Harvard Faculty Caps Undergraduate A Grades At 20 Percent
Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted Wednesday, May 20, 2026, to cap A grades in undergraduate courses at 20 percent plus four students per class, a move aimed at curbing grade inflation.[1]
The limit will take effect in the 2027-28 academic year and will apply to all undergraduate letter-graded courses.[1] Faculty also approved using average percentile rank instead of GPA for certain awards and rejected a campus request to allow opt-outs to satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading.[1]
An internal Harvard report found more than 60 percent of undergraduate grades were A's, compared with roughly 25 percent two decades earlier. A February 2026 survey found nearly 85 percent of Harvard undergraduates opposed the A-grade cap, and students mounted a petition criticizing the plan.
The policy will be reviewed three years after implementation, a timetable the faculty set as debates begin over how the cap could affect awards, course selection and academic culture.
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📌 Key Facts
- On Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted to cap A grades at at most 20 percent plus four per undergraduate course.
- The policy will take effect in the 2027-28 academic year, cover all undergraduate letter-graded courses, and be reviewed three years after implementation.
- Faculty also voted to use average percentile rank instead of GPA for certain awards, while rejecting an opt-out for satisfactory/unsatisfactory courses.
- An internal report showed more than 60 percent of undergraduate grades were A's, compared with about 25 percent 20 years ago.
- A February 2026 survey found nearly 85 percent of Harvard undergraduates opposed the A-grade cap, and students mounted a petition criticizing the plan.
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