Between 1971 and 2000, the average GPA at Princeton rose from 2.99 to 3.66. By 2002, only 5 percent of seniors graduating from that eminent institution earned less than a B-minus cumulative GPA. Such grade inflation is not atypical, particularly among America's elite schools and universities, nor is recognition of the problem new. In fact, it was such a cause for concern back in 1998 that Princeton's Faculty Committee on Examinations and Standing called for the faculty to take "collective responsibility for halting grade inflation and grade compression at Princeton." Now, Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel proposes to "establish a common grading standard across the university of less than 35 percent A's for undergraduate courses and less than 55 percent A's for [junior and senior] independent work." The plan is designed to create a university-wide system to curb grade inflation "because no single department has any incentive to act unilaterally to address" it on their own. Not surprisingly, many students who benefit from the inflated grades are grumping. "If this happens, I'll never get an A again," one mused. Kudos to the honest student who said "I like the grade change because I know I've gotten A's on various tests and things that I shouldn't have gotten them on." (One hopes those A's weren't in English composition.)
"University takes steps to limit grade inflation," by Jeff Milgram, Princeton Packet, April 9, 2004