Harvard to cap A grades at 24 per class to curb grade inflation

TL;DR Summary
Harvard College faculty approved a roughly 20% cap on A grades, limiting A grades to 24 per class of 100, with the rule taking effect in fall 2027. The move is part of reforms to restore the integrity of grading after a 2025 report found the system inflated As and damaged academic culture. A second proposal to use average percentile rankings for internal awards passed, while a third opt-out option was rejected. The measures faced broad student disapproval (about 85% in a survey), but supporters say the cap will restore the transcript’s signaling value and the college’s academic standards.
- Harvard College will limit the number of students who can receive A grades The Guardian
- Harvard Caps A’s as Selective Colleges Attack Grade Inflation The New York Times
- Harvard faculty vote to limit A grades for undergraduates The Washington Post
- 70% of Faculty Vote to Overhaul Harvard Grading With A Cap | News The Harvard Crimson
- Harvard Will Stop Giving A’s to Just Anyone New York Magazine
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