Frequently Asked Questions
GPA & Class Rank

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What is class rank?

Class rank is a student's standing among others of the same year based on a numeric grade point average (GPA). (Collins English Dictionary) Class rank places all students in numerical order based solely on how their GPAs compare to one another.

Are Texas high schools required to publicize student class rank?

Schools are not required to publish class rank information. In accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC) §28.026, and Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §61.1201, school districts are required to provide written notification of eligibility for automatic college admission under the Uniform Admission Policy TEC §51.803.

Do colleges and universities require a student's class rank on their admissions paperwork?

Colleges and universities consider a variety of factors in their admission decisions. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the top factors in the admission decision are (1) Grades in college prep courses; (2) Strength of curriculum; and (3) Admission test scores.

What is TTU K-12's policy on class rank?

Class rank shall not be calculated or reported except for students in the Top 10% of a given class as required by state law. This change is in place for students enrolling in TTU K-12 after August 1, 2021.

Why rank only the top 10% of students?

The National Association for College Admissions Counseling states that more than half of all high schools no longer report student rankings. The percentage of school districts across the country not ranking students is increasing each year for a variety of reasons, including the following: class rank may not accurately reflect academic TTU K-12 Class Rank FAQ 2021-2022 achievement, discourages students from taking non-weighted classes in which they are interested, does not have a standardized methodology across districts, and allows colleges to label students without looking at their full academic-achievement record.

How does this impact admissions to universities?

In high performing school districts like TTU K-12, students who rank outside of the top 10% would normally rank very high at other districts. This can hurt our students in college admissions. If a student has been given a rank by a high school, for example, the 40th percentile, many universities will use that rank as a shortcut to evaluate the student and say that student falls in the top 40% of all applicants to the university. However, if the student does not have a high school rank, the university will evaluate the student's record and assign them a rank relative to other applicants.When compared to other college applicants, our students tend to be more qualified than those who graduate with a similar ranking at other high schools. According to other Texas districts, schools saw a 38% increase in acceptance to the University of Texas and a 49% increase to Texas A&M after eliminating class rank.

If TTU K-12 is a non-ranking district will class rank appear on transcripts or in the Focus Student Information System?

Class rank will not be printed on students' transcripts. Class rank will not appear in Focus.

How does only ranking the Top 10% benefit students in the top quarter of students who are very close to the Top 10%?

When a student does not have a rank, a college will conduct a holistic review of the student's college application, examining the rigor of courses taken, grades received, SAT/ACT scores, and other factors. This is beneficial to TTU K-12 students just outside the Top 10% because these students, along with many other districts' students, have high grades, high test scores, and strong academic and extra-curricular achievement. Many colleges generate a rank based on these factors. School counselors of other high performing schools that do not rank, report the college assigned rank tends to be higher than the high school generated rank would have been.

How will students know if they are close to being in the Top 10% of their class?

The cut point of the weighted grade point average (GPA) used to determine class rank earned by a student currently in the Top 10% of the class shall be TTU K-12 Class Rank FAQ 2021-2022 communicated to all students in each class in January and June of the sophomore, junior, and senior year.

Without having a class rank, what factors are most important for college admissions?

Without a class rank, college admissions officers will look more closely at applications and high school transcripts. Important factors will include the following: maintaining a high grade point average, college entrance exams (SAT and ACT), challenging school course selections, extracurricular involvement, college application essays, and personal recommendations.

If I have more questions about class rank, how do I ask?

You may submit questions to ttuk12@ttu.edu.