grade inflation

American  

noun

Education.

1. the awarding of higher grades than students deserve either to maintain a school's academic reputation or as a result of diminished teacher expectations.

2. a rise in the average grade given to students.

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grade inflation British  

noun

1. an apparently continual increase in numbers of students attaining high examination grades, or the practice of awarding grades in this way

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Etymology

Origin of grade inflation

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grade inflation

In May, Harvard University faculty voted to approve a 20% cap on the number of A’s per undergraduate course in an effort to curb grade inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

While emotional-support animals may provide a service, the promotion of pets to emotional-support status appears as prevalent as grade inflation in today’s colleges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

Princeton and Yale are also investigating grade inflation on their campuses.

From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026

Students say the cap treats the symptoms of grade inflation rather than the root cause.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

While grade inflation has been an issue on college campuses for years, AI tools have made it even harder to assess the quality of students’ work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026