Photo courtesy of Harvard.edu
At Harvard College, an A-grade will soon become a scarce resource. Beginning in fall 2027, the college will award the grade to only 20% of each class plus four students, under what it calls a “20 + 4” cap on flat-A grades. According to The Harvard Crimson, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences introduced the policy on May 20, 2026, with the aim of restoring the significance of high-achieving academic scores. This surprising decision has sparked debate across the nation regarding the effect of grades on students’ academic performance and motivation.
Traditionally, grade capping, specifically in universities, has been a maximum threshold placed on student grades, meaning that no matter how high a grade students may have on an assessment or assignment, the grade cannot exceed the threshold. However, Harvard’s system joins the few universities that have attempted to curb grade inflation by limiting how many students can earn an A.
Most notably, this policy change raises questions about the impact of grades on academic processes. Julia Griffin ’28 reflects, “More importantly than grades…I validate academic success based on how I’m understanding the class, how I’m participating in the class, how curious I am, and how engaged I am. I think the grades themselves are a reflection of just how much you might remember or the tests. I think what defines academic success for me is having a true understanding and love for what I’m learning.” While grades are based on performance, they might not fully allow for a student to immerse themselves in a new passion. For many students, though, grades remain the main measure of success, largely due to their importance when applying to internships, scholarships, and college applications.
The impact of Harvard’s grade capping system may also vary depending on major, as students taking more difficult classes appear to be relatively less affected. Daniel Adibi, Episcopal ’26 and Harvard ’30, remarks, “I’d say, for me, I’m kind of lucky in that grade capping is not affecting me as much as some other people, because I’m majoring in physics. Since it’s traditionally considered a more difficult major, the classes aren’t as impacted by the new policy. In terms of classes within my major, the policy has not really deterred me too much. But I will say that it does have private, unintended side effects, where I’m sort of less willing to take risks in terms of other classes.”
While students like Adibi are concerned about how grade capping will affect their academic decisions in college, many high schools are having similar debates, as the new policy has raised the question of how schools should distinguish academic achievements. Head of Upper School Mike Letts acknowledges both sides of the argument, saying, “If everybody’s getting A’s, then how are we able to distinguish who our finest students are to some degree, right? I get that. But, on the flip side, if you did enough work, if you worked hard enough, and your work is presented as deserving of an A, then that is what you should earn…regardless of whether everybody else in the class did the same.”
Beyond the effects of the policy on Harvard students, grade capping could also be a factor in admission levels. However, Chrissy Cerenzia, Senior Associate Director of College Counseling, believes that a university with such high credibility and reputation will not necessarily be affected by any new policies. “Well, Harvard’s grade capping. I don’t think parents are going to have their students [not apply], and students are not going to apply to Harvard because of that… I don’t think it’s going to make a difference, even though they know that there’s a chance that they might not get A’s in college.”
As students weigh the pursuit of understanding against the pressure to compete for a limited number of top grades, Harvard’s policy will be felt most deeply in the classroom. The main debate remains whether limiting grades will successfully change student academic performance and success.