Trending Now - Harvard Implements Stricter Grading Standards to Combat Inflation

WHO:

AP News - Joshua Greene stated that the reform is intended to reduce “the tyranny of the perfect transcript.”

AP News - Alisha Holland described the decision as a “pro-student reform” intended to restore meaning to Harvard transcripts.

ABC News - Max Abrahms, a political science professor at Northeastern University, called Harvard’s vote “a huge win for higher education.”

AP News - Joshua Greene, a Harvard Psychology Professor, served on the faculty subcommittee that developed the proposal.

AP News - Alisha Holland, a Harvard government professor and co-chair of the faculty subcommittee, is a former Princeton student.

ABC News - Steven Pinker, a cognitive scientist and Harvard psychology professor, expressed delight over the faculty's decision.

CNN - Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences

CNN - Amanda Claybaugh, Harvard’s dean of undergraduate education

WHAT:

ABC News - The new grading policy will limit A grades to 20% of the letter grades awarded in a course, with an allowance for as many as four additional A’s.

AP News - A separate proposal that would have allowed courses to opt out of the A-grade cap by switching to a satisfactory/unsatisfactory system with a new SAT+ designation for exceptional performance failed.

CNN - Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences will limit A grades to no more than 20% of students in a class, plus four additional A's.

AP News - The new grading policy will begin in the academic year starting in 2027.

ABC News - The Faculty of Arts and Sciences is Harvard’s largest school, comprising 40 academic departments.

AP News - The reform is intended to reduce what Joshua Greene called “the tyranny of the perfect transcript.”

AP News - Zach Berg and Daniel Zhao, co-presidents of the Harvard Undergraduate Association, stated that nearly 85% of roughly 800 responding undergraduates opposed the proposal to limit the share of A-range grades.

The Washington Post - Harvard faculty voted to cap the number of A grades given to undergraduates at about 20 percent per class.

CNN - The decision was made by faculty vote earlier this month.

ABC News - A separate proposal that would have allowed courses to opt out of the A-grade cap by switching to a satisfactory/unsatisfactory system with a new SAT+ designation for exceptional performance failed.

ABC News - Pinker stated that grade inflation had forced a "race to the bottom" in academia and emphasized the need for a university-wide policy to address the issue.

CNN - Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted to limit the number of A grades awarded to undergraduates.

CNN - More than 60% of all grades awarded to undergraduates in recent years were in the A range.

Boston.com - The new policy will limit A’s to 20% of the letter grades awarded in a course, with an allowance for as many as four additional A’s.

CNN - The new policies will be reviewed after three years.

WHERE:

CNN - Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

WHEN:

CNN - The new grading policy will begin in fall 2027.

WHY:

AP News - Holland stated that the decision sends a powerful signal about universities' ability to govern and reform themselves amid scrutiny.

AP News - Alisha Holland stated that the decision sends a powerful signal about universities' ability to govern and reform themselves amid scrutiny.

AP News - Alisha Holland stated that the decision carries significance beyond Harvard’s grading policies, sending a powerful signal about universities' ability to govern and reform themselves.

ABC News - Pinker noted that professors who maintained high standards faced declining enrollments, contributing to the problem of grade inflation.

CNN - The decision was made to combat grade inflation, as some faculty argued that top grades no longer reliably distinguished exceptional work.

CNN - Grade inflation is described as a “complex and thorny issue” that many have recognized but no one has solved.

HOW:

ABC News - Faculty approved a proposal to use average percentile rank rather than GPA when comparing students for honors, prizes, and awards.

AP News - The new policies will be reviewed after three years.

ABC News - Max Abrahms, a political science professor at Northeastern University, praised the decision on X, stating that "when everyone gets an A there is no signal."

CNN - Instructors in letter-graded courses will be allowed to award A grades to no more than 20% of students in a class, plus four additional students.

CNN - Faculty approved a proposal to use average percentile rank rather than grade-point average when comparing students for honors, prizes, and awards.

(UPDATED May 21, 2026 16:11 UTC)

Harvard has approved a new grading policy that limits A grades to 20% of the letter grades awarded in a course, with the possibility of four additional A's. This decision has been hailed as a significant reform aimed at restoring meaning to Harvard transcripts, with supporters like political science professor Max Abrahms calling it a huge win for higher education. Additionally, faculty will now use average percentile rank instead of GPA when comparing students for honors, prizes, and awards, signaling a shift in how academic performance is assessed.

(UPDATED May 21, 2026 12:01 UTC)

Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences has announced a new grading policy that will limit A grades to no more than 20% of students in a class, along with four additional A's, starting in the academic year of 2027. This decision, as explained by Alisha Holland, aims to send a powerful signal about universities' capacity to govern and reform themselves amid increasing scrutiny. Additionally, faculty members have approved a proposal to use average percentile rank instead of GPA for evaluating students for honors, prizes, and awards.

(UPDATED May 21, 2026 08:13 UTC)

Harvard University is considering a proposal aimed at reducing what Professor Joshua Greene describes as “the tyranny of the perfect transcript,” but nearly 85% of responding undergraduates oppose limiting the share of A-range grades. Alisha Holland, a government professor and co-chair of the faculty subcommittee behind the proposal, emphasized that this decision holds significance beyond Harvard, highlighting the university's capacity for self-governance and reform. The new grading policies will undergo a review in three years to assess their impact.

(UPDATED May 20, 2026 23:22 UTC)

Harvard faculty have voted to limit the number of A grades awarded to undergraduates to approximately 20 percent per class. This decision was made earlier this month and reflects a significant shift in grading policy. Additionally, a proposal that would have permitted courses to bypass the A-grade cap by adopting a satisfactory/unsatisfactory system with a new SAT+ designation for exceptional performance was not approved.

(UPDATED May 20, 2026 21:29 UTC)

Cognitive scientist and Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker expressed his delight over the faculty's decision to address grade inflation, which he believes has led to a "race to the bottom" in academia. Pinker highlighted that professors who uphold high standards are seeing declining enrollments, which exacerbates the issue, and he called for a university-wide policy to tackle it. Political science professor Max Abrahms from Northeastern University also praised the decision on social media, stating that "when everyone gets an A there is no signal."

(UPDATED May 20, 2026 19:44 UTC)

Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences has voted to implement a new grading policy aimed at combating grade inflation, which has seen more than 60% of undergraduate grades awarded in the A range in recent years. Starting in fall 2027, instructors will be limited to awarding A grades to no more than 20% of students in a course, with the possibility of four additional A’s, and the policy will be reviewed after three years. Additionally, faculty approved a proposal to use average percentile rank instead of grade-point average for evaluating students for honors, prizes, and awards.