When Should You List Your GPA on a Resume

List your GPA on a resume when you are a student or recent graduate, when the figure is strong (around 3.5 or above), or when an employer or program asks for it. Stop listing it once solid experience defines your resume. Law school admissions rely on the separate LSAC-recalculated GPA.

By Ali Unar, JD candidate at Georgetown Law and founder of Lovare Institut. Last updated August 2026. Every figure on this page was verified in August 2026 against the sources listed below.

When should you list your GPA on a resume?

List your GPA when it adds credibility, which is mostly early in your career and mostly when the number is strong. As experience accumulates, the GPA carries less weight and eventually belongs off the page. Because it is optional, list it only in the situations where it clearly supports your candidacy.

Situations where listing your GPA makes sense

• You are a current student applying for internships or first roles.
• You graduated within the last few years and your GPA is about 3.5 or higher.
• An employer, scholarship, or graduate program explicitly requests it.
• You are entering a competitive field that is known to weigh GPA.

Situations where you should leave it off

• Your GPA is below the common 3.5 threshold and nothing requires it.
• You have several years of relevant, results-driven experience.
• Your major GPA is far stronger, in which case list that with a label instead.
• The role values demonstrated skills over academic history.

What to list instead as you gain experience

As you gain experience, replace the GPA with measurable achievements, projects, and leadership that prove your value more directly than a grade average. Keep any academic honors that remain distinctive, such as Latin honors, near your degree. For law school applicants, the LSAC-recalculated GPA is the number admissions weigh, so it stands apart from these resume choices.

Frequently asked questions

Does pass/fail affect GPA?

In most cases no. A Pass carries no grade points, so a pass/fail course does not raise or lower the GPA you would list on a resume. The class still appears on your transcript, and for law school LSAC uses its own conversion, generally excluding a plain Pass from the recalculated GPA.

How does LSAC calculate GPA?

LSAC recalculates your undergraduate GPA through the Credential Assembly Service, converting every graded course to a standard 4.0 scale and counting failed and repeated classes. The resulting figure can differ from the GPA you list on a resume, and it is the number law schools compare to their medians.

What GPA do you need for law school?

There is no single required GPA; each school reports 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile figures, and meeting a target school's median makes you competitive there. Because admissions use the LSAC-recalculated GPA rather than a resume figure, plan around that number and pair it with a strong LSAT.

Should you list your GPA if it is below 3.5?

If your GPA is below the common 3.5 threshold and nothing requires it, you can leave it off without penalty, since a missing GPA is unremarkable. A stronger major GPA, listed with a clear label, is often a better choice. Lead instead with experience, projects, and results that carry more weight.