<p>It’s really not rank per se that’s the issue; in most cases, it’s GPA.</p>
<p>There are quite a few jobs and internships that have GPA requirements. It may be 3.0 or above or 3.5 or above or some other number, but you have to have a GPA in the required range to even be considered.</p>
<p>Graduate programs also pay a lot of attention to GPA and even more attention to grades in specific, relevant courses.</p>
<p>I believe that at most universities, the bottom quarter of the class has GPAs below 3.0. This limits their opportunities for some jobs and some types of further education – but it’s not because of their class rank, it’s because of the low grades.</p>