Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
Grade inflation is “undeniable,” according to The National Association of Scholars.
Grade inflation can be misleading to students. It gives many students the false impression that they have mastered a subject when in reality they have not, according to a Forbes article.
However, there are many positive aspects to grade inflation.
Benefits of Grade Inflation
Grade inflation benefits several parties involved in the education system. It expands access to higher education; both high school and college students can pass courses to graduate.
Higher grades also tend to motivate students to persist through their schooling. They incentivize students to stay in their preferred majors, since courses are easier to pass, according to an article from The Washington Post.
Making A’s more attainable could even encourage students to work harder.
When only a set number of students are going to get A’s, earning them may seem out of reach. However, the possibility of “average” students earning A’s may incentivize them to study more.
Higher overall GPAs benefit students by making them more competitive applicants for schools and jobs.
Happy students benefit professors. They give better course evaluations, contributing to a professor’s ability to obtain tenure or promotions, according to the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
Satisfied students are also more likely to speak highly of their university, contracting positive publicity. Additionally, graduates with high GPAs represent their university well to those outside of the university.
Scope of Grade Inflation
Many colleges, such as the University of California system, recalculate applicants’ GPAs before reviewing their applications, according to University of California Undergraduate Admissions. Grade inflation loses impact when it narrowly affects college admissions.
Furthermore, the quality of education is not always dependent on grades. Higher grades do not necessarily mean students are getting less out of a course.
What Really Defines Grade Inflation
There are potential confounding variables to an increase in average GPAs besides grade inflation.
An increase in technology and access to information as well as more students valuing education could cause grades to be higher on average.
Not all universities or educators characterize a C as an “average” grade. Grade inflation could simply be explained by semantics, according to The National Association of Scholars.
For example, many University of California campuses characterize a C as “fair.” Additionally, multiple California State Universities label a C as “satisfactory,” according to The National Association of Scholars.
Also, there are forms of grading systems other than a traditional 4.0 scale.
Mastery grading makes it relatively easy for students to earn a C- in a course. Many applications of this system defy the idea that a C should be the median grade for a course.
Additionally, grade inflation is plateauing, according to The National Association of Scholars.
It’s impossible for a 4.0 scale to increase indefinitely. Perhaps grade inflation was present for a time, for a reason. Once it has served its purpose, it may be gone.
I am not saying that grade inflation is inherently good. However, all things considered, we should ask ourselves, “What’s so harmful about a B being the new median grade?”
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Contact Caitlin Murray via email: caitlin.murray@pepperdine.edu
