Grade inflation and GPA

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
1

Scale:

4.33 = A+
4.0 = A
3.67= A-
etc

30% of Rice Undergrad students qualify for Honor Roll
Term Minimum GPA Term Minimum GPA

Fall 2014 3.866

Fall 2013 3.870 Spring 2014 3.878
Fall 2012 3.858 Spring 2013 3.901
Fall 2011 3.856 Spring 2012 3.876
Fall 2010 3.842 Spring 2011 3.880
Fall 2009 3.853 Spring 2010 3.890
Fall 2008 3.843 Spring 2009 3.893
Fall 2007 3.841 Spring 2008 3.867
Fall 2006 3.835 Spring 2007 3.859
Fall 2005 3.810 Spring 2006 3.835
Fall 2004 3.745 Spring 2005 3.835
Fall 2003 3.743 Spring 2004 3.843

2013-2014
summa cum laude — top 5%
magna cum laude — next 10%
cum laude — next 15%
top 30% to grad with honors

           School of  Enginee   Nat. Sci   Humanities  SocialSci   Music    Architecture

summa cum laude 4.02193 4.10207 4.05095 4.04026 4.12280 3.92965
magna cum laude 3.94510 3.98521 3.94893 3.93570 3.96229 3.81053
cum laude 3.81038 3.85158 3.84274 3.80377 3.85453 3.74108

Commencement Year Top 10 Percent

2013 - 2014 3.992
2012 - 2013 3.966
2011 - 2012 3.980
2010 - 2011 3.972
2009 - 2010 3.971
2008 - 2009 3.937
2007 - 2008 3.962
2006 - 2007 3.945
2005 - 2006 3.944

Irrespective of school, 30% of Rice undergrad graduate with ~3.81+ GPA. This figure seems incredibly high to me. 10% had 3.99+, that’s insane, an A average! According to gradeinflation.com, average GPA for rice ug was 3.3 in 2001. It probably has increased significantly. With 30% making a 3.8x, is it a fair assessment to infer that the median/~avg ug GPA is roughly 3.6x, near Brown? Seems to have been a continuing trend at Rice.

premed applicants had an average ~3.70 GPA in 2011. acceptance rate of 89% for all applicants, including first time and reapps?? (2011) Can anyone shed some more light on this 89% rate? Considering WUSTL aggregate data from 2007-2011 had a 72% rate, Vandy ~68%, Cornell ~68%, it seems hard to believe Rice would be so much higher. Though, the avg GPA seems significant higher or the distribution of GPA at Rice is skewed to the right.

2

I can’t really speak to this. The only pieces of information I can offer are (1) Maybe Texas Medical Center and Baylor have an effect on acceptance rates? and (2) Grade inflation at Rice is something the administration began making efforts to combat as of last year (http://www.ricethresher.org/news/faculty-senate-passes-grade-inflation-legislation/article_67973b98-cc12-11e3-99c6-0017a43b2370.html), but it’s more in humanities than engineering if I remember correctly. I can ask premed friends about this if you’d like, though I’m not sure they’ll know why. That 3.70 GPA figure is funny because most premeds freak out about falling below 3.8 haha.

Source: current non-premed Rice sophomore