According to Prof. Mark Perry …
Last year, Professor Rojstaczer and co-author Christopher Healy published a research article in the Teachers College Record titled “Where A Is Ordinary: The Evolution of American College and University Grading, 1940–2009.”
The main conclusion of the paper is illustrated by the chart below showing the rising share of A letter grades over time at American colleges, from 15% in 1940 to 43% by 2008.
Starting in about 1998, the letter grade A became the most common college grade.
Ken’s Take: Note the Bs, Ds and Fs have stayed relatively constant, but Cs have declined … mirroring the increase in As,
Back when I was in college, a grade of C was referred to as a “Gentleman’s C” …. not too good, not too bad … not a source of pride, nor a disgrace … just right for a gentleman who didn’t want to work too hard.
Think George Bush … and John Kerry.
Now, I guess even gentlemen are getting As.
Tags: gentleman Cs, grade inflation
The Homa Files 
June 8, 2012 at 10:05 am |
Back in undergrad during my freshman year the most prominent professor on campus wrote a letter to the newspaper about his fear of grade inflation on campus. The next semester everyone saw their GDP drop. Mine was already so low it couldn’t go any lower. I will say the grade I was most proud of was a D+ in intermediate micro. Toughest and yet one of the best courses I ever took. I earned that D+.
June 10, 2012 at 9:42 pm |
C in a hard class > A in an easy one anytime of the day
June 11, 2012 at 11:25 am |
College is more expensive than ever. Are a few A’s too much to ask?