"The change ensures that an A grade indicates real achievement to students, employers, and graduate schools."
— Faculty subcommittee
Harvard to Cap A Grades at 20% in Effort to Curb Grade Inflation
In a landmark move to combat decades of rising grade inflation, Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences has voted to cap the number of A grades awarded in letter-graded undergraduate courses.
Starting in fall 2027, no more than 20% of students in a course may receive the top mark, with an allowance for up to four additional students. The new policy applies exclusively to Harvard College undergraduates.
What the Cap Covers (and What It Doesn't)
- Only the "A" grade is capped. The policy applies solely to the highest grade, leaving A-minus and all other letter grades unrestricted.
- A failure to opt out. A separate proposal that would have allowed students to take courses on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis with a "SAT+" designation was voted down.
- A new metric for honors. In a related change, faculty approved the use of average percentile rank instead of GPA to determine academic honors and awards.
The Reasoning Behind the Reform
The vote comes as data revealed that over 60% of all undergraduate grades at Harvard are in the A range. The faculty subcommittee argued that the cap is necessary to restore meaning to the top grade, stating it ensures "an A grade indicates real achievement to students, employers, and graduate schools."
Dean Amanda Claybaugh described grade inflation as a "complex and thorny issue" that many have acknowledged but no one has solved.
A National Trend and a Cautionary Tale
Grade inflation is a nationwide phenomenon: GPAs at four-year colleges rose over 16% from 1990 to 2020. Harvard's decision echoes a similar policy at Princeton, which capped A-range grades at 35% in 2004 but abandoned the rule in 2014 after widespread faculty criticism.
Review and Future Oversight
The new policy is not permanent. Faculty have mandated that the 20% cap will be reviewed after three years to assess its impact on academic standards and student life.