What are my chances with a 3.9 GPA and a 24 ACT?

With a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 24 ACT, CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model rates 25 of 60 well-known colleges as Likely (45% or better), 6 as Target and 29 as Reach for a typical applicant with a moderate course load and activities.

Likely

45% or better

Target

25 to 44%

Reach

under 25%

60 colleges, one typical applicant. Assumes a 12th grader with a moderate course load (4 AP and 2 honors courses alongside 10 regular ones), three steady activities at about 8 hours a week, Regular Decision, and no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. Residency is not applied, so public universities read as out-of-state. Your real number depends on the full profile.

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Where a 3.9 GPA and a 24 ACT lands

How 3.9 gpa, 24 act reads against the colleges most applicants ask about.

A 3.9 unweighted GPA is an A-minus to A average. A 24 ACT concords to about a 1180 SAT, which is a roughly average score for a four-year college applicant, about 30 points above the median admitted 75th-percentile SAT (about 1150) across the 1,100+ colleges CollegeCalcAI tracks. Put together with a moderate course load and steady activities, this profile comes out Likely at 25 of the 60 colleges here, Target at 6 and Reach at 29.

The most selective college where it still reads Likely is University of Texas at Austin (admits about 27%, estimated 48%). The least selective college where it is already a Reach is Georgia Tech (admits about 14%, estimated 24%). Between them sits the Target band, from University of Florida (42%) down to University of North Carolina (26%). That stretch is where the rest of an application decides the outcome.

At University of Michigan, the school this question is asked about most, the estimate is 27% (Target). At Harvard University it is 8%, and the model never rates an unhooked applicant above Reach at a school that admits 4%. At the other end, Ohio State University comes out at 97%; large public universities with acceptance rates above half admit on grades and scores first, and this profile clears their bar.

All 60 colleges for a 3.9 gpa, 24 act

Every college on the roster, with the model's estimate for this profile. Sort by chance, acceptance rate or name. Each row opens the calculator with that college selected.

Sort by

College	Admits	Your chance
University of AlabamaAL, admits 77%	77%	98% Likely	Run yours
Indiana UniversityIN, admits 78%	78%	98% Likely	Run yours
University of ColoradoCO, admits 78%	78%	98% Likely	Run yours
University of MinnesotaMN, admits 80%	80%	98% Likely	Run yours
Michigan State UniversityMI, admits 85%	85%	98% Likely	Run yours
University of ArizonaAZ, admits 86%	86%	98% Likely	Run yours
University of OregonOR, admits 88%	88%	98% Likely	Run yours
Iowa State UniversityIA, admits 89%	89%	98% Likely	Run yours
Arizona State UniversityAZ, admits 90%	90%	98% Likely	Run yours
Ohio State UniversityOH, admits 61%	61%	97% Likely	Run yours
Texas A&M UniversityTX, admits 57%	57%	95% Likely	Run yours
Rutgers UniversityNJ, admits 58%	58%	95% Likely	Run yours
University of PittsburghPA, admits 58%	58%	95% Likely	Run yours
Penn State UniversityPA, admits 55%	55%	93% Likely	Run yours
Virginia TechVA, admits 55%	55%	93% Likely	Run yours
Purdue UniversityIN, admits 50%	50%	89% Likely	Run yours
University of MarylandMD, admits 45%	45%	82% Likely	Run yours
University of WisconsinWI, admits 45%	45%	82% Likely	Run yours
University of IllinoisIL, admits 42%	42%	77% Likely	Run yours
University of WashingtonWA, admits 39%	39%	72% Likely	Run yours
Clemson UniversitySC, admits 38%	38%	70% Likely	Run yours
University of GeorgiaGA, admits 38%	38%	70% Likely	Run yours
William & MaryVA, admits 34%	34%	63% Likely	Run yours
UC San DiegoCA, admits 27%	27%	48% Likely	Run yours
University of Texas at AustinTX, admits 27%	27%	48% Likely	Run yours
Florida State UniversityFL, admits 24%	24%	42% Target	Run yours
University of FloridaFL, admits 24%	24%	42% Target	Run yours
University of VirginiaVA, admits 17%	17%	29% Target	Run yours
Boston CollegeMA, admits 16%	16%	27% Target	Run yours
University of MichiganMI, admits 16%	16%	27% Target	Run yours
University of North CarolinaNC, admits 15%	15%	26% Target	Run yours
Georgia TechGA, admits 14%	14%	24% Reach	Run yours
Georgetown UniversityDC, admits 13%	13%	22% Reach	Run yours
Carnegie Mellon UniversityPA, admits 12%	12%	21% Reach	Run yours
Washington University in St. LouisMO, admits 12%	12%	21% Reach	Run yours
Boston UniversityMA, admits 11%	11%	19% Reach	Run yours
Emory UniversityGA, admits 11%	11%	19% Reach	Run yours
Tufts UniversityMA, admits 11%	11%	19% Reach	Run yours
University of California, BerkeleyCA, admits 11%	11%	19% Reach	Run yours
University of Notre DameIN, admits 11%	11%	19% Reach	Run yours
University of Southern CaliforniaCA, admits 10%	10%	17% Reach	Run yours
Cornell UniversityNY, admits 9%	9%	16% Reach	Run yours
New York UniversityNY, admits 9%	9%	16% Reach	Run yours
UCLACA, admits 9%	9%	16% Reach	Run yours
Northwestern UniversityIL, admits 8%	8%	14% Reach	Run yours
Rice UniversityTX, admits 8%	8%	14% Reach	Run yours
Duke UniversityNC, admits 6%	6%	11% Reach	Run yours
Johns Hopkins UniversityMD, admits 6%	6%	11% Reach	Run yours
Vanderbilt UniversityTN, admits 6%	6%	11% Reach	Run yours
Brown UniversityRI, admits 5%	5%	10% Reach	Run yours
Dartmouth CollegeNH, admits 5%	5%	10% Reach	Run yours
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMA, admits 5%	5%	10% Reach	Run yours
Northeastern UniversityMA, admits 5%	5%	10% Reach	Run yours
Princeton UniversityNJ, admits 5%	5%	10% Reach	Run yours
University of PennsylvaniaPA, admits 5%	5%	10% Reach	Run yours
Columbia UniversityNY, admits 4%	4%	8% Reach	Run yours
Harvard UniversityMA, admits 4%	4%	8% Reach	Run yours
Stanford UniversityCA, admits 4%	4%	8% Reach	Run yours
University of ChicagoIL, admits 4%	4%	8% Reach	Run yours
Yale UniversityCT, admits 4%	4%	8% Reach	Run yours

The three moves that change these numbers most

From the model's own sensitivity analysis: the same change applied at every college, averaged across the roster.

Move 1

Raise your core GPA about 0.15 (a half-grade across core classes)

Adds about 1.5 points on average across the 60 colleges, and up to 5 points at the schools closest to a band line. It helps at 36 of them.

Move 2

Raise your test score toward the school's 75th percentile

Adds about 1.4 points on average across the 60 colleges, and up to 4 points at the schools closest to a band line. It helps at 39 of them.

Move 3

Earn a leadership role or higher-tier recognition in your top activity

Adds about 1.2 points on average across the 60 colleges, and up to 4 points at the schools closest to a band line. It helps at 39 of them.

Small averages are expected: a change moves the number most at colleges where this profile sits near the admitted middle, and barely at all where it is far above or far below. The calculator shows the moves for your profile at each school you add.

What one step up or down does

The nearest profiles on the grid, scored the same way.

Raising the GPA by one tenth (4.0 GPA, 24 ACT) gives 2 more Likely schools and 1 fewer Reach schools (27 Likely, 5 Target, 28 Reach). Dropping it one tenth (3.8 GPA, 24 ACT) gives the same number of Likely schools and 1 more Reach schools (25 Likely, 5 Target, 30 Reach).

Adding one ACT point (3.9 GPA, 25 ACT) leaves the split unchanged at this roster, which tells you the line between bands sits elsewhere for these schools. Not sending the score at all (3.9 GPA, no test) gives 27 Likely, 5 Target and 28 Reach.

GPA moves these estimates more than the test does at most colleges, because the model weights each factor the way the school's own Common Data Set reports it, and grades and rigor are rated very important almost everywhere while testing is considered or optional at many. The exceptions are the colleges where testing is still weighted heavily; the table above shows where a score step changes the band.

How to read these numbers

What the model does and does not know about you here.

Every percentage on this page is produced by the same fixed, versioned model that runs the calculator. It scores five dimensions (grades, course rigor, testing, activities and context) against each college's admitted-student data and its Common Data Set factor weights, then converts the result to a chance against that college's acceptance rate. The method is published on the methodology page, and the identical input always produces the identical number.

What it cannot see here is you. Assumes a 12th grader with a moderate course load (4 AP and 2 honors courses alongside 10 regular ones), three steady activities at about 8 hours a week, Regular Decision, and no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. Residency is not applied, so public universities read as out-of-state. Likely means an estimate of 45% or better, Target 25 to 44%, Reach under 25%. A college that admits 7% or fewer of applicants is capped at Reach for anyone without a recruited-athlete slot. These are planning estimates, not predictions of any decision, and a balanced list still needs schools from all three bands. Run the full profile for the number that is actually yours.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 3.9 GPA and a 24 ACT good enough for University of Michigan?

For a typical applicant, the model estimates about 27% at University of Michigan, which is a Target. University of Michigan admits about 16% of applicants, so this profile is in the competitive range but far from assured. Course rigor, activities, essays and the application round all change the number.

What are my chances at Harvard University with a 3.9 GPA and a 24 ACT?

About 8%, a Reach. Harvard University admits roughly 4% of applicants, and the model caps every unhooked applicant at Reach for schools that selective, because published outcomes show even perfect-stat applicants are admitted well below the Target band. 29 of the 60 colleges on this page read as Reach for this profile.

Should I submit a 24 ACT with a 3.9 GPA, or apply test-optional?

Sending the score hurts at this roster: 25 Likely schools with it against 27 without, and 29 Reach schools against 28. The rule of thumb holds school by school: submit where a 24 ACT is at or above the admitted middle and withhold where it is below.

Which colleges are Likely for a 3.9 GPA and a 24 ACT?

25 of the 60 colleges here come out at 45% or better, among them UC San Diego, University of Texas at Austin, William & Mary, Clemson University and University of Georgia. The most selective of them is University of Texas at Austin, which admits about 27%. Every one is an estimate for a typical applicant, not a guarantee.

Nearby profiles

One step in any direction, scored the same way.

Same GPA, no score sent

3.9 GPA, 1200 SAT

Same GPA with the SAT equivalent

Look at one number at a time: colleges for a 3.9 GPA, colleges for a 1180 SAT and colleges for a 24 ACT. Or browse the full GPA and test-score grid, the 100 hardest colleges and every school-data collection.

Acceptance rates and admitted-score ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education IPEDS, College Scorecard and each college's Common Data Set) and are rounded. Estimates are computed by a fixed, transparent model for a stated typical applicant and are a planning tool, not a prediction or guarantee of any admission decision.