Relatively tough grading in undergraduate economics courses at the University of Chicago during the roaring ‘twenties

Calculated by Irwin Collier from official totals of marks reported by departments. 

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Significantly Lower Grade Average for Economics Courses

Effective with the Summer Quarter, 1925 the University of Chicago switched from a marking system that distinguished nine ranks (A, A-,B, B-, C, C-, D, E, F) with grade points (6,5,4,3,2,1,0,-1,-2), respectively, to a system with five ranks (A, B, C, D, F) with grade points (6, 4,2,0,-2), respectively. The average mark required for a bachelor’s degree under the new system was 2 points.

Under this new point system non-economics courses were awarded on average 3.08 points compared to the average of 2.50 points awarded for economics courses. Following the grade distribution guidelines, a course would have awarded 2.63 points on average. Thus, the University of Chicago undergraduate economics grades were more than a quarter of a letter grade below those of other departments in the years 1925-27.

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Grade Distribution Guideline

The Guideline distribution was voted at the joint meeting of the Faculties of the Colleges of Arts, Literature, and Science, the School of Commerce and Administration and the College of Education held on December 2, 1925:

…That in the case of a typical undergraduate section the instructor then compare the results thus obtained with the current general ratio of assignment to the several grades which (as explained at the meeting) is approximately as follows:

 

A [Excellent]	11%
B [Good]	29%
C [Fair]	39%
D[Barely Passable]	13+%
F [Failure]	4+%
Incomplete	Should not exceed 2%

Note that the distribution for the Guideline distribution in the graphic above EXCLUDES the 2% for incompletes.

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Undergraduate Grade Distributions for institutions using a comparable marking system

Institution	Percentage distribution of grades
	A	B	C	D	F
University of Minnesota	10.8	27.3	36.3	16.7	5.8
University of Illinois (L.A. & S.)	11.5	25.4	33.8	18.9	10.4
Beloit College	9.0	31.0	40.0	11.0	3.0
Williams College	8.5	22.9	43.0	20.8	4.8
Dartmouth College	8.9	24.2	41.3	19.6	5.9
Northwestern University	12.8	30.8	40.3	9.2	4.6
Stanford University	16.8	34.4	35.1	7.2	2.8
University of Chicago, 1922-23	11.0	29.0	39.0	13.+	4.+
University of Chicago, 1926-27	13.9	36.6	37.1	6.2	3.0

From a memo dated November 21, 1927 from the Office of the President, University of Chicago signed by F. C. Woodward, Vice-President and dean of Faculties.

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Source:  Reports of official totals of marks reported by departments. University of Chicago Archives, Department of Economics Records, Box 26, Folder 3.