GPA Computation & Repeats
SAC's cumulative grade point average (GPA) is computed by dividing all grade points received by all other units attempted. Credit by Examination, Pass/No Pass, Withdrawal ("W"), Military Withdrawal ("MW"), In Progress ("IP"), and Incomplete ("I") entries are not figured into the GPA.
Course Repetition: a student may repeat a course to improve a grade of D, F, or NP; a course may not be repeated more than two times to alleviate substandard work (three attempts total), and may not be repeated to change a grade of C or above. The highest grade earned is used when computing the cumulative GPA.
Academic Renewal: up to 30 units combined of below-"C" work may be disregarded in the GPA computation by petition, provided the student has since completed at least 15 units with a 3.0 GPA or 24 units with a 2.0 GPA or higher.
Source: Santa Ana College 2026-27 Catalog, pp.26,29 (Course Repetition; Academic Renewal; Grades and GPA) — verified Sep 2026
Probation & Dismissal
Academic and progress standing are calculated at the end of each fall and spring semester using the combined Santa Ana College / Santiago Canyon College ("SAC/SCC") cumulative GPA; summer sessions are not counted.
- Academic probation: after attempting 12 or more units, a cumulative GPA below 2.0 (W's count toward attempted units).
- Progress probation: after attempting 12 units, 50% or more of attempted coursework recorded as "W", "I", or "NP".
- Academic dismissal: a cumulative GPA below 2.0 in each of 3 consecutive semesters while on academic probation.
- Progress dismissal: "W"/"I"/"NP" entries at or above 50% of attempted coursework for 3 consecutive semesters.
- A student is removed from academic probation once the cumulative GPA reaches 2.0 or higher.
Source: Santa Ana College 2026-27 Catalog, pp.30-31 (Probation – Dismissal) — verified Sep 2026
Associate Degree GPA Floor
The Associate degree (AA/AS) requires 60 degree-applicable units with at least a 2.0 grade point average in the degree-applicable courses. At least 12 of those units must be earned at Santa Ana College, Santiago Canyon College, or a combination of the two.
Source: Santa Ana College 2026-27 Catalog, p.45 (AA/AS Requirements — Unit, GPA, and Residency) — verified Sep 2026
Academic Honors
Semester Academic Honors: an honors list is issued each semester to students completing 12 or more units with a semester and overall GPA of 3.5 or better (Pass/No Pass units are not considered in the unit count).
Graduation Latin Honors: Summa Cum Laude 3.90–4.0 GPA; Magna Cum Laude 3.75–3.89 GPA; Cum Laude 3.50–3.74 GPA.
Graduation designations (each requiring at least 30 units within the Rancho Santiago Community College District): With Highest Honors (4.0 GPA, all letter grades A); With High Honors (3.8 GPA, letter grades A/B/C); With Honors (3.5 GPA, letter grades A/B/C); President's Scholar (3.5 GPA while completing the SAC Honors Transfer Program).
Source: Santa Ana College 2026-27 Catalog, pp.24-25 (Academic Honors) — verified Sep 2026
Transfer Unit Limits
Students can transfer a maximum of 70 units to a University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) campus; 60 transferable units are needed for junior standing. Courses numbered 100 or above transfer to CSU campuses (marked "CSU" in the catalog); courses transferable to UC campuses are marked "UC", with some carrying credit limitations.
Source: Santa Ana College 2026-27 Catalog, p.59 (Transfer to Other Colleges) — verified Sep 2026