This Harvard Professor Fought Against the Easy ‘A’ for 50 Years—and Finally Won
Harvard University has implemented a new grade cap to address the rising trend of high grades among undergraduates. The cap will limit A's to 20 percent of the grades awarded in each course, with some exceptions for special circumstances. This decision comes after a long campaign by Professor Harvey Mansfield, who has advocated for grading reform for decades.
- ▪Harvard's new grade cap limits A's to 20 percent per course.
- ▪The change will take effect in the fall of 2027.
- ▪Nearly 70 percent of Harvard's faculty supported the grade cap.
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This Harvard Professor Fought Against the Easy ‘A’ for 50 Years—and Finally WonGraduates pass the John Harvard statue during Harvard University’s 374th Commencement on May 29, 2025. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)Harvard’s new grade cap vindicates Harvey Mansfield, a professor whose solitary crusade gave him the nickname Harvey ‘C-Minus’ Mansfield.By Novi Zhukovsky05.25.26 — EducationNo description available.FOLLOW TOPIC --:----:--Upgrade to ListenProduced by ElevenLabs using AI narration1When I was an undergraduate at Dartmouth College, students on the premedical track had developed a scheme for protecting their grade point averages from organic chemistry. Instead of completing the course on campus, they would enroll in a more forgiving summer program elsewhere.
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