Arizona State University’s graduate baseline is a 3.00 GPA, calculated on your last 60 credit hours of undergraduate work, not your whole transcript. That is the floor. Several departments set their own higher floors: 3.25 for the Computer Science master’s, 3.30 for the Clinical Psychology PhD, and 3.50 for the Computer Science and Economics PhDs.
For first-year undergraduates, ASU asks for a 3.00 unweighted GPA in core courses, or one of two alternatives: top 25% class rank or a qualifying ACT/SAT score. Applicants who report ASU outcomes to The GradCafe show an average undergraduate GPA of 3.71.
So ASU is genuinely accessible, but “3.0 is enough” is only true for some programs. This guide shows which ones, department by department, with every figure traced to its source.
Does ASU have a minimum GPA?
Yes, for both undergraduate and graduate admission. But the two work very differently.
ASU graduate GPA minimum
ASU’s graduate admissions page says competitive applicants typically have a B average (3.00 on a 4.00 scale), based on the last 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours) of undergraduate coursework. Applicants below 3.00 may still be considered by the department.
Two details matter more than the number itself:
- It is your last 60 hours, not your cumulative GPA. If your first two years were rough and your last two were strong, the GPA ASU reads may be noticeably higher than the one on your transcript. Calculate it before you decide whether you qualify.
- The 3.00 is a university-wide baseline, not your program’s rule. Departments set their own minimums, and several are higher. The department table below is the number that actually applies to you.
ASU undergraduate GPA requirements
For first-year admission, ASU asks you to complete its required high school courses (called competency courses: English, math, lab science, social science, a second language, and fine arts or career and technical education) and to meet at least one of these:
- A 3.00 unweighted GPA in competency courses (4.00 = A)
- Top 25% of your high school graduating class
- An ACT or SAT score of ACT 22 / SAT 1120 for Arizona residents, or ACT 24 / SAT 1180 for nonresidents
ACT and SAT scores are not required. You also need at least a 2.00 GPA in each competency area, and you can be admitted with a small number of course deficiencies, though not in both math and lab science. Some majors set higher requirements, so check your program on ASU Degree Search.
Unlike most schools in this series, ASU’s real admitted range is close to its published requirements. According to ASU’s Common Data Set for 2025-26, ASU’s on-campus programs received 69,617 first-year applications for Fall 2025 and admitted 61,533, an admit rate of about 88%. Enrolled first-year students had an average high school GPA of 3.52.
If you are a high school student, that is your answer. The rest of this guide covers graduate admission (master’s and PhD), where the variation between departments is much larger.
ASU graduate GPA requirements by department
The 3.00 is where ASU starts. Here is where some of the most-applied-to departments end up.
| Department | GPA requirement | How it is calculated |
| Computer Science MS | 3.25 minimum | Last 60 credit hours of your bachelor’s degree |
| Computer Science PhD | 3.50 minimum | Last 60 hours; 3.50 in your last degree if you hold a master’s |
| Computer Engineering MS and PhD | 3.00 minimum | Last 60 hours |
| Software Engineering MS | 3.00 minimum | Last 60 hours |
| Economics PhD | 3.50 or higher expected | Weighted for how hard your coursework was |
| Clinical Psychology PhD | 3.30 minimum | Last 60 hours of first bachelor’s, or a relevant master’s |
| Other Psychology PhDs (Developmental, Social, Quantitative, Neuroscience) | 3.00 minimum | Same as Clinical |
Three things stand out.
Computer Science is not a 3.0 program. ASU’s CS master’s is one of the most popular programs among GradCafe users, and its floor is 3.25, not 3.00. The CS PhD is 3.50. If you have been told “ASU takes a 3.0,” that advice is out of date for the program most international STEM applicants are targeting.
Economics cares about which courses, not just the number. ASU’s Economics PhD expects a 3.50 or higher “with consideration for the degree of difficulty” of your coursework. It also expects A- or better in upper-level math (real analysis, linear algebra, differential equations, statistics) and in intermediate micro, macro and econometrics. A 3.6 overall with a B in real analysis is weaker than it looks.
Psychology splits by area. Clinical sits at 3.30. Every other Psychology PhD area sits at 3.00. If you are deciding between areas, the GPA floor is one of the few hard differences between them.
What GPA do admitted ASU applicants actually report?
Minimums tell you who is eligible. Reported outcomes tell you who got in.
Across 6,199 ASU results submitted to The GradCafe, the average reported undergraduate GPA is 3.71. Of those entries, 3,169 recorded an acceptance, a reported admit share of 51.1%.
That makes ASU one of the more accessible large graduate schools in our data. For comparison, UCLA and NYU both sit under 40%.
You can read the latest decisions, with GPAs attached, on the ASU admissions results page.
An important caveat. These figures come from applicants who chose to report. They are not an official ASU acceptance rate and they are not a representative sample. People who report tend to be organized, engaged applicants, which can push the average GPA up. Read 3.71 as “the GPA of a typical person who reports to The GradCafe,” not as a requirement.
The programs with the most ASU reports:
- Computer Science: 463 results
- Economics: 388 results
- Speech-Language Pathology: 190 results
- Electrical Engineering: 155 results
- Clinical Psychology: 138 results
Three of these five (Computer Science, Economics and Clinical Psychology) appear in the department table above. That is deliberate: they are the programs ASU applicants ask about most. For your own program, individual reports beat any average. One entry showing a 3.4 admitted to your exact program tells you more than a school-wide mean.
Does ASU require the GRE?
There is no ASU-wide GRE rule. It depends on your program, and ASU’s own pages are not perfectly aligned.
| Program | GRE policy |
| Computer Science MS | Not required (stated in the 2026-27 MS CS handbook) |
| Engineering master’s (Fulton Schools) | Generally not required |
| Engineering PhDs (Fulton Schools) | Fulton’s admission page says the GRE is required for PhD programs. See the note below |
| Data Science, Analytics and Engineering PhD | Required for international applicants (GRE General, within five years) |
| All Psychology PhDs, including Clinical | Optional. Submit only if you think scores help |
| Economics PhD | Not stated on the admissions profile, but most recommended applicants in past years scored in the 85th to 99th percentile on GRE Quant [VERIFY] |
A note on engineering PhDs. The Fulton Schools admission page says the GRE is required for PhD programs. The School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence (which runs CS) lists GRE scores as “if required” and only names one PhD where it is clearly required. If you are applying to the CS or Computer Engineering PhD, email the program and get the answer in writing before you book or skip the test.
ASU does not accept the at-home GRE. This applies across the university. If you take the GRE General Test, take it at a test center.
Can you get into ASU grad school with a 3.0 GPA?
For many programs, yes. A 3.00 meets ASU’s graduate baseline and the published minimum for Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, and most Psychology PhD areas. ASU also says applicants below 3.00 may still be considered by the department.
For Computer Science (3.25 MS, 3.50 PhD), Clinical Psychology (3.30) and Economics (3.50), a 3.0 does not meet the published floor. In those cases, the most useful questions are:
- What is your last-60-hours GPA? This is the number ASU reads. A 2.9 cumulative can be a 3.3 in your last 60 hours. Work it out from your transcript and state it in your application.
- Is there an upward trend? A weak start and a strong finish reads very differently from a flat record. ASU’s calculation method already rewards this. Point it out anyway.
- How strong is your major GPA? Economics explicitly reads course difficulty and grades in specific courses. Strong grades in the courses that matter can carry a lower overall figure.
- Do you have research or work experience? For PhD programs, a thesis, publication or sustained research role counts. The Economics PhD lists independent research (such as an honors thesis) as part of its applicant profile.
- Do you have recent graduate coursework? A strong graduate GPA gives a committee current evidence. CS PhD applicants with a master’s are measured on that degree’s GPA (3.50).
None of these guarantees admission. For more on building a case below the usual cutoff, read our guide to getting into grad school with a low GPA, and see how other applicants did in the forum’s sub-3.0 GPA acceptance thread.
International applicants: GPA and English requirements
ASU accepts international bachelor’s degrees that are equivalent to a US bachelor’s from an institution officially recognized in its country. Transcripts must be in the original language with a literal, official English translation (you cannot translate them yourself), and photocopies or notarized copies are not accepted.
English proficiency is separate from GPA. ASU’s graduate minimums:
| Test | ASU graduate minimum |
| TOEFL iBT (taken before 21 January 2026) | 80 |
| TOEFL iBT (taken on or after 21 January 2026) | 4 |
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 overall |
| PTE Academic | 60 (PTE Academic Online not accepted) |
| Duolingo English Test | 105 |
The TOEFL scale changed in January 2026. If you see “TOEFL 80” quoted anywhere, it refers to the old 0–120 scale. Tests taken on or after 21 January 2026 are reported on the new scale, where ASU’s minimum is 4. Scores must be no more than two years old at your start date.
Minimums are not the same as competitive scores. The School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence states that the scores it uses for admission average TOEFL 90, IELTS 7, PTE 65, and Duolingo 115, all well above the university minimums. Programs can also set higher requirements or decline certain tests, so check your program page.
You may be exempt from the English test if, for example, your bachelor’s degree was taught entirely in English. ASU reviews exemption requests only after you apply.
How ASU compares with similar schools
Reported undergraduate GPA averages across large research universities that applicants often consider alongside ASU:
| School | Reported admit share | Results reported | Avg reported UGPA |
| Arizona State University | 51.1% | 6,199 | 3.71 |
| Michigan State University | 42.3% | 4,328 | 3.72 |
| USC | 46.0% | 11,197 | 3.77 |
| Georgia Tech | 43.7% | 8,097 | 3.82 |
| UCLA | 38.3% | 14,132 | 3.78 |
All figures checked on 27 October 2026.
Two things to notice. First, ASU has the highest reported admit share in this group. Second, the GPA gap between schools is small: 3.71 to 3.82. Reported GPA varies far less between schools than selectivity does. What separates applicants at every school here is the rest of the file, especially research, statements and letters.
The same caveat applies: these are shares of self-reported outcomes, not official acceptance rates.
FAQ
What is the minimum GPA for ASU graduate school?
ASU’s baseline for graduate admission is a 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale, calculated on the last 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of your undergraduate degree. Departments may consider applicants below 3.00. Many departments set higher minimums, including 3.25 for the Computer Science MS and 3.50 for the Computer Science PhD.
What GPA do you need for ASU’s Computer Science master’s?
ASU requires a minimum 3.25 GPA in the last 60 credit hours of your bachelor’s degree for the Computer Science MS. The GRE is not required. You also need two semesters of calculus and a background in discrete math, and at least one of the listed core CS courses completed before applying.
Does ASU require the GRE?
It depends on the program. The GRE is not required for the Computer Science MS and is generally not required for Fulton Schools of Engineering master’s programs. It is optional for all Psychology PhDs. The Fulton Schools say it is required for engineering PhD programs, and the Data Science, Analytics and Engineering PhD requires it from international applicants. ASU does not accept the at-home GRE.
Can I get into ASU with a 3.0 GPA?
For undergraduate admission, a 3.00 unweighted GPA in ASU’s required high school courses meets one of the admission criteria. For graduate admission, a 3.00 meets ASU’s baseline and the minimum for several programs, including Computer Engineering and most Psychology PhD areas. It does not meet the published minimum for Computer Science, Clinical Psychology or Economics.
What GPA do admitted ASU applicants report on The GradCafe?
Across 6,199 ASU results reported to The GradCafe, the average reported undergraduate GPA is 3.71, and 3,169 entries recorded an acceptance. These figures are self-reported and self-selected, not official ASU statistics.
What GPA do you need to get into ASU as an undergraduate?
First-year applicants need to complete ASU’s competency courses and meet one of: a 3.00 unweighted GPA in those courses, top 25% class rank, or a qualifying ACT or SAT score (ACT 22 / SAT 1120 for Arizona residents; ACT 24 / SAT 1180 for nonresidents). Tests are not required. ASU’s on-campus programs admitted about 88% of first-year applicants for Fall 2025, and enrolled students had an average high school GPA of 3.52.
Before you apply
ASU is one of the few large research universities where a 3.0 can be a real starting point. But check the floor for your exact program, calculate your last-60-hours GPA, and see what applicants with profiles like yours actually reported.
Search the ASU admissions results for your program. If you have already heard back from ASU this cycle, submit your result. It takes two minutes, and it is how the next applicant gets real data. Worried about your GPA? Share your profile on The GradCafe forum and hear from applicants who have been there.
