Harvard faculty have approved a plan to curb grade inflation by limiting the number of A grades professors can issue, capping years of debate over whether having top grades from the nation’s oldest university accurately reflected truly exceptional work.
Supporters say the new policy will restore meaning to grades and better distinguish high-performing students in an environment where top marks became both common and widely expected. Critics argued the plan undermines faculty autonomy and imposes an arbitrary quota on academic achievement.
Under the newly adopted policy, which takes effect in fall 2027, instructors can award A’s to no more than 20% of enrolled students, plus four additional students. In a class of 20, for example, a professor could give no more than eight A’s. In a class of 80, the limit would be 20. No limit applies to other grades, including A-minus grades.
