Harvard University faculty began voting on Tuesday on a proposal that could sharply limit the number of A grades awarded to undergraduate students, reopening a long-running debate over grade inflation at elite US universities.
Under the proposal, no more than 20% of students in a class, along with four additional students, would receive an A grade. The move comes after nearly 60% of grades awarded at Harvard in the academic year ending mid-2025 were A’s, more than double the share recorded in 2006. That figure fell to 53% in the fall semester after the university urged faculty to tighten grading standards, according to a Bloomberg report.
