Harvard College Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted to curb grade inflation by limiting the proportion of A grades awarded in letter-graded courses. Beginning fall 2027, instructors will be allowed to assign A grades to no more than 20% of students in a class, plus up to four additional A grades. Harvard faculty cited concerns that A grades have become too common to distinguish exceptional work; university data described more than 60% of undergraduate grades in recent years falling in the A range. The grading changes also include shifting how students are compared for honors, prizes, and awards—using average percentile rank rather than GPA. The policy emerged from months of faculty debate following a report by dean of undergraduate education Amanda Claybaugh, and it comes amid a broader national discussion about grading standards after similar initiatives at peer institutions drew criticism before being abandoned.