Starting in the fall of 2027, the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts plans to change how it reports grades for incoming freshmen. Under this new initiative, first-semester transcripts will show only a pass or no credit designation instead of traditional letter grades. University officials stated that the change is intended to address the mental health crisis affecting students and to help freshmen acclimate to college life without the intense pressure of early-career grading.
The policy will apply to approximately 19,700 undergraduate students. While letter grades will still be tracked internally for administrative purposes like scholarships, athletic eligibility, and internship applications, they will remain off the official transcript for that first semester. The administration argues that this approach encourages students to explore new fields and take academic risks without the fear of long-term consequences on their grade point averages.
However, the move has drawn criticism from experts who suggest it may hinder personal growth. Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and author, warned that shielding students from the reality of grades might do more harm than good. He argued that college serves as a time for students to realize they are capable of handling challenges and that discomfort is not a mental health emergency. According to Alpert, viewing typical academic stress as a clinical issue may leave students unprepared for life after graduation.
This decision places the University of Michigan among a small group of institutions that have adopted similar grading policies. Other schools including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Swarthmore College, and the California Institute of Technology already use alternative grading structures for first-year students. By removing the traditional grading pressure, the university hopes to foster a culture of connection and collaboration rather than competition, though the debate regarding the necessity of this shift remains ongoing among educators and mental health professionals.