While students strongly objected, faculty members appreciated the effectiveness and long-term impact of the policy.
In early 2026, Harvard University, a top-ranked and prestigious American university, announced a proposed change to its student performance evaluation system. Specifically, the percentage of A grades will be limited to 20% of students in a class, with a maximum of four additional A grades. The university plans to implement a new internal ranking system based on raw grades instead of cumulative grade point average (GPA) for academic honors.
Amanda Claybaugh, Dean of Higher Education , stated: “The problems with grading stem from high grade inflation, which has become a quality failure of the entire assessment process. An internal report shows that approximately 60% of grades in the 2024-2025 school year will be A grades, a sharp increase from 25% in 2005-2006.”
Most Harvard University students disapprove of the proposal. A survey by the Harvard University Students' Association found that approximately 85-94% of students oppose it. One student argued that the academic goal should not be to reshape the grade curve, but to restore the seriousness of the classroom.
In addition, students are concerned that limiting grades to A grades will increase competition and pressure, and weaken academic collaboration. Princeton University previously implemented a similar policy from 2004, but discontinued it in 2014.
Meanwhile, faculty members have mixed opinions about the new grading system. Some express support, arguing that the new policy could address the problem of "group work" which makes it difficult for instructors to grade strictly. However, others are concerned about the policy's potential negative impact.
Alan M. Garber, President of Harvard University, warned: "Strict restrictions could discourage students from enrolling in high-difficulty courses."
Following the wave of debate, the school decided to revise the proposal.
Instructors who do not apply the A grade limit will switch to a pass/fail (SAT/UNSAT) grading system and add a “SAT+” grade category. The goal of this designation is to allow instructors to recognize students whose results exceed the basic requirements of the pass (SAT) grading scale, thereby restoring some degree of differentiation in achievement in courses that do not use letter grades.
However, the use of SAT+ remains at the discretion of instructors and is expected to be limited, avoiding it becoming a substitute for an "A grade".
In addition, the method for calculating the A grade limit has been adjusted, applying to all undergraduate students registering for courses, including those who choose the pass/fail option. According to the revised document, this change aims to more accurately reflect registration reality and has limited impact on the overall system.
These proposals come amid criticism of Harvard University for an "A grade inflation." Specifically, the number of A grades is projected to reach nearly 60% in 2025, three times the number from 20 years prior. Many question whether students are being accurately assessed and categorized in such a situation.
A representative from the Harvard University Policy Committee stated: “By encouraging faculty to use a wider range of grading scales, we hope that faculty can design assessment systems that align with learning objectives and improve students’ mastery of the material.”
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