Anonymous
Post 11/14/2025 08:40     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think any colleges have grade deflation.


Many engineering programs have had little or no grade inflation. Engineering courses often are curved with the median set to 3.0 or 3.1. Compared with many humanities programs, it looks like grade deflation.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 18:06     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

Anonymous wrote:Princeton is tough. Lot of reading


Princeton has grade deflation. It really hurt a top law school candidate because law schools are so fixated on GPA and LSAT.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 16:34     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

Princeton is tough. Lot of reading
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 16:22     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

UChicago curves most classes to a 3.2 average. They definitely grade deflate compared to Harvard, which curves to a 3.6 or 3.7. The professors at UChicago don't actually care what the students think of them - they are generally pretty brutal, though there are a few nicer outliers.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 15:53     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard BU deflates significantly. Like, why? You’re BU.


There’s definitely no grade deflation at BU. At least not in IR. Seems like most of class gets As.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 15:30     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

I’ve heard BU deflates significantly. Like, why? You’re BU.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 13:15     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

Anonymous wrote:Top of mind, JHU and Chicago deflate.


jhu inflates now. average gpa is a 3.8
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 13:06     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

Anonymous wrote:Top of mind, JHU and Chicago deflate.

No, they don't deflate. They just stick to the actual grading scale.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 13:05     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

I have kids at 3 colleges (Ivy, UVA and private top25) and it really depends on major and even professor. People ask me to compare and contrast the academics and grading on a regular basis (when chi-chatting) and I don't have an easy answer.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 13:04     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think any colleges have grade deflation.


Weed out classes are classic grade deflation -- no matter how the kids do, if you plan to weed out 20-30% of the kids planning on a major, you deflate grades to reach that goal.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 13:04     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

Top of mind, JHU and Chicago deflate.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 13:03     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think any colleges have grade deflation.

yep

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1300892.page
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 13:00     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

I don’t think any colleges have grade deflation.
Anonymous
Post 11/11/2025 13:00     Subject: Grade deflation vs. Grade inflation at colleges

Does anybody know which colleges have grade inflation and which have grade deflation? Mainly looking at top 30 colleges and top 10 liberal arts colleges. I am aware some of the Ivys have grade inflation (Harvard and Brown for e.g.). What about some of the other non Ivys? Is it massively variable and depending upon the subject, professor, etc?