W&L and universities nationwide question if and how to handle rising expectations and results.

At Washington and Lee University, a grade point average (GPA) that once placed a student comfortably in the middle of their class would now fall well below average. If a student graduated from W&L in 2005, they needed a GPA above 3.325 to be in the top half of their class. By 2025, that number climbed to 3.715. The causes of this shift, and whether it is a problem, are disputed. 

The trend mirrors a national pattern of rising grades. Much of this shift occurred during the years impacted by COVID-19 policies. In 2019, the top third of the W&L graduating class had a GPA of 3.622 or higher. By 2023, that number rose to 3.815. 

At the end of the 2020 winter semester, students could choose to receive a regular letter grade or simply a pass/fail designation. Due to the extraordinary circumstances of a mid-semester lockdown, “it was a time where students were given a lot of leeway in general,” according to Economics Department Chair Linda Hooks. Grade optionality did not extend beyond that one semester.