Harvard Faculty Votes to Cap A-Grades at 20% + 4 Students
Policy Aims to Combat Grade Inflation, Starting Fall 2027
Quick Look
Harvard University faculty votes to limit A-grades to 20% of a class plus 4 students, starting in 2027, in a bid to curb grade inflation, with nearly 70% of votes in favor.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Harvard University has struggled with high A-grade percentages, prompting a faculty-led initiative to curb grade inflation.
Harvard University faculty has voted to cap A-grades in undergraduate courses at 20% of the class plus four additional students, starting in Fall 2027. The policy, backed by nearly 70% of voters, aims to combat grade inflation. In the 2025 academic year, roughly 60% of undergraduate grades were A's. Alisha Holland, co-chair of the proposing faculty panel, described the vote as a "large mandate for change" and encouraged faculty to prepare by revising assignments and grading systems. The policy is one of the strongest anti-grade inflation measures in US higher education in decades.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Faculty will revise grading systems ahead of 2027
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- How will the policy affect student competitiveness?
- What adjustments will faculty make to grading systems?
