Harvard tightens grading with cap on A grades for undergrads
Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted to cap A grades in undergraduate courses, allowing no more than 20% of students in a class (plus four additional students) to receive an A, starting in Fall 2027. A− grades would not be subject to the cap. The reform, intended to curb grade inflation after data showing over 60% of undergrad grades were in the A range, also shifts honors comparisons to average percentile rank instead of GPA. An opt-out for a satisfactory/unsatisfactory option was rejected, and the policy will be reviewed after three years.
