in the stone age when I went to school, you needed a 2.0 to graduate Rensselaer and, like @zenvelo mentioned, a higher grade in your major. 2.5? 3.0? I don’t remember. Plus you needed to pass some required courses not in your major. If you failed those you could not graduate. Also you needed a certain number of class credits so even if you had a passing GPA you would still not graduate if you did not have enough total credits. As an example, imagine you got 3 A grads and 3 F grades. Your GPA is 2.0 but you would only receive 9 class credits (3 per class) and you needed 18.

RocketGuy's avatar

@LuckyGuy: RPI – amazing! My daughter is going to RPI. She has to be above 2.0 to keep her financial aid.

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Blazin_'s avatar

It honestly depends. Some states have different high school graduation requirements and the most commonly required GPA is a 2.0. However, there are some students who’ve had as low as a 1.0 GPA, and it’s possible to graduate in that school in that certain state. It also depends on what profession you want to go for. Medical schools expect high grades because they show you can handle the work. But other common, easy jobs require lower GPAs.

zenvelo's avatar

@Blazin_ You only need a 2.0 in medical school to graduate.

You know what they call a person with a 2.0 in Med School?

Doctor.

Blazin_'s avatar

@zenvelo Good Medical Schools most likely won’t let you graduate with a 2.0.

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