Does Grade Inflation Help Students?

It’s impossible not to notice rampant grade inflation across university campuses and the inflated expectations that inevitable follow. The new question is: does grade inflation help students or hurt students?

According to Inside Higher Ed, professors and Universities that have lenient grading policy give students an advantage in applying to graduate school.

“New research in the journal PLOS ONE has found that admissions officers appear to favor applicants with better grades at institutions where everyone is earning high grades over applicants with lower grades at institutions with more rigorous grading. The research is based on an experiment involving 23 admissions officers and on long-term, real data on applicants to four competitive M.B.A. programs.”

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/07/30/study-suggests-admissions-decisions-reward-grade-inflation#ixzz2ajlbE5qr 

I don’t really care about grades.  I would be happy to give out 100 A’s every semester.  But I do care about quality work.  The problem is that too often students who expect an A tend to pass in subpar work, while the students with low expectations wrestle with assignments and grow by leaps and bounds. 

While higher grades may increase a student’s chances at being accepted to graduate school, I worry that grade inflation teaches students that they can do mediocre work and receive an exceptional grade.  

If that’s the case, then students entering a competitive graduate school or the workforce are in for a rude awakening.  

What do you think? Comment below, does grade inflation help or hurt college students?