High school students in California are achieving straight A’s in record numbers, but it’s not necessarily due to an increase in intelligence, according to recent data and education experts.
The number of college applicants claiming perfect GPAs of 4.0 or greater has surged over the last decade, even as state assessments indicate a significant decline in reading and math skills following the pandemic. This suggests a troubling trend of grade inflation, where students who struggle with basic concepts are gaining acceptance to top universities.
Data shows that the volume of students applying to the University of California with straight A’s jumped from 52,989 in 2015 to 103,138 for the class of 2025, with a particularly sharp rise noted during the pandemic from 2020 to 2022.
Critics, including Glenn Sacks, a social studies teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, argue this trend points to a dangerous decline in grading standards. He recalled being advised by an administrator during his hiring not to fail too many students, as it was deemed easier to replace one teacher than to deal with a mass of unhappy students.
Sacks noted that there has been increasing pressure on teachers since COVID to minimize failing grades to maintain student enrollment and attendance. He explained that teachers were instructed that substantial numbers of failures indicated a need to revise teaching methods.
Charles Cole, an education advocate and a graduate of California high schools, shared his perspective on how grade inflation has worsened over the years. During his high school years in Oakland, he often earned top marks, but later had to take remedial classes at California State University, which he found disappointing given his high school success.
Cole expressed that while he appreciates his grades as they contributed to college acceptance, the preparation he received did not equip him for the challenges ahead. He now runs an organization aimed at helping underrepresented students, pointing out that many students are not even at grade level despite believing they are prepared for college.
State-mandated test results corroborate Cole’s concerns, revealing poor proficiency in reading and math among high school students compared to their GPAs. For California 11th graders in the 2024-2025 school year, proficiency was only 57% in English and a mere 30.5% in math, with scores still falling short of pre-pandemic levels.
According to Marc Zawel, co-founder of an admissions consulting group, the proliferation of high GPAs complicates how colleges evaluate students. He noted that more than 1,200 UC professors recently reported that they’ve had to teach basic math in advanced courses and urged the University of California to reinstate SAT requirements for admissions. This response comes after standardized testing was eliminated in 2020, partly due to claims that the tests were unfair to certain demographics. Professors believe this policy contributed to rampant grade inflation.
The professors emphasized that current admissions criteria primarily based on GPA and essays fail to adequately determine a student’s readiness for rigorous university STEM programs amid persistent grade inflation. Experts have suggested that changes in education during the pandemic, such as the shift to online learning, may have exacerbated this issue, resulting in reduced academic rigor.
Some educators attribute grade inflation to systemic incentives favoring high marks given for minimal achievement. Sonja Shaw, a candidate for state superintendent of education, criticized this practice, stating it harms students and leaves colleges with ill-prepared freshmen. She called for action from regulatory bodies to address these issues.
The professors have requested the Board of Regents to bring back standardized testing requirements for admissions, and officials have indicated that they are considering this proposal.
The University of California system claimed that it is expediting its review of standardized testing policies. Nicholas supports reinstating testing, suggesting it would discourage grade inflation and encourage schools to be more honest and rigorous in their grading processes.
