Colleges in California That Accept a 4.0 GPA

A 4.0 GPA is a safety at one school and a long shot at another, so these schools are split into likely, target and reach rather than one list. Every number is the school's own average admitted GPA, from U.S. Department of Education data. Only California schools are listed here.

Likely

Schools where the average admitted student is below 4.0 GPA. You are above their typical applicant.

• University of Southern California — Los Angeles, CA · 3.79 avg GPA
• University of California-Santa Cruz — Santa Cruz, CA · 3.70 avg GPA
• University of California-Riverside — Riverside, CA · 3.60 avg GPA
• University of California-Merced — Merced, CA · 3.50 avg GPA
• San Diego State University — San Diego, CA · 3.72 avg GPA
• University of San Diego — San Diego, CA · 3.78 avg GPA
• Loyola Marymount University — Los Angeles, CA · 3.70 avg GPA
• Pepperdine University — Malibu, CA · 3.70 avg GPA
• San Jose State University — San Jose, CA · 3.40 avg GPA
• California State University-Fullerton — Fullerton, CA · 3.40 avg GPA
• San Francisco State University — San Francisco, CA · 3.30 avg GPA
• California State University-Sacramento — Sacramento, CA · 3.35 avg GPA
• California State University-Northridge — Northridge, CA · 3.30 avg GPA
• California State University-Fresno — Fresno, CA · 3.30 avg GPA
• California State University-Los Angeles — Los Angeles, CA · 3.20 avg GPA

Target

Schools where the average admitted student is right around 4.0 GPA. These are realistic, competitive picks.

• Stanford University — Stanford, CA · 3.96 avg GPA
• University of California-Davis — Davis, CA · 4.05 avg GPA
• University of California-Santa Barbara — Santa Barbara, CA · 4.10 avg GPA
• Pomona College — Claremont, CA · 4.06 avg GPA
• Harvey Mudd College — Claremont, CA · 3.95 avg GPA
• Claremont McKenna College — Claremont, CA · 3.95 avg GPA
• Santa Clara University — Santa Clara, CA · 3.85 avg GPA
• Scripps College — Claremont, CA · 3.85 avg GPA
• Occidental College — Los Angeles, CA · 3.85 avg GPA
• California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo — San Luis Obispo, CA · 4.12 avg GPA
• Deep Springs College — Deep Springs, CA · 4.10 avg GPA

Reach

Schools where the average admitted student is above 4.0 GPA. Possible, but you would be applying from below the median.

• California Institute of Technology — Pasadena, CA · 4.25 avg GPA
• University of California-Berkeley — Berkeley, CA · 4.15 avg GPA
• University of California-Los Angeles — Los Angeles, CA · 4.18 avg GPA
• University of California-San Diego — La Jolla, CA · 4.18 avg GPA

All colleges that accept a 4.0 GPA, nationwide

Colleges in California That Accept a 4.0 GPA on PickACampus