INDIANAPOLIS—Division I student-athletes are graduating at the highest rates ever, according to the latest NCAA Graduation Success Rates.
The most recent GSR data show that 79 percent of freshmen student-athletes who entered college in 2001 earned their four-year degrees. The average Graduation Success Rate for the last four graduating classes is 78 percent. Both rates are up one percentage point from last year.
Even when calculating graduation rates using the federal government’s methodology, which does not count transfer students, Division I student-athletes graduated at 64 percent, the highest federal rate ever. This rate is two percentage points higher than the general student body, two percentage points higher than last year and up four percentage points over the past seven years.
NCAA President Myles Brand praised the latest figures, citing increased initial-eligibility standards and an overall emphasis on academics, including the development of the Academic Progress Rate for each Division I sports team, as key factors contributing to student-athlete success.
“Nearly eight out of 10 Division I student-athletes are finishing college and earning their degrees. This is extremely good news,” Brand said. “We still have work to do and can’t declare victory just yet, but the trend lines are moving in the right direction.”
Brand said approximately 4,000 additional student-athletes graduated from Division I colleges over the past six years because of increased graduation rates. Another 7,000 additional student-athletes who started college between 1996 and 2001 earned degrees because of increased enrollment and growth in Division I membership.
Other NCAA research has shown that nearly 90 percent of student-athletes had earned their college degree 10 years after starting college. The calculations for the GSR and federal rate both limit time to graduation to six years from initial collegiate enrollment.
“The ultimate success is in the changed lives of student-athletes,” Brand said. “The so-called ‘dumb jock’ myth is just that—a myth.”
Key findings from the graduation rate data include the following:
OVERALL FINDINGS
- GSR for entering class of 2001: 79 percent
- GSR for entering classes of 1998-2001: 78 percent
- 1998-2001 GSR for male student-athletes: 71 percent
- 1998-2001 GSR for female student-athletes: 87 percent
- Federal graduation rate for student-athletes who started college in 2001: 64 percent
- Federal graduation rate for general students who started college in 2001: 62 percent
- Key statistic: Overall GSR is up five percentage points in last seven years.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
- GSR for entering class of 2001: 65 percent, up nine percentage points over seven years
- GSR for entering classes of 1998-2001: 62 percent
- Federal graduation rate for 2001 entering class: 49 percent
- Key statistic: Latest GSR for African-American men’s basketball players is 58 percent, up 12 percentage points over the past seven years.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
- GSR for entering class of 2001: 85 percent
- GSR for entering classes of 1998-2001: 82 percent
- Federal graduation rate for 2001 entering class: 65 percent
- Key statistic: Latest GSR for African-American women’s basketball players is 78 percent, up eight percentage points over the past seven years.
BASEBALL
- GSR for entering class of 2001: 72 percent
- GSR for entering classes of 1998-2001: 68 percent
- Federal graduation rate for 2001 entering class: 49 percent
- Key statistic: GSR has increased five percentage points in the past year.
FOOTBALL BOWL SUBDIVISION
- GSR for entering class of 2001: 66 percent
- GSR for entering classes of 1998-2001: 67 percent
- Federal graduation rate for 2001 entering class: 56 percent
- Key statistic: Latest GSR is 80 percent for white football student-athletes and 58 percent for African-American football players. These rates are up four and five percentage points, respectively, over the past seven years, although the GSR for African-American football players decreased three percentage points from last year.
The Graduation Success Rate was developed by the NCAA as part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately assess the academic success of student-athletes. The GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. The GSR also accounts for midyear enrollees and is calculated for every sport.
Under the GSR calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing. These outgoing transfers are essentially passed to the receiving institution’s GSR cohort.
By counting incoming transfer students and midyear enrollees, the GSR increases the total number of student-athletes tracked for graduation by more than 37 percent. The NCAA also calculates the federal graduation rate for student-athletes, because it is the only rate by which to compare student-athletes to the general student body.
The most recent Graduation Success Rates are based on the four entering freshmen classes in Division I from 1998-99 through 2001-02. There are almost 100,000 student-athletes included in the most recent four classes using the GSR methodology, as compared to just over 72,000 counted in the federal rate.
This year marks the seventh year that GSR data have been collected. The NCAA began collecting GSR data with the entering freshman class of 1995. The latest entering class for which data are available is 2001.
The NCAA also has released the latest Division II graduation rate data, including the division’s Academic Success Rate. This is the third year the NCAA has released the Division II ASR, which is similar to the Division I Graduation Success Rate and also includes student-athletes not receiving athletically related financial aid.
The latest figures show a 71 percent ASR for the Division II entering class of 2001, an increase of two percentage points over last year.
Even when utilizing the less-inclusive federal rate, Division II student-athletes perform significantly better than the general student body. The federal rate for Division II student-athletes is 55 percent, nine percentage points higher than the overall student body at Division II colleges and universities.
Most Division III student-athletes are not covered by the federal graduation rate methodology, because it only includes student-athletes who receive athletics financial aid. Therefore, the data for Division III are used to analyze success rates within the student bodies. In all, students who entered those institutions in the fall of 2001 showed a federal graduation rate of 62 percent.
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