 Other colleges such as Washington and Lee University, University of Rochester, Middlebury College, The College of William and Mary, Fordham University, Swarthmore College, Bates College, Cornell University, the University of Chicago and Boston University are also known for their rigorous grading practices.However, data indicate that even schools known for their traditionally rigorous grading practices have experienced grade inflation and these claims may now be overstated.Washington and Lee had an average GPA of 3.27 in 2006 and Swarthmore's graduates had a mean GPA of 3.24 in 1997.