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Graduate grade inflation at a U.S. research-intensive university: A 22-year longitudinal analysis
Vivien Lee1, Nathan R Kuncel1, Paul R Sackett1
1University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America.
Plos One
|March 25, 2026
Summary
Graduate grade inflation is present and varies by academic program and degree level. This trend may devalue grades for employers and academic admissions.
Area of Science:
- Education
- Higher Education Studies
- Academic Assessment
Background:
- Grade inflation is well-documented in undergraduate education but understudied in graduate programs.
- The signaling value of graduate grades for employment and further academic selection is potentially compromised.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and extent of grade inflation in master's and doctoral programs.
- To examine variations in graduate grade inflation across different academic programs and degree levels.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of two decades of graduate student data from a U.S. research-intensive university.
- Utilized linear and ordinal multilevel models to assess grade inflation trends.
- Examined data from 75 master's programs (N=24,815) and 78 doctoral programs (N=15,701).
Main Results:
- Preliminary evidence suggests the existence of graduate grade inflation.
- The magnitude of grade inflation differs significantly across individual academic programs.
- Trends in grade inflation varied notably between master's and doctoral programs.
Conclusions:
- Graduate grade inflation appears to be a reality, impacting the integrity of academic assessments.
- The differing trends across degree levels warrant further investigation into program-specific factors.
- Future research should focus on multi-institutional studies to confirm findings and explore causal factors.
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