Recommended Grade Distributions
The Office of the Registrar posts a grade distribution report online each semester. These reports may be found in InfoBank under "Miscellaneous Reports."
The DEO reviews all departmental grades, monitoring any significant divergences from the suggested collegiate guidelines, below, which were recently endorsed by the Educational Policy Committee.
The Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Curriculum also monitors departmental grading practices, meeting with a DEO when a department's overall grades seem to differ significantly from CLAS recommendations.
The suggested CLAS distributions guidelines are intended for courses with representative enrollments and pedagogical approaches. Adjustments are expected for sections and courses of different sizes, formats, or levels of ability. "W" and "I" grades also may affect the distribution of grades.
When plus/minus grades are used in a course, the department and instructor may decide on the appropriate percentage of plus and minus grades within each grading category. However, the total number of given grades within the category should generally meet the Collegiate guidelines. For example, in a typical elementary course, no more than 34% of the B grade, whether B+, B, and B-, would be expected.
Please note that CLAS strongly discourages instructors from assigning the A+ grade. Few or no grades of A+ should ever be awarded except for truly extraordinary work.
Grade Distribution Chart
A |
B |
C |
D |
F |
Average |
|
Elementary courses |
15% |
34% |
40% |
8% |
3% |
2.50 |
Intermediate courses |
18% |
36% |
39% |
5% |
2% |
2.63 |
Advanced courses |
22% |
38% |
36% |
3% |
1% |
2.77 |
The College recommends grade distributions according to the level of the course. An elementary course usually has two or more of these characteristic:
- Open to first-year students
- No prerequisites
- Broad or introductory course
- Numbered from :001 to :099
An intermediate course generally has both of these characteristics:
- Not open to first-year students
- Has prerequisite(s) or assumed prior knowledge
An advanced course ordinarily has two or more of these characteristics:
- Primarily for students earning a major, minor, or certificate in the area
- Has prerequisites or assumed prior knowledge
- Focuses on a particular topic or specific area of knowledge within a discipline.