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Top Scholarships Based on GPA
By
Zach Skillings
Zach Skillings is the Scholarships360 Growth Product Manager. During his time as a Scholarships360 writer, he specialized in college admissions, striving to answer important questions about higher education. Zach graduated from Elon University with a degree in Cinema and Television Arts.
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Maria Geiger is Director of Scholarship Services at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Some scholarship programs rely on Grade Point Average (GPA) as a way to sort through applicants. In fact, there’s a variety of scholarships based on GPA. It goes without saying that the higher your GPA is, the better chance you have of earning a scholarship. But how high does your GPA need to be exactly? There’s no clear-cut answer, but in this guide, we’ll cover what you need to know about applying to scholarships based on GPA. We’ll also provide a list of top scholarships you can apply for that take GPA into consideration. Let’s get started!
Scholarships by GPA matching tool
Your GPA (short for grade point average) should be located on your latest report card or school transcript.
Enter the GPA scale your school uses. This should be the highest GPA a student could earn at your school.
Also see: Scholarships360’s free scholarship search tool
Top scholarships based on GPA
Many programs award scholarships to students based on GPA. Below we’ve rounded up a few of the top scholarships that have minimum GPA requirements:
- SKECHERS Financial Hardship Scholarship
- SKECHERS Academic Excellence Scholarship
- SKECHERS Promising Leaders Scholarship
- SKECHERS Athletic Performance Scholarship
Each of the Skechers scholarships requires a minimum 3.0 GPA to apply.
These scholarships are due on April 15, 2026.
These scholarships are currently closed, but will re-open soon!
James W. McLamore WHOPPER® Scholarship
- Eligibility: Open to college-bound high school seniors with a minimum 3.5 GPA who have exceptional community service and extracurriculars
- Amount: $60,000
- Deadline: December 15, 2025
Cameron Impact Scholarship
- Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors (who have a minimum unweighted 3.7 GPA) planning to enroll in an accredited four-year U.S. college or university
- Amount: Full cost of tuition
Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship
- Eligibility: High school seniors who have a minimum 3.0 GPA and plan to pursue a college degree
- Amount: $20,000 for undergraduate study
Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship
- Eligibility: Open to academically impressive, college-bound high school seniors with very high (typically 3.5+) GPAs
- Amount: Up to $55,000
- Deadline: November of every year
Dell Scholars Program
- Eligibility: Open to college-bound high school seniors with a minimum 2.4 GPA who participated in a college readiness program and are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant
- Amount: $20,000
- Deadline: February each year
What GPA do you need to get a scholarship?
That depends on a few things. In most cases, your GPA alone won’t earn you a scholarship. Many scholarship committees will consider your GPA alongside a variety of other factors, including essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, interviews, and strength of course schedule. That means having an impressive GPA doesn’t automatically translate to scholarship money. Having a strong overall application is usually better than relying exclusively on your GPA. That being said, a solid GPA can put you in contention for a variety of scholarships. This is especially true when scholarships have minimum GPA requirements. Some scholarship committees only consider applicants whose GPA meets a certain threshold. Minimum requirements range from around 2.0 on the lower end to 3.75 or higher for competitive academic scholarships. Generally speaking, a 3.0 GPA or higher will give you a decent shot at qualifying for a variety of scholarships.
Types of scholarships
You should also be mindful of the types of scholarships you’re applying for. Academic merit-based scholarships typically have higher GPA requirements. Because these scholarships are based solely on academic achievement, GPAs are considered more heavily when determining recipients. Meanwhile, GPA is less important for need-based scholarships, athletic scholarships, and talent-based scholarships. Your GPA may still be considered for these types of scholarships, but probably not in the same way as merit-based scholarships.
See also: What GPA do you need to get a full scholarship?
Apply to these exclusive scholarships
See all opportunitiesBrowse scholarship lists by GPA
For more scholarships by GPA, check out the following scholarship lists, each sorted by minimum GPA:
- Most prestigious scholarships for students with a high GPA
- Scholarships for B Students
- 2.5 GPA scholarships
- 2.0 GPA scholarships
- Scholarships for low GPA students
Expert Perspective
Melody Lipford | Advising Specialist on the Virtual Access Team, College Possible
What if there’s no minimum GPA requirement?
Some scholarship applications don’t list minimum GPA requirements. In fact, many top-notch merit scholarships don’t have specific GPA requirements. These scholarship programs typically still take GPA into account, but they also rely on other methods of evaluating applicants. For instance, they might consider applicants based on their class rank, standardized test scores, or difficulty of courses taken. The reason for this is that GPA is not always a reliable indicator of academic success. GPA scales vary between high schools, meaning that a 4.0 GPA at one school may not mean the same as a 4.0 GPA at another school.
Additionally, weighted GPAs must be considered differently versus unweighted GPAs. Because of all this, many scholarship programs forego minimum GPA requirements. Your GPA is still important for these types of scholarships, but you won’t have to worry about meeting a certain cutoff to be considered. Rather, you’ll be evaluated based on the strength of your overall application.
Expert Perspective
Will Geiger | Scholarships360 Co-Founder, Former Admissions Officer
College-specific scholarships
Many colleges and universities award scholarships to incoming students based on their GPA. Below we’ve listed some of those schools:
Eastern Kentucky University
- This school offers scholarships ranging from $500 per year (3.0 – 3.39 GPA) to $8,000 for in-state, first-time freshmen (3.80 – 4.0 GPA and ACT 28+)
Indiana Wesleyan University
- This school awards annual scholarships ranging from $900 to $17,000 (3.0 and above GPA)
Massachusetts State Universities
- The Paul Tsongas Scholarship awards Massachusetts students (who have a minimum 3.75 GPA) with a tuition waiver at eligible Massachusetts state universities
Montana State University Billings
- Incoming first-year students who have at least a 3.65 GPA are eligible for a $1,000 renewable scholarship
Northeastern Illinois University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
- This school offers a variety of scholarships based on GPA and test scores, ranging from $500 to the full cost of tuition
Saint Louis University
Taylor University
Texas A&M – Texarkana
- Incoming first-year students who have at least a 3.75 GPA and a minimum 28 ACT/1300 SAT are eligible for a $8,000 renewable scholarship
University of Iowa
- This school offers multiple merit-based scholarships based on GPA and test scores, including the $8,500 renewable Iowa Scholars Award
University of Rhode Island
University of St. Thomas
- Incoming first-year business students who have a minimum 3.7 GPA are eligible for a full-tuition scholarship
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
- Incoming first-year students who have a 3.75 GPA and 29 ACT are eligible for a $5,000 annual scholarship
University of Virginia
- College of Arts and Sciences students who have at least a 3.4 GPA are eligible for a variety of merit-based scholarships
Western Michigan University
- Incoming first-year students who demonstrate financial need and have a 3.7 GPA or higher are eligible for a $16,000 annual scholarship
Western New Mexico University
- Current students with a minimum 2.5 GPA may be eligible for a wide variety of scholarships
William Woods University
- Incoming first-year students who have at least a 3.75 GPA are eligible for a scholarship covering full tuition, room, and board
Our list is just the start…
Our list just scratches the surface of merit-based scholarships that take GPA into consideration. There are many other scholarships out there, some of which do have minimum GPA requirements and some of which don’t. Use this list as a jumping-off point to find other scholarships you may be eligible for. Be sure to check with the colleges you’re considering to see what types of scholarships they offer. Good luck!