Grade needed on final: ${requiredGrade.toFixed(2)}

In 1785, Yale University ranked students using terms like optimi for the highest achievers, followed by second optimi, inferiore (lower), and pejores (worse). Around the same time, the College of William and Mary used a simpler system, ranking students as either No. 1 or No. 2. No. 1 represented the top students in their class, while No. 2 described those who were “orderly, correct, and attentive.” Meanwhile, Harvard University employed a numerical grading system ranging from 1 to 200, except for math and philosophy, which used a scale of 1 to 100. By 1883, Harvard had shifted to a “Classes” system, where students were categorized into Class I, II, III, IV, or V, with Class V indicating a failing grade. These early grading systems highlight the subjective, arbitrary, and inconsistent approaches to evaluating students across institutions, underscoring the need for a more standardized—though still somewhat arbitrary—grading system.

The modern letter grading system traces its origins to 1887, when Mount Holyoke College became the first institution to adopt it. Their scale included the letters A, B, C, D, and E, with E representing a failing grade. However, this system was far stricter than today’s standards, as anything below 75% was considered a failure. Later, the college replaced E with F to denote failing grades (still below 75%). Over time, the letter grading system gained widespread popularity in colleges and high schools, evolving into the system commonly used today. Despite its widespread adoption, there remains significant variation in how grades are defined. For example, some institutions use plusses or minuses (e.g., A+ or B-), while others do not, and the percentage ranges for each letter grade can differ between schools.