> 2.6 is considered ok for engineering students at top universities
I don't know anywhere this is considered "ok". At my school my GPA was considered just "Ok" at 3.9+.
Grade inflation, look it up. If 3.9 is "OK" your class's grades have compressed to the point of meaninglessness.
I think we had ~150 CS grads, and about 15 valedictorians with perfect 4.0's.
Either your promotion is made of geniuses or as @sk5t said your GPA is indeed meaningless.
I've never met a company that simultaneously cared about GPA, but also had the bar low enough where 2.6 would be passable, and recruited from a top university.