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American universities are increasingly encountering an unexpected effect of ChatGPT's popularity — students have started receiving noticeably more excellent grades. Moreover, this is not about isolated cases, but about a trend that researchers and universities themselves are already documenting. According to The Wall Street Journal, after ChatGPT's emergence, teachers began giving nearly 30% more top grades in courses where assignments in programming, text creation, and AI work are actively used; at the same time, there were fewer intermediate grades such as «4+» and «5–». This conclusion was reached by experts who studied more than half a million student grades at Texas State University over the period from 2018 to 2025. They compared different types of courses: those where students regularly complete assignments related to texts and code, and disciplines where such tasks are significantly fewer. Until the end of 2022, there was virtually no noticeable difference, but after ChatGPT became available to a wide audience, the situation began to change rapidly. The increase in top grades was especially pronounced in programs with a large volume of homework assignments.
At the same time, researchers note an important point: students use generative AI primarily to improve their grades, not to gain a deeper understanding of the subject. This is what is causing concern at many American universities today.
The issue is also being actively discussed at Harvard University: in February, the university published a report stating that it is becoming increasingly difficult for employers to objectively assess students' level of preparation based on their grades. In the near future, Harvard educators will vote for or against an initiative that could limit the number of top grades awarded at the university.
Many universities are now trying to find a balance between adopting new technologies and preserving the real value of academic achievements, so it appears that the grading system in higher education could undergo significant changes in the coming years.
