Higher Ed Morning
Students in a college remedial education classroom

Grade inflation in high schools is masking college readiness issues

Academic Performance & SuccessGrade InflationCollege ReadinessRemedial Education

Perfect GPA in High School, Remedial Class in College

A growing number of students with high school GPAs above 3.5 are requiring remedial coursework in college, highlighting the disconnect between high school grades and college readiness.

Sarah Mitchell

Sarah Mitchell

Academic Standards Reporter

M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction, B.A. Education

August 12, 2011

7 min read

The Disconnect

Maria Gonzalez graduated from high school with a 3.8 GPA and high hopes for college success. Six months later, she found herself in a remedial math course, struggling with concepts she thought she had mastered. Her story is increasingly common across American colleges.

National data shows that 40% of college freshmen require at least one remedial course, despite 87% of them graduating high school with GPAs above 3.0. This disconnect between high school performance and college readiness has educators concerned about grade inflation and academic standards.

The Grade Inflation Problem

Research by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found that the average high school GPA has increased from 2.68 in 1990 to 3.15 in 2009, while standardized test scores have remained relatively flat. This suggests that grades are becoming less reliable indicators of actual academic achievement.

'We're seeing students who have been told they're excellent students suddenly struggling with college-level work,' explains Dr. Patricia Williams, director of academic support at Metro Community College. 'The transition is particularly jarring because their high school experience didn't prepare them for the reality of college expectations.'