Harvard Faculty Approves A-Grade Cap to Address Decades of Grade Inflation

Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted 458-201 to cap A-grade awards in undergraduate courses at roughly 20 % of enrollment, with a “plus-four” allowance for up to four extra A’s. The rule begins in fall 2027 and applies only to letter-graded undergraduate courses; A-minus and lower grades remain unrestricted.

New York Times

Harvard’s A-grade share rose from 35 % in 2012-13 to about 60 % in 2024-25, reaching roughly two-thirds in recent data. In 2005-06 the share was 25 %. Nationally, average GPA at four-year colleges rose over 16 % from 1990 to 2020. These figures illustrate a persistent upward trajectory.

The Independent

Vote: 458-201 (69.5 % approval).

Harvard Crimson

Cap: 20 % of a class plus up to four extra A’s (e.g., 24 A’s in a 100-student class).

New York Times

Complementary: average percentile rank for honors (passed 498-157).

Harvard Crimson

Rejected: opt-out provision (defeated 292-364).

Harvard Crimson

Dean Amanda Claybaugh called the vote “consequential,” saying it will strengthen Harvard’s academic culture and encourage peer institutions to address grade inflation with rigor. The faculty subcommittee said the cap restores the transcript’s signaling value and ensures an A denotes “extraordinary distinction.”

Harvard Crimson

A February Harvard Undergraduate Association survey found 85 % of students opposed the cap. Some faculty warned the limit could heighten competition, curb intellectual risk-taking, and restrict grading autonomy, though the majority of faculty supported the measure.

Harvard Crimson

Princeton capped A-grades at 35 % in 2004 but lifted the rule a decade later after concerns about student stress. Harvard’s policy adds to a national conversation on GPA inflation and may serve as a benchmark for other elite colleges.

The Guardian

Sources vary on the exact A-grade share, citing “more than 60 %” versus “about two-thirds.” No data yet exist on the reform’s effect on student outcomes or graduate-school admissions, and the three-year review leaves short-term impacts unmeasured.

The Independent

• “This is a consequential vote. It will, I believe, strengthen the academic culture of Harvard; it will also, I hope, encourage other institutions to confront similar questions with the same level of rigor and courage,” — Amanda Claybaugh, Dean of Undergraduate Education

The Independent

• “a Harvard A grade will now tell students, as well as employers and graduate schools, something real about what a student has achieved.” — Faculty subcommittee statement

Washington's Top News (WTOP)

• “An A will once again be what Harvard’s guidelines have long said it is: a mark of extraordinary distinction.” — Faculty subcommittee statement

The Guardian

• “It would be flippant to say that [Harvard] grades are useless,” — Law school dean, quoted in the Independent

The Independent

Implementation begins in fall 2027; a faculty review will assess the policy after three years, with potential adjustments based on outcomes.

Harvard moves to limit A grades in undergraduate courses to strengthen academic standards