Harvard Grades Report Raises Questions
On Monday, Harvard University’s Office of Undergraduate Education shared a 25-page report revealing that roughly 60% of grades awarded in undergraduate courses are A’s. This trend doesn’t necessarily suggest that students are performing better than those in previous years, but rather indicates that earning a degree from Harvard might be easier now.
The report, authored by Amanda Claybaugh, the dean of undergraduate education, highlighted a 20 percentage point increase in the number of students receiving A’s since 2015, as per the Harvard Crimson.
Claybaugh noted in the report that “it’s unrealistic to assume that people will enjoy classes if that standard is raised even higher.” In 2015, the median GPA of graduates was 3.64, contrasted with 3.83 for the class of 2025. Harvard’s average GPA has maintained an A since the 2016-2017 academic year.
Concerns were widespread among faculty. Claybaugh mentioned that “nearly all faculty members expressed serious concerns,” indicating they see a gap between grades given and the actual quality of student work.
The report pointed out that grading isn’t achieving its intended purposes—driving motivation, showcasing mastery of material, and distinguishing between varying levels of performance.
One faculty member expressed frustration, saying that students now recognize they can achieve an ‘A’ for anything from truly exceptional work to merely satisfactory performance. This situation, they argued, is a travesty.
While Claybaugh acknowledged that grades can help differentiate top-performing students for awards and graduate school applications, the ease with which A’s are awarded could lead to bias and inconsistency in how prizes and honors are distributed.
The findings suggest that current grading practices at Harvard might be jeopardizing not only the grading process itself but also the university’s overall academic atmosphere by limiting student choices, escalating stress, and creating a sense of “hollowness” in scholarship.
Stephen McGuire, a member of the American Board of Trustees and Alumni Council, emphasized that the pampering of unprepared students could largely be to blame for the ongoing issues.
Over the past decade, universities, including Harvard, have encouraged faculty to be mindful of students’ varying levels of preparedness and the personal challenges some face. However, this approach has unintentionally led to more leniency in grading, particularly during remote learning periods.
The report isn’t the first to hint at the idea that Harvard undergraduates might be spoiled or less academically rigorous. A previous report suggested that while expectations for high grades are rising, the effort students exert is diminishing.
Students have reacted to the grade inflation report, with some expressing distress over the findings. One student, Sophie Chumbrise, shared, “I cried all day long” after learning about the conclusions drawn from the report, highlighting a sense of defeat despite her hard work.
Another student, Keita Aronson, voiced concerns that raising standards could negatively impact students’ well-being. “I killed myself all through high school to get here,” he lamented, implying that he had hoped to find fulfillment in his studies instead of extra stress.
Zahra Rohaninejad noted that added pressure could diminish the joy of learning at Harvard. “It feels unrealistic to expect enjoyment if standards keep rising,” she remarked.
The university has not commented further on the report’s findings or the students’ reactions.
