Every Student Gets An A

The Wall Street Journal hosts a forum where university students give their views on various topics. During a recent forum, students gave their thoughts on the topic of grade inflation. Grade inflation refers to the trend of universities giving higher grades  to students than in previous years. 

At Harvard University, the most common grade was an “A” in the 2022-2023 school year. Approximately 79% of all grades given were in the “A” range. Unfortunately, grade inflation has become ubiquitous across today’s universities. 

One student noted that grade inflation was not because the students were more gifted. Online platforms (Apps) allow students to search professor’s names and figure out if the professors offer easily attainable “A” grades. The professors that give more “A” grades can expect more students and better ratings. This conflates to a higher salary for the professor.

Another student noted that many students abuse the disability accommodations which allows them to use “otherwise prohibited technology” and get extra time on exams and assignments. It has been uncovered that 38% of Stanford students and 20% of Harvard students are registered as having a disability. 

With universities lowering the academic bar, it is not surprising to find out about the lack of preparedness that many college graduates from elite universities have for the work place. Our academic establishments have failed miserably to provide a quality education to our young people. They have hidden their failure by papering it over with unearned high grades. 

These same educators demand higher pay and greater benefits for this subpar performance. The students that are consuming this product are being charged through the nose and many are being saddled with a lifetime of debt payments. This reality does not bode well for our future.