Harvard University faculty voted overwhelmingly to cap the number of A grades awarded to undergraduate students at 20%, plus four additional per class. The measure passed by a vote of 458-201 and will take effect in fall 2027, as reported by CBS News and confirmed by Harvard University.
Key Takeaways
Harvard faculty voted to cap A grades at 20% plus four additional per class starting fall 2027. This measure aims to address grade inflation, which saw A's rise from 20% in 2005 to 60% in 2025.
- Harvard faculty passed a policy to cap A grades at 20%, plus four additional per class
- The new grading system will take effect for the fall of 2027 academic year and be reviewed after three years
- Students overwhelmingly opposed the measure, with 85% disapproving in a February survey
- Faculty rejected a proposal to allow courses to opt out of the cap
The policy aims to combat grade inflation that has seen A's account for 60% of grades awarded in 2025, up from 40% in 2015 and just 20% in 2005. According to Reuters, the change is one of the first efforts by a prestigious U.S. university to address this widespread issue.
Amanda Claybaugh, Dean of Undergraduate Education at Harvard, praised the decision as an important step toward restoring academic integrity and strengthening Harvard's grading system. 'This vote is an important step toward ensuring that our grading system better serves its central purposes: giving students meaningful feedback, recognizing genuine distinction, and sustaining the academic mission of the College,' Claybaugh said in a statement.
The faculty also rejected a proposal that would have allowed courses to opt out of the cap. However, there was significant opposition from the student body, with 85% disapproving of the proposals in a February survey as reported by The Guardian. Some faculty members expressed concerns that grade-capping could heighten competition and discourage intellectual risk-taking.
According to Fox News, Harvard faculty also passed a measure to use average percentile rank (APR) instead of grade point average (GPA) to offer distinct awards and prizes among students. The policy will be reviewed again three years after implementation and applies to all undergraduate letter-graded courses offered by all departments.
Members of the Harvard faculty subcommittee told Fox News Digital, 'Today the Harvard faculty voted to make their grades mean what they say they mean.' They added that for decades, grade inflation has been a collective-action problem: everyone saw it, but no one faculty member could fix it alone. The faculty have now taken a major step to fix it together.
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