Harvard University faculty has overwhelmingly approved a new grading policy, limiting the number of A grades awarded in undergraduate courses to 20% of enrollment plus an allowance of four additional A's per class. The decision, passed by a vote of 458 to 201, aims to combat decades of grade inflation and restore academic rigor, with implementation set for the Fall 2027 semester. This move is seen by many as a vindication for long-time critics of grade inflation, including Professor Harvey C. Mansfield.
The newly approved policy mandates that instructors in letter-graded undergraduate courses will cap A grades, while other letter grades, including A-minus, will not be subject to this restriction. In a related vote, faculty also approved, by a margin of 498 to 157, the use of average percentile rankings instead of Grade Point Averages (GPAs) for determining internal university honors and awards. A separate proposal to introduce a "SAT+" grade, which would have allowed courses to opt out of the cap, was rejected.
This significant reform addresses a persistent issue at Harvard, where over 60% of all undergraduate grades were A's in the 2024-25 academic year, and the median GPA for the Class of 2025 stood at 3.83. Dean of Undergraduate Education Amanda Claybaugh stated that the vote is "an important step toward ensuring that our grading system better serves its central purposes: giving students meaningful feedback, recognizing genuine distinction, and sustaining the academic mission of the College." The goal is to ensure that a Harvard A grade once again signifies "extraordinary distinction."
The policy's approval resonates with the decades-long advocacy of Professor Harvey C. Mansfield, a distinguished political philosopher who taught at Harvard until his retirement in 2023. Mansfield earned the nickname "Harvey 'C-Minus' Mansfield" for his famously strict grading and his outspoken criticism of grade inflation. He was known for giving students two grades: an "inflated" one for official transcripts and a "real" (often lower) grade to reflect their true performance. As Novi Zhukovsky writes for The Free Press, "Harvard’s new grade cap vindicates Harvey Mansfield, a professor whose solitary crusade gave him the nickname Harvey ‘C-Minus’ Mansfield."
While faculty support for the measure was strong, students largely opposed the changes, with an 85% disapproval rate in a February survey by the Harvard Undergraduate Association. Critics expressed concerns about increased competition and potential infringements on academic freedom. Nevertheless, the faculty's decisive vote signals a commitment to re-evaluating grading standards, a development that will be closely watched by other institutions grappling with similar issues of grade inflation.
