UMich College Shifts to P/NC Grading for First-Year Students

Starting in fall 2027, the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts will grade all first-year students as pass/no credit for their first semester. Students will still receive grades and instructor feedback on their coursework, but the grades will not count toward their GPAs or appear on their external transcripts, which will state that all LSA first-semester grades are automatically designated P/NC.

The pilot program is designed to help create “an environment where college students can acclimate to the demands of a University of Michigan education and pursue new academic challenges,” according to the LSA webpage announcing the change. “We believe that covering grades will help students start strong and curb the mental health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals.”

Officials also said they hope eliminating grades will foster connection rather than competition among students, and encourage them to “explore a subject that may not come easily to them or take a course in a new field without the fear that a low grade may have long-term consequences.”

Internal university records will still track the letter grades first-year students earn first semester for use in academic advising, awards and scholarships, and outside opportunities such as internships, among other things.

Other institutions, including Johns Hopkins, Goucher and Swarthmore, have implemented P/NC grading for first-year students. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, many institutions temporarily shifted to P/F grading to help alleviate student stress.