The average grade at Harvard is now A-.
That’s the AVERAGE grade students receive.
Why?
Grade inflation. Students expect As. If professors don’t dish them out, they bash the professors on the year end “professor review” forms that are handed out. Or they drop the class.
Another big factor are parents. There are parents who confront college professors for their kids receiving B grades. College kids with mommy up there arguing with the professor. Same thing with 12th grade and under.
To avoid upset parents, give out inflated grades and they’ll think their kid actually learned something and the teacher is great.
Of course, that’s kicking the can down the road as the next year’s round of teachers has to deal with kids ill prepared to handle grade level subject material.
This has translated over to workplaces now. Young workers hop from job to job and leave those jobs where they don’t feel “appreciated.” So companies are giving out prizes and awards and constant pats on the back just to keep young workers showing up.
The dirty little secret is that the prestige of those Ivy League schools is really based on their graduate schools, not their undergraduate programs.