At Harvard University, A's and A-minuses now account for 85% of all letter grades, up from 62% just over a decade ago. At Yale, that figure reached 79% in recent years. These startling numbers come from a new paper published June 11, 2026 by the Manhattan Institute, authored by policy analyst Neetu Arnold, which examines the widespread culture of grade inflation at American colleges and universities. The report finds that academic institutions are boosting students' grades without any accompanying improvement in achievement or course mastery, turning what used to signal exceptional performance into the new average.
The grading crisis extends beyond just Ivy League schools. According to the report, past reform attempts at Princeton and Wellesley showed initial promise but were ultimately abandoned when students complained of competitive disadvantages compared to peers at other universities. Harvard announced last month it will cap the number of A's to 20% of letter grades awarded in a course, a dramatic reversal from current practices. The institution was previously home to government professor Harvey Mansfield, who famously issued two grades to his students: an official grade for their transcript and a true grade representing what they actually earned.
Arnold's research identifies misaligned incentives as the core driver behind grade inflation. The report points to "the corrosive relationship between the grades issued by professors and the class evaluations issued by students" as one major problem. Faculty face pressure from both students and administrators to grade leniently, while universities compete for enrollment by making coursework feel and look more rewarding. Another issue highlighted in the paper is that many students enter college without adequate academic preparation, putting additional strain on faculty trying to maintain high standards. Grades matter because they're the key signal used to communicate a student's mastery of course material to professors, graduate schools, and employers—and that signal is now subject to serious interference.
The report argues that voluntary university-level reforms aren't enough to solve the problem, given how easily past efforts collapsed under student pressure. Arnold proposes increased state regulation and introduces a novel solution: an "inflation-adjusted GPA" that would discount grades earned in easy-grading courses. This reformulated GPA would adjust for differences in grading strictness across courses and over a student's academic career, giving employers and graduate schools a clearer signal of actual student ability. The paper also notes that some institutions are racing to reinstate standardized testing requirements for applicants in an effort to improve the quality and preparedness of their student body. The bottom line: when an A stops meaning achievement and starts meaning average, the value of a college degree itself is at stake.