How Do You Spell ‘Harvard’? With an Endless Supply of A’s

A new report looks at grade inflation, a problem that is proliferating far beyond the Ivy League

By Jason L. Riley. Excerpts:

"60% of grades given to undergraduates in the 2024-25 academic year were A’s—up from about 25% two decades ago. The median grade-point average at graduation, which was 3.29 in 1985, is now 3.83. Since 2016 the median GPA at Harvard has been an A, even though the number of hours that students say they spend studying has remained relatively unchanged for close to 20 years."

"rampant grade inflation provides a more credible explanation."

"an evaluation system that fails to perform “key functions” and a need to “restore the integrity of our grading.”"

"More students are opting for less-rigorous courses to leave time for extracurricular activities."

"a lenient grading system that effectively makes no distinction between students who have mastered the material and those who haven’t."

[one person] "argued that stricter academic standards would be a threat to students’ mental health."

"A 2023 report from Yale found that nearly 80% of grades given to its undergraduates were A’s or A-minuses."

"between 1990 and 2020, the median college GPA rose by 21.5%."

"Because colleges have lowered admissions standards to take advantage of tuition subsidies and admit as many students as possible, they have a strong incentive to lower standards for grading and for graduation."