Can I get into PA school with a 2.9 science GPA? (2023)

What is the minimum science GPA for PA school?

GPA and GRE

Most PA programs have a minimum overall GPA requirement and a minimum science GPA requirement between 2.75 and 3.2. These are non-negotiable. “If the school you're applying to has a minimum of 3.2 and you have a 3.19, your application won't even be considered.”

And, if you're serious about getting into PA school, it might be necessary. Most PA schools have overall GPA and science GPA minimums of 3.0. Some are higher and some are lower, but the AVERAGE student accepted to these programs definitely has GPA scores over 3.0.

Most PA schools will consider your science, non-science, and overall GPA when evaluating your application. So selecting a major in which you're confident you can earn high grades is a smart move. You'll meet your minimum GPA requirement for PA school more easily if you're not struggling in your major coursework.

Most PA schools require a minimum GPA of 3.0, but to be truly competitive as a candidate your GPA should be above 3.5 for most top-ranked schools. Even schools with no minimum GPA listed or a GPA minimum below 3.0 will be looking for the best candidates in the application pool.

NO. But it is important to know where you stand and what you need to do to gain an interview to a PA program. The minimum GPA required for most schools is 3.0 (both overall and science), with some being slightly higher or lower.

Most PA schools will require a “C” grade or above in prerequisite science courses. If you receive a “C” in Chemistry but an “A” in Biology, your science GPA will still meet the 3.0 minimum. However, PA schools will take note of your “C” grade.

PA School Applicant Quick Tip:

Most schools require 2.7-3.2. The average for acceptance is around 3.5. Focus on science and overall GPA.

You can say that getting into PA school is competitive. The statistics show that being accepted into an individual PA program or PA school require some effort. But improving your GPA, volunteering in the health care profession, and obtaining good letters of recommendation can improve your chances of acceptance.

CASPA calculates all GPAs in semester hours. Courses that were completed in quarter hours are converted to semester hours. The conversion ratio is 1.0 quarter hour = 0.667 semester hours.

How do PA schools calculate science GPA?

For example, if you took a 4 hr course, and made a B, this would count as 12 quality points (4 x 3.0 = 12). To calculate your overall GPA, you divide the total amount of quality points by the total amount of credits. If you have 50 quality points, and 20 credits, that would result in a 2.5 GPA.

Rejection is most often the result of applying prematurely—entering the contest before you've built yourself into a competitive applicant. With some time and focused effort, anyone can develop into a more compelling candidate for PA programs.

For example, if you received a “F” in a course, then retook it and received an “A,” your college may have replaced the “F” with an “A.” However, on your CASPA application, both the “F” and “A” will be calculated into your cumulative GPA. The result will be a lower GPA than reported on your college transcript.

A 2.9 GPA, or Grade Point Average, is equivalent to a B- letter grade on a 4.0 GPA scale. This means is equivalent to a 80-82%. The national average GPA is 3.0 which means a 2.9 is a solid GPA, just a tiny bit below average and with a few quick tips can easily be improved to stand out from the crowd.

Should you round up your GPA? The short answer is no. While it's tempting to turn that 2.95 into a 3.0 or that 3.95 into a 4.0, you should not round up your GPA.

A 2.0 GPA, or Grade Point Average, is equivalent to a C letter grade on a 4.0 GPA scale. This is equivalent to a 73-76%. The national average GPA is 3.0 which means a 2.0 is well below average and has room to be improved.

Many schools ask that you have a C or better I. Prerequisite courses. If you take them over that would look good on your transcript but if not just make sure you have a solid PS, LOR, and whatever else you need to target the school you want to attend.

Essentially, the highest GPA you can earn is a 4.0, which indicates an A average in all of your classes. A 3.0 would indicate a B average, a 2.0 a C average, a 1.0 a D, and a 0.0 an F. This scale does not take the levels of your courses into account.

Most accredited PA programs will require a GRE, MCAT, or other formal standardized test scores. Getting a high score on these tests can show that you're a well-rounded PA student with potential that reaches beyond your GPA, even if you got C grades in high school.

How do I make my PA application stand out?

PA School Admission Is Not Necessarily Less Competitive

This is slightly lower than the average GPA of successful applicants to allopathic medical schools in 2018-19, who had average science and overall GPAs of 3.65 and 3.72, respectively.

Physician assistant acceptance rates in the US are highly competitive, even more so than medical school! Physician assistant (PA) schools are selective and have strict admission requirements, and the overall acceptance rate of these programs is only 31%.

Of these, 90 applicants, or 4.2% were offered interviews. Of the 90 students who interviewed, 30 matriculated into the program.

Most students who end up in PA school take courses that align with the nature of the PA profession. Statistics show that the most common degrees for aspiring PAs are biology (41.5%) and health sciences (14.8%). However, some students take other majors and decide to go to PA school later on, which is more than okay.

In the same year, the average GPA of accepted PA students was a 3.5 science and 3.6 overall. So if you were to only consider GPA, you could say PA programs are easier to get into than MD programs—but by an extremely slight margin.

PA School Applicant Quick Tip:

Most schools require 2.7-3.2. The average for acceptance is around 3.5. Focus on science and overall GPA.

A science GPA around 3.3-3.4 is Very Good, one between 3.5-3.7 is usually Excellent and one above 3.8 is generally Superior. By way of reference, the average GPA for students attending top medical schools is 3.89. Students attending state medical schools might have overall GPA's around 3.63.

The median science GPA for PA school is 3.5. Many schools will not even consider you if your science GPA is below 2.75.

How is science GPA calculated for PA school?

To calculate these GPAs, each A-F or 0-100 grade you entered in the Grade field is first converted to a CASPA numeric grade value, then multiplied by the attempted credits. The resulting product is Quality Points. Your total Quality Points are then divided by your Attempted Credits to determine your GPA.

According to the AAMC, the average science GPA is 3.48. Science GPA is relatively lower than non-science GPA at 3.74. Undergraduate sciences courses can be challenging, which may explain the lower grade point average.

Science GPA is more important because it is a better indicator of how well a student will be able to handle the science classes at medical school.

Admissions experts advise aspiring medical school students to aim for a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Dec. 3, 2021, at 9:00 a.m.