A recent paper by Nolan Pope is attracting a lot of media attention. The paper, “Easy As, Less Pay: The Long-term Effects of Grade Inflation” (coauthored with J.Denning, R. Nesbit and M. Warnick) examines the impact of lenient grading on subsequent educational success and post-school earnings. Their findings suggest that inflated grades have a deleterious effect on all of these measures. Not surprisingly, given the prominence of this issue in current educational policy debates, the article has generated significant buzz.

Coverage can be seen in
The Hechinger Report: https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-grade-inflation-lower-pay/
Fortune: https://fortune.com/2026/03/19/gen-z-grade-inflation-earnings-loss-absences-suspensions/
RealClear Education: https://www.realcleareducation.com/2026/03/26/easy_as_less_pay_the_long-term_effects_of_grade_inflation_1172787.html
Fordham Institute: fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/first-do-no-harm-academic-impacts-grade-inflation-long-term-outcomes
and
The 74: https://www.the74million.org/article/there-are-2-types-of-grade-inflation-students-learning-earnings-are-at-risk/