Since 1966 about nine million college freshman have taken the American Freshman Survey. It asks students to rate how they measure up against their peers.

According to the survey, over the past four decades, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of freshman who think that they're "above average" for academic ability and self-confidence. For instance, while students think they're more gifted than their peers at writing, objective test scores actually show that writing skills have declined in the past few decades. Researchers call this "ambition inflation."

One of the researchers said, "Our culture used to encourage modesty and humility and not bragging about yourself. It was considered a bad thing to be seen as conceited or full of yourself."

Apparently, now everyone wants to be above average.