Harvard Sets A-Grade Cap to Sharpen Transcript Signals

Harvard faculty approved a plan to cap A grades at no more than 20% of enrolled students plus four per class, in effect Fall 2027, with supporters saying it will restore meaning to grades and distinguish high performers while critics warn it curtails faculty autonomy and imposes a quota. The vote also endorsed using average percentile ranks for internal prizes and rejected allowing courses to skip letter grades entirely. The move reflects a broader campus debate on grade inflation seen at peers like Yale, Princeton and others, and administrators will review the policy after three years.