* Institution type: The average GPA at a highly selective university will be significantly higher than at a less selective community college or open-enrollment university.
* Major: Some majors (like engineering or pre-med) tend to have lower average GPAs due to the rigorous coursework, while others might have higher averages.
* Definition of "freshman": Some institutions calculate GPA after the first semester, others after the first full year. The average will differ depending on the timeframe.
While you won't find a single national average that's meaningful, you can find data for specific universities by looking at their institutional websites (often in their admissions or student life sections) or through publications like the *US News & World Report* college rankings. These resources often provide data on the average GPA of incoming students (though not necessarily their GPA *after* their freshman year).