A recent report highlights a concerning trend: a growing number of Gen Z college freshmen are starting school without adequate math skills, leading to a significant decline in their SAT scores.
What’s really startling is that some of these students are struggling with math at a level typically expected in middle school—essentially, below fifth grade.
Experts suggest this issue, alongside rising high school graduation rates, points to a larger problem of grade inflation in the education system.
Take, for instance, the University of California, San Diego, which noted an astonishing thirty-fold rise in students lacking basic arithmetic skills over the last five years.
“Educational data can often be skewed. Graduation rates can be boosted, and students can be given grades they may not have truly earned,” explained Robert Pondiscio, an education expert at the American Enterprise Institute.
He added, “You can even declare your child a graduate.”
“There are incentives for schools to present a favorable image, with high GPAs and graduation rates. But if that’s a façade…”
The situation at UC San Diego is particularly eye-opening. In 2020, just 30 incoming students struggled with math below high school level. Fast forward to 2025, and that number has ballooned to 900.
For a university with a selective admission rate of 30%, this translates to 1 in 8 new students not meeting basic high school math standards.
It’s a requirement for all students to pass a high school math curriculum as outlined by the University of California system.
Among those 900 students, the report reveals that around 70%—or about 1 in 12—are unable to perform even middle school-level math.
“The current situation on campus is genuinely alarming,” the report states, highlighting that the incoming class is increasingly unprepared for the quantitative and analytical demands at UC San Diego.
“This is a serious issue that necessitates immediate and systematic action,” it continues.
Furthermore, UC San Diego isn’t alone; math skills are declining in universities across California and nationally, with basic writing and language abilities also falling short of high school standards.
The school attributes these challenges to the elimination of standardized testing, a rise in students from under-resourced schools, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many of the current students spent their critical high school years during lockdowns.
However, grade inflation is also a major factor. Widespread practices among teachers and administrators to boost grades to meet state and federal graduation rate goals have been identified as a contributor.
This trend surged after the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, which imposed strict requirements on states to improve graduation rates or face consequences—making it tempting for administrators to game the system.
Consequently, graduation rates have surged by more than 10% over nearly two decades, climbing from 74% in 2007 to 87% in 2020.
But it’s important to note that graduating doesn’t necessarily equate to actual learning; in fact, national average SAT scores have dropped nearly 100 points in parallel to these graduation rate increases.
And experts point out that it’s the students coming from these flawed systems who ultimately suffer.
“The workplace won’t be deceived,” Pondiscio remarked.
“Even if someone graduates high school and struggles financially, the reality will catch up,” he cautioned.
He further emphasized, “This situation isn’t the fault of the students, and they certainly don’t want to face these challenges.”
“Those responsible for putting students in such predicaments, with a system like this, should reflect on their actions.”
