During the past 10 years, the average grade point average of an ISU student has been steadily increasing.

According to the ISU Fact Book, in 1993, the average GPA for all students was 2.70. Kathy Jones, registrar, said the 2003 average had risen to 2.84.

The GPA distribution was broken down into categories for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.

According to the Fact Book, all categories have increased during the past 11 years. The greatest increase among these categories was the freshmen, from 2.45 to 2.66. The lowest increase came from the seniors, whose average GPA rose from 2.96 to 3.05. No simple answer is available for the explanation of the inflation of GPAs.

“Grade inflation generally means the same thing as economic inflation,” said Roger Smith, associate dean for the College of Education.

The value of a grade goes down with the occurrence of grade inflation because there is more of that particular grade, Smith said. The difference between grade and economic inflation is the ceiling effect. Grades cannot go higher than 4.0. This causes the problem, Smith said.

“If the average GPA of a student across the whole university is going up significantly; that suggests that higher grades are being given,” said David Holger, associate provost.

With the increase of GPA at Iowa State, the university continues to watch grading trends closely.

“There certainly is a trend here that seems to be going up,” Holger said.

“The very important question about whether or not grade inflation is a problem revolves around: Why is it that grades are higher?”

The answer to this question is not simple.

With the increase in tuition, students could be working harder for their grades, Holger said. The grading could also be slightly easier than before and students could be better prepared than in the past, he said.

Smith said the fact that Iowa State only takes students in the top half of high school graduating classes could suggest that the students are more prepared.

“The change is minor enough that I do not see it as a big issue,” Holger said. “What is the accuracy of a grade point?”

A change of fourteen-hundredths of a grade point in 10 years does not suggest a problem with grade inflation, Holger said.

The GPA increase is a national trend.

“To the unperceiving public, it may give a false sense of accomplishment,” said Smith. “This is a national phenomenon; it permeates higher education and culture as a whole.”

A national survey compiled by Stuart Rojstaczer, a Duke University professor, shows that the average increase for college students’ GPAs is roughly .15, putting Iowa State in the middle of this study’s findings.

Iowa State has kept a close eye on the increase in GPAs.

“It’s an issue that has been discussed at various times,” said Holger, who has been at Iowa State for 30 years. “We are conscious that it could become a bigger issue.”