<p>
Even disregarding the rigor of the coursework and considering only the GPA, Berkeley’s mean GPA is far lower than that of other comparable universities. </p>
<p>Why, you may ask? Its because Berkeley is often compared to private schools and the mean GPA from a private school is 0.3 points higher than a public. These privates are some of the only universities of comparable rank given that Berkeley is the highest ranked public. </p>
<p>So, for many people considering Berkeley, grade deflation is real and an unavoidable aspect of the university. Anyone who compares Berkeley to a higher ranked school (whether by major or by general rankings) will not like Berkeley’s grade curve. Even looking down, there are only 3 publics to compare Berkeley to: UCLA, Michigan, and UVA.</p>
<p>
It’s much easier to tell an Engineering student he failed an exam based around mathematics than an American Studies writing a subjective essay about democracy. The former students has little power to challenge the instructor while the latter can quarrel all day with valid arguments.</p>