Harvard College faculty votes in favor of capping percentage of A's to address grade inflation
A report found that A grades accounted for 40% of all grades in 2015, up from 24% in 2005.
Faculty members at Harvard College have voted to cap the A grades given to students for course work at 20%, with 70% of the faculty supporting the move.
The policy is expected to have a significant impact on student GPAs. In 2025, 60% of all grades awarded to undergraduates at the prestigious Ivy League school were A grades, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported Thursday.
The policy will go into effect in fall 2027.
“For decades, grade inflation has been a collective-action problem: Everyone saw it, but no one faculty member could fix it alone,” the grading subcommittee said in a statement.
A report released in October found that A grades accounted for 40% of all grades in 2015, up from 24% in 2005.
A survey in February found that nearly 85% of Harvard students opposed the policy.