NCAA Division II Graduation Rates Trend Report
Bentley and Saint Michael's Once Again Lead Division II.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – The NCAA's release of Academic Success Rate (ASR) data on Wednesday reaffirmed the Northeast-10 Conference's commitment to outstanding academics, as the league ranked second in all of Division II with an 88% ASR overall - 12 percentage points higher than the national average.
For the fifth-straight year, the NE10 reached at least 88% as a conference in ASR, according to the most recent four-year compilation of graduation rates. The NE10 is still the first Division II league to ever hit the 89% mark, which it accomplished for three-consecutive years from 2020 through 2022.
Since the four-year calculation of ASR began 15 years ago, the NE10 has dominated in this area across the Division II landscape – evident in the fact that the conference has finished first or tied for first among all Division II conferences in six of the past seven years. When examining the single-year ASR for its member institutions, the NE10 had four schools rank in the top 25, eight in the top 50 and 10 in the top 100.
Overall, NE10 member institutions produced a total of 4,553 graduates among 5,183 student-athletes who enrolled during the four-year period of 2013-16. The numbers are based on the Conference's current membership, in addition to Le Moyne due to its NE10 membership during the 2022-23 academic year. Among the 13 institutions, 10 of them recorded a single-year ASR of 80 or better.
The NCAA annually releases the Division II ASR, a model developed 19 years ago at the request of presidents of Division II institutions to overcome inadequacies with the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR). The FGR only takes into account student-athletes that receive athletically related aid, leaving large numbers of DII student-athletes out of the calculation. Because of Division II's partial scholarship financial aid model, the ASR was created to include non-scholarship student-athletes.
"Our institutions continue to prioritize outstanding academic achievement - a staple of the NE10 strategic vision - and I am thrilled to see that commitment recognized in the latest ASR data," said NE10 Commissioner Julie Ruppert. "The NE10 has long been a Division II leader in this area and the data makes it clear that our institutions are striving toward excellence in both the student-athlete experience and higher education. The incredible faculty members and student-athletes in our league make this possible."
Bentley and Saint Michael's tied in ASR at 99%, the best among more than 300 Division II institutions. It is the sixth-straight year that Bentley has recorded a 99% ASR and the seventh-straight time it has ranked first in Division II. For Saint Michael's, it is the school's sixth time as the Division leader in 14 years and the third-straight year at 99%.
Le Moyne joined Bentley and Saint Michael's in the top 10 with a 96% rate, which is tied for sixth among Division II institutions. Saint Anselm (92%) ranked among the top 25, while Adelphi (91%), Assumption (91%), Southern New Hampshire (91%) and Pace (90%) will also receive the Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence by cracking the 90% threshold. The NE10 led all Division II conferences in Presidents' Award recipients with eight.
The NE10 saw three institutions improve upon their percentage from a year ago – led by Franklin Pierce's two-point jump to 88%. Le Moyne and Pace each increased by one point.
Saint Michael's had 14 programs earn a perfect ASR of 100%, which is the 12th-straight season that the Purple Knights have led all NE10 institutions in that metric. Bentley had 13 programs achieve perfect ASR scores, while Le Moyne and Southern New Hampshire each had eight.
In total, NE10 institutions recorded 80 programs with a perfect ASR. When broken down by sport, the Conference saw 23 of its 24 sponsored sports achieve an ASR of 80% or better, as well as 15 of them tally a remarkable 90% or higher.
Women's basketball and volleyball had a league-best eight programs record a perfect ASR, while field hockey, women's lacrosse and women's tennis followed with seven. Men's golf had six programs receive a perfect ASR, while men's cross country and track & field had five.
Overall sport leaders in the NE10 were women's tennis at 97%, as well as women's basketball, field hockey, women's golf and women's lacrosse all at 96%. Leading all men's programs were ice hockey at 93% and tennis at 92%.
| ASR Ranking by NCAA Division II Conference | |
| Sunshine State Conference | 89% |
| Northeast-10 Conference | 88% |
| East Coast Conference | 85% |
| Pacific West Conference | 85% |
| Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference | 84% |
| Great Lakes Valley Conference | 84% |
| Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 83% |
| Great Midwest Athletic Conference | 81% |
| Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference | 81% |
| Great Northwest Athletic Conference | 80% |
| Peach Belt Conference | 78% |
| Conference Carolinas | 76% |
| Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 76% |
| California Collegiate Athletic Association | 75% |
| South Atlantic Conference | 74% |
| Gulf South Conference | 72% |
| Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 71% |
| Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference | 71% |
| Lone Star Conference | 69% |
| Great American Conference | 68% |
| Mountain East Conference | 67% |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association | 65% |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 64% |
| Independent | 64% |
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 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.
