politics

April 3, 2026

Harvard faculty to vote on proposal to limit number of A grades in each course

Effort to curb grade inflation, by limiting top marks to 20% of students in a course, is opposed by most students

Harvard faculty to vote on proposal to limit number of A grades in each course

TL;DR

  • Harvard faculty will vote on a proposal to cap A grades at 20% of students per course.
  • The proposal aims to combat grade inflation, which has seen A grades rise from 25% in 2005-06 to about 60% in 2024-25.
  • The policy, if approved, would be implemented in fall 2027.
  • Students largely oppose the cap, with 94% expressing opposition in a student government survey.
  • Critics, including the Harvard Crimson editorial board, argue the cap won't restore rigor and may increase competition and stress.
  • Princeton University discontinued a similar grading cap policy after a decade.
  • Faculty opinions are mixed, with some supporting the attempt to control inflation and others concerned about faculty autonomy and course enrollment.

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