Have the value of a college degree been degraded? Is it the new High school?

You can't get an A in an advanced physics class just by studying hard - you must understand the material, and that requires being smart. As do advanced classes in many fields. People are getting A's because they're working for them, especially at places like Harvard that are full of overachievers. But it's certainly true that far too many colleges are giving away degrees for work that would fail people out 20 years ago. Those people aren't graduating with 4.0's, but they are graduating and probably shouldn't be. Same with high school - they pass everyone just for showing up. It used to be an achievement.