Many colleges and universities require certain grade point averages for admission into the programs that they offer. For example, the University of North Carolina requires incoming freshman to have at least a 2.0 high school GPA for admission into the school. Students who do not have this, will not be considered for admission. Some colleges and universities have stricter mandatory GPA requirements, while other schools do not have any mandatory GPA requirement. This information can be found online -- on the application for admission -- or by speaking to an admissions director.
Even after you have been accepted at a college, you may still have to meet certain mandatory GPA requirements to advance in your particular program. At Purdue University, students in the Health and Safety Education or Physical Education programs must maintain a mandatory overall GPA of 2.5 -- and a mandatory content GPA of 2.75-- in order to enter into the more advanced stages of the program. Many nursing colleges and pharmacy programs also have similar mandatory grade point average requirements for students wishing to enter these programs.
Many of the general education courses you take during your freshman and sophomore years of college are prerequisites for the more advanced courses you will take -- as you come closer to earning your degree. For example, many organic chemistry courses require that a student has earned a 2.0 or better in a general chemistry course before a student will be eligible to take organic chemistry. Speak with your academic adviser about mandatory GPA requirements for any prerequisite courses you are taking.
Almost every college and university has a minimum mandatory GPA that a student must achieve in order to be eligible for graduation. Sometimes, within that university, different programs have different mandatory grade point average requirements for those looking to graduate on time. For example, on the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, students must maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average to be eligible for graduation. Accounting majors at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee however, must maintain a GPA of 2.5. Speak with your academic adviser to make sure you are meeting the requirements for graduation throughout your academic career.