Emory University is the bane of many ambitious high schoolers who think grades are all it takes to earn admission to an elite college. It hasn’t been since the early 1980s that grades were enough to pull an otherwise lackluster application through to admission to Emory. And yes, this includes the students with impeccable test scores, too! For the Emory University Class of 2028, 17.41% of students boasted perfect GPAs, and over three-fourths graduated with at least a 3.75 GPA.

But do these numbers translate to an actual requirement for stellar grades? What kind of GPA does a student need when applying to Emory University? Though GPA data is not yet available for the Emory Classes of 2029 and 2030, we can get a good picture from looking at data from the three admissions cycles prior: 

What Is Emory’s Admissions Rate?

First, let’s review the past admission cycles. The acceptance rate for the Emory Class of 2029 was a competitive 14.95%, which was slightly higher than the record-breaking 14.68% for the Class of 2028. The year prior, 16.40% of applicants joined Emory at either the main campus or the Oxford College offshoot for the Class of 2027. While these numbers may not be as competitive as those of an Ivy League school, they’re nothing to be scoffed at!

What is a Good GPA for Getting into Emory University?

The following is the GPA breakdown of the members of Emory University’s Class of 2028, as reported in Emory University’s 2024-25 Common Data Set:

GPA	Percentage of Emory University Class of 2028
4.0	17.41%
3.75-3.99	58.38%
3.5-3.74	21.24%
3.25-3.49	2.53%
3.0-3.24	0.44%
2.5-2.99	0.0%
2.0-2.49	0.0%
1.0-1.99	0.0%

GPA Percentage of Emory University Class of 2027

The following is the GPA breakdown of the members of the Emory University Class of 2027:

GPA	Percentage of Emory University Class of 2027
4.0	17.0%
3.75-3.99	59.8%
3.5-3.74	20.8%
3.25-3.49	1.9%
3.0-3.24	0.4%
2.5-2.99	0.0%
2.0-2.49	0.0%

GPA Percentage of Emory University Class of 2026

The following is the GPA breakdown of the members of the Emory University Class of 2026:

GPA	Percentage of Emory University Class of 2026
4.0	17.7%
3.75-3.99	59.6%
3.5-3.74	19.0%
3.25-3.49	3.3%
3.0-3.24	0.3%
2.5-2.99	0.1%
2.0-2.49	0.0%

Further Context on GPAs of Emory University Students

17% of students who enrolled in the Emory University Class of 2028 boasted perfect GPAs, as did those in the Emory University Class of 2027. Compared with the schools where the vast majority of students must have 4.0s to get in, this might not seem all that bad. But it’s still worth considering the many students with perfect grades and test scores who don’t get in!

At Ivy Coach, we can’t guarantee our clients’ admission to Emory or any other college, and neither, for the record, can any other college counselor or business that purports to. Without a holistic understanding of a student’s profile, including their high school, coursework rigor, extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation, such a prediction could never be rendered from grades alone. 

It’s not just Ivy Coach who uses a holistic process to review our students. Emory University follows a holistic admissions process to weed out students with good grades and no personality. And spoiler alert: holistic admissions are standard practice across all highly selective colleges.

Can I Get into Emory University with a Low GPA?

While it’s possible to gain admission to Emory University with a low GPA, it’s quite rare. For the Class of 2028, only 2.97% of admitted students had GPAs below 3.5. Typically, these applicants possess other valuable attributes that the university prioritizes, such as being the children of major donors, recruited athletes, or public figures.

How Ivy Coach Can Gauge Your Child’s Chances at Emory University

Our team of former elite college admissions officers has a magic touch with Emory applications, hence our 75% acceptance rate over the last five years. Sign up for a Strategy Session to assess your child’s potential for admission to Emory University. You’ll receive a personalized plan to improve their odds of admission, created with guidance from our team. To learn more about Ivy Coach’s Strategy Session, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll contact you.