Harvard College faculty votes in favor of capping percentage of A's to address grade inflation

Faculty members at Harvard College have voted to cap the A grades given to students for course work at 20%, with 70% of the faculty supporting the move. 

The policy is expected to have a significant impact on student GPAs. In 2025, 60% of all grades awarded to undergraduates at the prestigious Ivy League school were A grades, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported Thursday. 

The policy will go into effect in fall 2027. 

“For decades, grade inflation has been a collective-action problem: Everyone saw it, but no one faculty member could fix it alone,” the grading subcommittee said in a statement. 

A report released in October found that A grades accounted for 40% of all grades in 2015, up from 24% in 2005. 

A survey in February found that nearly 85% of Harvard students opposed the policy.