> while getting an A is entirely at the mercy of a subjective grader with no clear grading rubric to distinguish a B+ from an A

Huh? This is true in programming too. Getting something to compile can't be all CS professors are looking for, right?

Programming is more about communication than anything else. You can write something a hundred different ways which will all run more or less fine -- but they all won't be equally readable and maintainable.

I didn't get a CS degree, so I don't have experience on the matter. Do CS professors grade for readability at all?