Math101 · Independent Ontario learning library
Grade inflation means grades rise over time without an equivalent rise in the underlying achievement being measured. It is different from students genuinely learning more, a curriculum changing, or an assessment becoming better aligned with instruction.
The hard part is separating those explanations.
What the trend suggests
Queen’s University researchers, writing in 2026 and citing Council of Ontario Universities data, reported that the median entry grade for Ontario undergraduates rose from 81.4 percent in 2006 to 88.2 percent in 2021. That is a substantial shift in the marks entering universities.
It does not prove that every school inflated grades, that online learning caused the increase, or that any individual 98 is undeserved.
Why grades may rise
Possible contributors include:
- stronger student preparation and access to resources
- clearer rubrics and more opportunities to demonstrate learning
- changes in curriculum and assessment policy
- strategic course selection and repeats
- competitive pressure among students, families, schools, and institutions
- differences in teacher or school grading standards
- expanded tutoring, online resources, and assessment support
- integrity problems in some settings
Different causes can operate at the same time.
Why comparisons are difficult
An 88 in one course is not a laboratory measurement produced under identical conditions everywhere. Teachers choose tasks, schools schedule courses differently, students access different support, and cohorts face different contexts.
That does not make grades meaningless. It makes them imperfect signals.
What universities can do
When many applicants cluster near the top, universities may:
- use supplementary applications, interviews, contests, or portfolios
- examine prerequisite grades rather than only an overall average
- publish broad historical grade ranges rather than a guaranteed cutoff
- consider repeat or non-day-school policies
- use contextual information where permitted
- admit above program capacity expectations and manage enrollment later
Policies vary. Applicants should not invent an “adjustment factor” for a university unless the institution publishes one.
What students say online
Ontario student forums repeatedly ask how so many applicants have 95–99 averages, whether private or online courses are comparable, and whether honest students are disadvantaged. Those posts are useful evidence of concern and perception, not proof about a named school or a specific applicant.
Treat Reddit as a place to collect questions:
- Are assessments authenticated?
- Do marks predict success in the next course?
- Are repeat-course rules transparent?
- Are students learning independently?
Then answer those questions with policy, data, and direct verification.
What a student should do
- Meet the strongest standard you can in the courses you take.
- Choose legitimate courses for learning and fit, not a promised mark.
- Keep prerequisite understanding strong; first-year work exposes missing knowledge quickly.
- Read each program’s current admission page.
- Build supplementary evidence where the program requests it.
- Do not assume someone else’s 99 makes your path impossible.
Is a 95 today equivalent to a 95 ten years ago?
Not necessarily. Cohorts, curriculum, assessment, and grade distributions change. A numerical match does not prove identical underlying achievement.
Are online schools responsible for grade inflation?
The broad trend cannot be assigned to one format from these data. Online schools differ, as do day schools. Evaluate authorization, assessment integrity, grading evidence, and how students perform afterward.
Why do universities not publish exact cutoffs in advance?
A cutoff is often an outcome of applicant demand, available spaces, prerequisite rules, and the strength of that year’s pool. OUInfo describes grade ranges as guides, not guarantees.
