The Most Common Grade Given To Harvard Undergraduates Is An 'A'

REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Harvard University confirmed Tuesday that the most commonly awarded grade to undergraduate students is an "A," seeming to support long-held suspicions of grade inflation at the Ivy League school.

The Harvard Crimson reports that the university's Dean of Undergraduate Education told a meeting of faculty members that "The most frequently awarded grade in Harvard College is actually a straight A."

The data used to determine this was based on information from fall 2012 and several preceding semesters, according to The Crimson.

The dean also reportedly confirmed to the assembled faculty that "The median grade in Harvard College is indeed an A-."

Many people took to the The Crimson's comments section and social media sites to express their surprise at the prevalence of top marks at one of the top ranked colleges in the country. Harvard's apparently lenient grading drew several negative comparisons to a contrasting policy at rival school Princeton University, which states that no more than 35% of grades awarded in any department should be in the A range.