FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NCAA ASR Home Page
NCAA Division II Graduation Rates Trend Report
86% Academic Success Rate Places NE10 in Tie at the Top of All NCAA Division II Conferences
Bentley, Saint Michael's and Stonehill in Top 10. NE10 Has Four Schools in Top 25.
MANSFIELD, Mass. - Earlier this month, the NCAA released its annual Academic Success Rate (ASR) report for all 24 NCAA Division II Conferences, as the Northeast 10 Conference once again ranked at the top of the list with an overall mark of 86-percent - tied with the Sunshine State Conference for the best rate in all of Division II. It is the second-straight year that the NE10 has put up an 86-percent number.
Overall, NE10 membership produced a total of 5,296 graduates among its 6,170 student-athletes who enrolled during the period of 2008-11.
Bentley achieved a stellar 99-percent academic success rate to lead all other Division II institutions for the second-straight year, which includes more than 300 member schools. It is the fifth-straight year that the Falcons have posted a 97-percent rate or better and the eighth-straight above 90. This year's ASR is the highest for Bentley since the NCAA started compiling this data 13 years ago. Of Bentley's 19 sports, 13 of them finished with a perfect 100-percent ASR score.
Saint Michael's posted a 97-percent rate, tied with four other schools for second place in all of Division II. It is the fourth-straight year that the Purple Knights have finished in the top two in the nation. In 21 sports, 15 programs from Saint Michael's recorded a 100-percent ASR score. Stonehill finished the cohort period of 2008-11 with a 96-percent ASR, the 13th-straight year that the Skyhawks have posted a 96-percent or better. Stonehill came in seventh nationally and third among NE10 members, while eight of 15 sports earned a perfect 100-percent.
Only seven schools achieved at least a 96% ASR, three of which are members of the NE10. Assumption tied for 21st nationally with a 91-percent rate, marking four NE10 member institutions with a 90 or better. The conference had four schools in the top 25 and 13 schools in the top 75, as Merrimack (88%), Le Moyne (87%), Saint Rose (87%), SNHU (86%), Adelphi (85%), Saint Anselm (85%), Franklin Pierce (84%), New Haven (83%) and Pace (83%) were also included.
75 total programs, which represents nearly 30-percent of all NE10 teams, posted perfect ASR scores. Bentley led the way with 13, while Saint Michael's (12), Assumption (9) and Stonehill (8) were close behind.
The sports of field hockey, women's tennis, volleyball and women's basketball each had eight institutions earn perfect scores of 100. The eight teams represent over one-half of the conference's sponsorship in each sport. On the men's side, men's tennis led the way with five schools earning a 100% score.
22 of the conference's 24 sponsored sports had a four-year ASR rate above 80%. Field hockey led the way with an ASR of 99, followed by women's swimming with a 97. Ice hockey and tennis (92) were the highest scoring sports on the men's side.
The NE10 and the Sunshine State have claimed the top two spots in the conference-by-conference comparison every year since the NCAA ASR performance rankings began in January 2008.
This graduation rate data, which is announced annually by the NCAA, is based on a six-year cohort prescribed by the U.S. Department of Education. The national ASR is 74% for student-athletes who entered college from 2008-2011. Because of the division’s partial scholarship financial aid model, the ASR also includes the more than 35,000 nonscholarship student-athletes who enrolled from 2008 through 2011, the four years covered in the most recent data.
About the Academic Success Rate
Academic Success Rate (ASR) is the percentage of student-athletes who graduate within six years of initial enrollment in college and includes virtually all Division II student-athletes, including transfers and those not receiving athletic scholarships.
The NCAA Division II ASR also captures about 50% more college athletes than the federal graduation rate. Unlike the federal rate, the ASR also includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initial enrollment elsewhere and removes the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible.
Regardless of measuring tool, NCAA Division II student-athletes graduate at a significantly higher rate than the general student body. The federal rate for the 2011 entering class of student-athletes was 57%, compared to 50% for the general student body.
ASR Ranking By NCAA Division II Conference
| Northeast 10 Conference | 86% |
| Sunshine State Conference | 86% |
| Great Lakes Valley Conference | 84% |
| Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 81% |
| Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference | 80% |
| East Coast Conference | 79% |
| Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference | 78% |
| Pacific West Conference | 77% |
| Great Northwest Atlantic Conference | 77% |
| Great Midwest Atlantic Conference | 76% |
| Heartland Conference | 76% |
| Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 75% |
| California Collegiate Athletic Association | 73% |
| Peach Belt Conference | 71% |
| Conference Carolinas | 70% |
| South Atlantic Conference | 70% |
| Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference | 67% |
| Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 66% |
| Central Intercollegoate Athletic Association | 64% |
| Gulf South Conference | 64% |
| Independent | 64% |
| Mountain East Conference | 61% |
| Great American Conference | 60% |
| Lone Star Conference | 58% |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 56% |
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.