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NCAA Division II Graduation Rates Trend Report

High Academic Success Rate Places NE10 at Top of All NCAA Division II Conferences.

Bentley, Saint Michael's and Stonehill in the Top 10. Five Schools with ASR of 90 or Greater.

MANSFIELD, Mass. – More Northeast-10 Conference student-athletes are graduating than ever before seen in NCAA Division II. That is the story as the NCAA released its annual Division II Academic Success Rate (ASR) data for Division II student athletes on Wednesday.  

The NE10, a perennial leader in Division II academic metrics, led all Division II conferences in the four-year compilation of the graduation rates with an incredible percentage of 88%, achieving the highest ASR of any conference since the four-year calculation was measured beginning 11 years ago and far exceeding the DII national average of 73-percent.

The NCAA annually releases the Division II ASR, a model developed 15 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 who enrolled from 2009 through 2012, the four years covered in the most recent data.

Overall, the NE10 membership produced a total of 4,965 graduates among 5,661 student-athletes who enrolled during the four period of 2009-12. The numbers are based on the Conference's 2019-20 membership, which includes 14 institutions – 12 of which recorded a single year ASR of 80 or better.

"We are thrilled to be recognized for achieving the highest-ever ASR percentage in Division II," said Julie Ruppert, NE10 Commissioner. "This metric tells the story that nearly 5,000 students on our NE10 campuses attained the ultimate goal as an undergraduate… they earned their degree. This success is a direct result of our institutions' collective, strong and ongoing commitment to provide our student-athletes with exceptional educational opportunities, guide them through their time on campus and prepare them to serve as engaged citizens and leaders upon their graduation."

This marks the third-straight year that the NE10 has ranked first or tied for first among all Division II conferences – and the sixth time in the last seven years overall. When examining the single year ASR for its members, the Conference had seven schools rank in the Top 50 and 11 schools in the Top 75.

Bentley achieved a 99-percent single-year ASR for the second-straight year to lead all 300+ Division II institutions. It is the sixth-straight year the Falcons have posted a 97-percent rate or better and the ninth-straight above 90. Bentley had 13 of its programs achieve a 100-percent ASR.

Joining Bentley in the Top 10 for ASR is Saint Michael's, who achieved a 97-percent rate and sits in third, and Stonehill, at a 95-percent clip and in 10^th. The NE10 had four schools in the Top 25 and five schools achieve a 90-percent or better, one more than it did last year, as Assumption (92%) and Le Moyne (90%) also cracked the mark.

Saint Michael's had 17 of their 21 programs achieve a 100-percent ASR, the most of any NE10 institution. Stonehill had nine programs record a perfect 100.

In addition to having two of the top three schools in ASR, the NE10 had nine of its schools improve upon their percentage from last year – including AIC, which saw the biggest improvement of any league institution by jumping up 10 percentage points.

In total, the NE10 produced 85 teams with a perfect ASR – accounting for an incredible 33-percent of all programs in the league. The NE10 had 23 of its 24 sponsored sports achieve an ASR of 80-percent or better, as well as 14 of them tally a remarkable 90-percent or greater. Women's basketball led the charge, as 11 of 14 programs finished with a perfect 100.

Women's tennis (10), volleyball (9), women's lacrosse (8), field hockey (6) and softball (6) followed in terms of how many programs achieved perfect scores at individual institutions – while golf (5), tennis (4), and track/cross country (4) led on the men's side.

Overall sport leaders in the NE10 were field hockey, women's lacrosse, women's swimming & diving and women's tennis, all recording a 98-percent ASR. Men's ice hockey recorded a 93-percent.

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 2012 entering class of student-athletes was 61%, compared to 52% for the general student body.

ASR Ranking by NCAA Division II Conference

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 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.