<p>I know there has been a lot of discussion on campus about UNC's overall grade inflation but I am wondering if this trend at UNC is something that is known nationwide, specifically by grad-school admission committees. When considering candidates for admission, I know they adjust GPAs down and up based on whether the applicant's school is known to deflate/inflate grades and also based on the difficulty of the school. How do you think they would adjust a GPA from UNC? Thanks!</p>
<p>In the sciences, UNC is not particularly known for grade inflation.</p>
<p>The humanities are a slightly different story.</p>
<p>In any case, there’s a very sensible move afoot to put the average grade in a course on the student’s transcript.</p>
<p>(Predictably… slacker students are opposed. As it stands, noone needs know that they got a B+ in a humanities course where 60% got A or A-.)</p>
<p>So if that happens, I wouldn’t worry too much.</p>
<p>keepittoyourself</p>
<p>Overall, UNC has not had more (or less) grade inflation than other national universities over the past few decades. I don’t think UNC would be “known” for either grade inflation or deflation.</p>
<p>Like most major research universities, the hard sciences are generally graded on strict curves. As a result, there is little to no grade inflation in science and math classes and a solid A is not an easy task.</p>
<p>The chem department has grade deflation if anything, unlike the ivies there’s no inflation in the other science departments that I’m aware of. I think the average chem major GPA is something around 2.6/2.7, math is the only major with a lower average GPA.</p>
<p>I’d have to say the humanities (and especially the business school) are a different story, though. The vast majority of people who make the Dean’s list and have the highest GPA’s are in the Business school, followed by the humanities… Someone I know actually went through the list and looked at representation of majors and there were very very few chem/bio/math/physics people represented compared to the other majors.</p>
<p>^ This is true. It also depends a lot on the particular department: the English department is particularly known for giving high grades out like candy, for example.</p>
<p>What about the social sciences?</p>
<p>There is NO grade inflation in the sciences (where everyone needs it the most, ha!). Psychology definitely has the reputation of being an easy major - it is easy to get As in psych classes, if that is what you mean by a social science…</p>
<p>What about for business? public policy?</p>
<p>Business and public policy also have easy reputations… At least from what I’ve heard.</p>
<p>Does anyone know about Political Science/International Studies/Art majors? Essentially social science.</p>
<p>I’m not sure the latter two count as social sciences, especially the last.</p>
<p>InBloom, I think all three of those have easy reps…</p>
<p>Thanks for your answers. Just wondering – is there a reliable source for this?</p>
<p>
Biology: 2.40-2.50
Chemistry: 2.60-2.80
Geology: 2.90-3.00
Physics: 2.70-2.90</p>
<p>
I don’t have time to go through all of the humanities, but I checked archaeology and classics, and their average GPAs are in line with the sciences (2.40-2.80). The humanities are probably a very mixed bag.</p>
<p>
English: 3.40-3.50</p>
<p>
Psychology: 2.90-3.10</p>
<p>
Business: 3.00-3.20
Public policy: 3.40-3.60</p>
<p>
Political science: 2.90-3.00
International studies: 3.80-4.00
Art: 3.20-3.30</p>
<p>All departments: 3.00-3.10</p>
<p>warblersrule86, is this the average grade given by the department or the average GPA of students in their major? I realize that the two are inherently related, but I’m sill curious.</p>
<p>warblersrule86: where are you getting your data? can you post a link to it here?
thanks.</p>
<p>
It’s the average of all grades given in that department (e.g. English is for everyone who takes an English class, including people like psych and anthro majors).</p>
<p>
[GPA</a> by Subject](<a href=“http://regweb.unc.edu/regweb/gpa_subj]GPA”>http://regweb.unc.edu/regweb/gpa_subj)</p>