It affects the folks that bust their asses to do well on the tests without cheating . It lowers the amount of work required to obtain above average marks . Which is pretty much how any successful business is run . Any time a business figures out how to do something for cheaper than another business , the other business gets fucked over for example , Netflix vs Blockbuster . And because of the competition as defined by capitalism , shortcuts is pretty much how you are SUPPOSED to do things . That is why people take advantage of tax loopholes , because that maximizes profits , and you would be retarded not to , even if its immoral . Because if you don ' t maximize profits , then you can ' t reinvest those profits in your company , which means some other company may get ahead , and decrease your own profits which fucks your employees over if you have to cut jobs . And as far as the stuff you leaned in college , you will only use about 10 % of what you learned , and 80 % of that small amount would be something that you could have leaned on the internet , without the need for professors or classes . So how you get your degree doesn ' t actually matter as long as you get it . In the end , you play fair , you may feel good about yourself , you believe that cheating is immoral , and that is fine . And you may get as far as someone who does less work while you do a lot . This is all you personal choice . But realize that your personal opinion on those who cheat doesn ' t actually matter for anything except making yourself feel good .