Public flagships / CDS data
Top Public Flagship Admit GPA Medians
Updated 15 May 2026
Top public flagships report admit GPA medians from approximately 3.85 unweighted (UMich, Wisconsin) to 4.30+ on the UC capped-weighted scale. The in-state vs out-of-state distinction matters substantially at publics, where state funding mandates prioritise in-state admission. This page reports the most recent published Common Data Set admit medians for the leading public flagships and explains the recalculation and residency-cap rules.
Why public flagship admit GPAs differ from Ivy
Public flagship admissions operate under different constraints from private elite admissions. State legislatures set funding formulas that often tie state appropriations to enrollment composition, including in-state percentage. State governing boards set formal residency caps or preference rules. The result is that admit GPA medians at public flagships split into two distinct figures: in-state admit GPA (typically lower) and out-of-state admit GPA (typically higher, often by 0.05-0.15 grade points).
Public flagships also use a wider range of GPA reporting conventions than the Ivies. The UC system uses a UC-capped weighted scale that can exceed 4.0. UVA and UNC report weighted GPA. UMich, Wisconsin, and Illinois report unweighted. The UC GPA computed via the UC a-g recalculation is materially different from the transcript GPA.
Reference table by school
| School | In-state median | Out-of-state median | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | 4.27 (UC-capped) | 4.40 (UC-capped) | 11.7% |
| UCLA | 4.30 (UC-capped) | 4.40 (UC-capped) | 8.6% |
| University of Michigan | 3.88 unweighted | 3.92 unweighted | 17.7% |
| University of Virginia | 4.31 weighted | 4.39 weighted | 16.3% |
| UNC Chapel Hill | 4.62 weighted | 4.78 weighted | 16.8% |
| UT Austin | Top 6% auto-admit | 3.85+ holistic | 29.0% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | 3.82 unweighted | 3.90 unweighted | 49.0% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 3.65 unweighted | 3.85 unweighted | 44.0% |
Sourced from each school's most recent published Common Data Set. Note the different GPA conventions (unweighted vs UC-capped vs weighted). Verify directly at the school's institutional research office.
The Texas Top 6% rule
Texas guarantees automatic admission to UT Austin for Texas residents in the top 6% of their high school class per Texas Education Code Chapter 51. The percentage cap is set by UT Austin annually and has been 6% in recent cycles (it was 7% in some prior cycles, and 8% before that). Students in the top 6% can choose any UT system campus; the rule also applies to other Texas public universities. The percentage is calculated using the student's rank in their graduating class at a Texas public or accredited private high school.
The Top 6% rule is the clearest example of formal GPA-based auto-admit at a US public flagship. It means that for in-state Texas residents, GPA position within the high school cohort matters more than absolute GPA value: a 3.85 in a competitive Texas school might place outside the top 6%, while a 3.85 in a less-competitive school might be comfortably inside it. The rule has been the subject of ongoing legal and policy debate; the published version controls each cycle.
The UC ELC pathway
The University of California provides an Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) pathway guaranteeing UC eligibility for California residents in the top 9% of their high school's senior class. ELC eligibility does not guarantee admission to a specific UC campus but does guarantee admission to some UC campus (which may be a referral campus if the student is not admitted to their direct-application campuses). The ELC mechanism is described in the UC admissions California resident pathway documentation.
The ELC top-9% calculation is based on the UC-capped GPA computed from the student's 10th and 11th grade UC a-g coursework. Schools nominate students; UC verifies ELC eligibility. The 9% is calculated on the school-level distribution, not statewide.
The UNC and UVA out-of-state caps
UNC Chapel Hill is required by the UNC Board of Governors to limit out-of-state enrollment to 18% of the entering first-year class. UVA targets approximately 70% in-state and 30% out-of-state enrollment under the Virginia Higher Education Restructuring Act, with the in-state share serving as a guideline rather than a hard cap.
The effect of these caps is that out-of-state admit GPA medians at UNC and UVA are substantially higher than in-state medians. Out-of-state UNC admit medians sit near 4.78 weighted; in-state medians sit near 4.62 weighted. Out-of-state applicants effectively compete in a much smaller pool for a smaller share of the seats, which raises the GPA bar materially.
Course rigour at public flagships
Public flagships read course rigour similarly to private elites. The number of AP / IB / honors / dual-enrollment courses taken counts, often weighted into the recalculated GPA. UC's a-g rules grant bonus points (0.5 per semester) for UC-approved honors / AP / IB / college courses, capped at 8 semesters. UMich, UVA, and UNC apply their own course-rigour adjustments in admissions review.
The implication: a 4.0 unweighted GPA with all regular-track courses may underperform a 3.7 unweighted GPA with maximum AP / IB load at a top public flagship. Course rigour signals readiness for university coursework in a way that an absolute GPA value cannot.
Educational reference. Not admissions advice. Verify each school's current Common Data Set and residency rules directly.