Harvard students are getting too many A's. Now the university wants to curb them

At one of the world's most prestigious universities, high grades are becoming increasingly common. A new survey reveals that nearly 85% of Harvard's graduating seniors reported a GPA of 3.65 or higher, even as the university moves to restrict the number of A grades awarded in classrooms.At one of the world's most prestigious universities, high grades are becoming increasingly common. New Delhi,Nov 10, 2026 09:00 ISTAt Harvard University, getting an A is supposed to set a student apart. But what happens when almost everyone seems to be doing well enough to get one?That is the question facing one of the world's most prestigious universities. Nearly 85% of Harvard's graduating seniors reported a grade point average (GPA) of 3.65 or higher, according to a new survey by the university's student-run newspaper, The Harvard Crimson.The survey also captures another shift inside Harvard's classrooms: AI has become a regular study tool, with nearly two-thirds of graduating students using it multiple times a week or daily.Even more striking, almost one in five respondents reported a GPA that rounded to a perfect 4.0. The median GPA stood at 3.9. For a university where academic excellence is central to its reputation, these numbers raise an uncomfortable question: are students performing exceptionally well, or are top grades becoming too easy to get?The debate is not new, but the latest figures have given it fresh momentum. Harvard is already preparing to change how it awards grades, with a policy designed to stop A grades from becoming the norm rather than an indicator of exceptional performance.WHEN ALMOST EVERYONE IS AN 'A' GRADE STUDENTThe survey, which received 680 responses from graduating seniors, found that high GPAs have become remarkably common.More than 80% of respondents have reported GPAs of at least 3.65 in every graduating class surveyed since 2021. The trend has continued even after the pandemic, suggesting that the concentration of students at the top of the grading scale is not simply a temporary Covid-era effect.But not every subject tells the same story.Students in Arts and Humanities reported the highest proportion of perfect 4.0 GPAs, at more than 28%. The figure was 26% in Science, 19% in Social Sciences and just 12% in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.The differences were also visible across individual subjects. Social Studies had the highest median GPA at 4.0, while Government students reported 3.9. Economics, Computer Science and Applied Mathematics each recorded a median of 3.8.In other words, a high GPA is common, but the likelihood of getting one still depends partly on what students choose to study.AI HAS ENTERED THE CLASSROOMWhile Harvard debates how easily students earn top grades, another change is already reshaping its classrooms: artificial intelligence.When the Class of 2026 first arrived at Harvard, ChatGPT had not even been released to the public. By the time they were preparing to graduate, AI had become a regular part of student life.The survey found that 64% of seniors used AI tools multiple times a week or daily. Only 11% said they had never used AI during their time at the university.But frequent use does not mean students believe technology is necessarily helping them learn. In fact, 43% felt AI had harmed their education at Harvard, compared with 33% who believed it had improved their learning. Another 21% said it had neither helped nor harmed their education.The findings also raise questions about academic integrity. Around 33% of seniors admitted using AI for an assignment against their instructor's permission. Yet, 93% of those who did so said they were never caught. Only 2.6% reported facing disciplinary action.Here is a closer look at how Harvard's graduating students are using and viewing AI:AI usage and perceptionsPercentageUse AI multiple times a week or daily64%Have never used AI11%Believe AI has harmed their education43%Believe AI has improved their education33%Believe AI has neither helped nor harmed their education21%Used AI against instructors' permission33%Were not caught after using AI against instructions93%The figures point to a classroom that is changing faster than academic rules can keep up. AI is now a regular study companion for many students, but its impact on learning, independent thinking and academic honesty remains contested.HARVARD'S ANSWER: PUT A CAP ON 'A' GRADESHarvard's response has been to put a limit on how many students can receive top grades.The Faculty of Arts and Sciences approved a proposal under which A grades in undergraduate courses will be restricted to 20% of the class strength, plus four additional students. The new rule will come into effect in Fall 2027.The idea is to restore some distinction to the highest grades and prevent the grading scale from becoming overcrowded at the top.But there is a catch. The students who will be affected by the policy are not particularly enthusiastic about it.Nearly 73% of surveyed seniors opposed the proposed cap, including 49% who strongly disagreed with it. Only 18% supported the change, while 6% remained neutral.STUDENTS ARE NOT CONVINCED THERE IS A PROBLEMInterestingly, the survey suggests that students themselves are divided over whether grade inflation is actually happening.While 45% believed students systematically received inflated grades, 39% disagreed.Their responses about their own academic records were equally revealing. Nearly 48% admitted receiving a higher grade than they believed they deserved in at least one course. Another 41% said they had not.This makes the debate more complicated than simply blaming easy grading for high GPAs. Students may be getting good grades, but many do not necessarily believe those grades are always inflated.And there is little evidence that Harvard seniors are spending their college years avoiding academic work. The median respondent reported spending 40 hours a week on academics, compared with 20 hours on social activities, 15 hours on extracurricular activities and 11 hours on paid employment.For Harvard, the challenge is not just reducing the number of A grades. It is finding a way to make academic performance meaningful again without making students feel that a fixed quota, rather than their actual work, determines their grades.- Ends