NCAA Research Related to
Graduation Rates of Division I
Student-Athletes
1984-2001
October, 2008
Trends in Graduation Success Rates
(GSR)
Graduation Success Rates of All Student-Athletes
at Division I Institutions
84
82
80
78
76
74
72
70
All S-As
Graduation Success Rates of All Student-Athletes at
Division I Institutions by Gender
90
85
80
Male S-As
Female S-As
75
70
65
Graduation Success Rates of All Student-Athletes
versus All Students at Division I Institutions
by Ethnicity
90
85
80
75
White S-As
Af. Amer. S-As
70
65
60
55
Comparison of Graduation Success Rates
from Entering Classes of 2000 and 2001
For Select Groups of Student-Athletes
Student-Athlete Group
2000 GSR
2001 GSR
Overall
78%
79%
White
84%
85%
African-American
63%
63%
White Males
78%
80%
African-American Males
58%
57%
White Females
91%
90%
African-American Females
75%
79%
Comparison of Graduation Success Rates
from Entering Classes of 2000 and 2001
For Select Sport Groups
Student-Athlete Group
2000 GSR
2001 GSR
Men’s Basketball
64%
65%
White Men’s Basketball
81%
80%
African-American Men’s Basketball
56%
58%
Football (FBS)
67%
66%
White Football (FBS)
76%
80%
African-American Football (FBS)
61%
58%
Women’s Basketball
81%
85%
White Women’s Basketball
88%
92%
African-American Women’s Basketball
74%
78%
Comparison of Graduation Success Rates from
Entering Classes of 1995* and 2001
Six-Year Trends For Select Groups of Student-Athletes
Student-Athlete Group
1995 GSR
2001 GSR
Overall
74%
79%
White
81%
85%
African-American
56%
63%
White Males
76%
80%
African-American Males
51%
57%
White Females
89%
90%
African-American Females
71%
79%
*1995 was the last year of the former initial-eligibility rules (known as Prop. 48). It was also the first year in
which GSR data were collected.
Comparison of Graduation Success Rates
from Entering Classes of 1995* and 2001
Six-Year Trends For Select Sport Groups
Student-Athlete Group
1995 GSR
2001 GSR
Men’s Basketball
56%
65%
White Men’s Basketball
76%
80%
African-American Men’s Basketball
46%
58%
Football (FBS)
63%
66%
White Football (FBS)
76%
80%
African-American Football (FBS)
53%
58%
Women’s Basketball
80%
85%
White Women’s Basketball
87%
92%
African-American Women’s Basketball
70%
78%
*1995 was the last year of the former initial-eligibility rules (known as Prop. 48). It was also the first year in
which GSR data were collected.
Summary of GSR Trends Between 2000 and
2001 Cohorts
• Overall, the GSR for the 2001 cohort increased to 79 percent,
from 78 percent in 2000. There were some specific sport
differences worth noting:
– The GSR for men’s baseball increased by five percentage points from the 2000
cohort to the 2001 cohort (from 67 percent to 72 percent).
– The GSR for men’s basketball went up one point from 64 percent to 65 percent.
There was a one percent decrease for white men’s basketball student-athletes
(down to 80 percent) and a one percent increase among African-American men’s
basketball student-athletes (up to 57 percent).
– In the sport of football in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) the overall rate was
essentially unchanged. However, when broken down by ethnicity the white
student-athletes increased by four percent (to 80 percent), while the AfricanAmericans decreased by three percent (to 58 percent). These trends were almost
exactly opposite changes that had been seen in the previous cohort.
Summary of GSR Trends Between
1995 and 2001 Cohorts
• Differences in GSR between the 1995 and 2001 cohorts are notable
due to the fact that initial-eligibility rules changed beginning with the
1996 entering freshman class. In 1996, a “sliding scale” was
implemented that required student-athletes with SAT scores between
820 and 1010 (or comparable ACT scores) to have higher high school
GPAs than previous student-athletes to be eligible for competition.
There are some notable differences in GSRs between these cohorts:
– The overall rate is five percentage points higher for the 2001 cohort than for the 1995
cohort.
– The major changes were seen in the African-American groups. African-American
males saw their graduation rates increase by six percentage points while females
increased by eight percentage points.
– The rate for men’s basketball increased by nine percentage points over that
timeframe, with a twelve percentage point increase for African-Americans in men’s
basketball.
– For FBS football, there was an overall increase of three percentage points. Most of
that increase was attributable to a five percentage point increase in the AfricanAmerican subgroup.
Trends in Federal Graduation Rates
Federal Graduation Rates of All Student-Athletes
versus All Students at Division I Institutions
70
68
66
64
62
All Students
60
All S-As
58
56
54
52
50
Federal Graduation Rates of All Student-Athletes
versus All Students at Division I Institutions
by Gender
75
70
65
60
Male
Students
55
Female
Students
Male S-As
50
Female S-As
45
40
Federal Graduation Rates of All Student-Athletes
versus All Students at Division I Institutions
by Ethnicity
70
65
60
White
Students
55
AA Students
50
White S-As
45
AA S-As
40
35
30
Comparison of Federal Graduation Rates
Between Student-Athletes and Student Body
For Select Groups in 2001 Entering Class
Student-Athlete Group
Student-Athlete
Graduation Rate
Student Body
Graduation Rate
Overall
64%
62%
White
68%
65%
African-American
53%
45%
White Males
61%
62%
African-American Males
48%
38%
White Females
74%
67%
African-American Females
66%
50%
Comparison of Federal Graduation Rates Between
Student-Athletes and Student Body
For Matched Gender-Ethnicity Groups in 2001 Entering Class
Student-Athlete Group
Student-Athlete
Graduation Rate
Student Body
Graduation Rate
Men’s Basketball
49%
59%
White Men’s Basketball
60%
62%
African-American Men’s Basketball
44%
38%
Football (FBS)
56%
63%
White Football (FBS)
65%
64%
African-American Football (FBS)
50%
45%
Women’s Basketball
65%
64%
White Women’s Basketball
68%
67%
African-American Women’s Basketball
62%
50%
Comparison of Federal Graduation Rates
from Entering Classes of 2000 and 2001
For Select Groups of Student-Athletes
Student-Athlete Group
2000 Graduation
Rate
2001 Graduation
Rate
Overall
63%
64%
White
67%
68%
African-American
53%
53%
White Males
59%
61%
African-American Males
49%
48%
White Females
74%
74%
African-American Females
63%
66%
Comparison of Federal Graduation Rates
from Entering Classes of 2000 and 2001
For Select Sport Groups
Student-Athlete Group
2000 Graduation
Rate
2001 Graduation
Rate
Men’s Basketball
46%
49%
White Men’s Basketball
52%
60%
African-American Basketball
43%
44%
Football (FBS)
55%
56%
White Football (FBS)
61%
65%
African-American Football (FBS)
52%
50%
Women’s Basketball
64%
65%
White Women’s Basketball
69%
68%
African-American Women’s Basketball
60%
62%
Comparison of Federal Graduation Rates
from Entering Classes of 1995* and 2001
Seven-Year Trends For Select Groups of Student-Athletes
Student-Athlete Group
1995 Graduation
Rate
2001 Graduation
Rate
Overall
60%
64%
White
65%
68%
African-American
48%
53%
White Males
59%
61%
African-American Males
43%
48%
White Females
72%
74%
African-American Females
60%
66%
*1995 was the last year of the former initial-eligibility rules (known as Prop. 48). It was also the first year in
which GSR data were collected.
Comparison of Federal Graduation Rates
from Entering Classes of 1995* and 2001
Seven-Year Trends For Select Sport Groups
Student-Athlete Group
1995 Graduation
Rate
2001 Graduation
Rate
Men’s Basketball
43%
49%
White Men’s Basketball
53%
60%
African-American Men’s Basketball
35%
44%
Football (FBS)
53%
56%
White Football (FBS)
62%
65%
African-American Football (FBS)
46%
50%
Women’s Basketball
64%
65%
White Women’s Basketball
67%
68%
African-American Women’s Basketball
60%
62%
*1995 was the last year of the former initial-eligibility rules (known as Prop. 48). It was also the first year in
which GSR data were collected.
Comparison of Federal Graduation Rates
from Entering Classes of 1984* and 2001
Eighteen-Year Trends For Select Groups of Student-Athletes
Student-Athlete Group
1984 Graduation
Rate
2001 Graduation
Rate
Overall
52%
64%
White
59%
68%
African-American
35%
53%
White Males
55%
61%
African-American Males
33%
48%
White Females
66%
74%
African-American Females
45%
66%
*1984 was the first cohort for which federal graduation rate data were collected.
Comparison of Federal Graduation Rates
from Entering Classes of 1984* and 2001
Eighteen-Year Trends For Select Sport Groups
Student-Athlete Group
1984 Graduation
Rate
2001 Graduation
Rate
Men’s Basketball
38%
49%
White Men’s Basketball
53%
60%
African-American Men’s Basketball
29%
44%
Football (FBS)
47%
56%
White Football (FBS)
56%
65%
African-American Football (FBS)
35%
50%
Women’s Basketball
57%
65%
White Women’s Basketball
66%
68%
African-American Women’s Basketball
42%
62%
*1984 was the first cohort for which federal graduation rate data were collected.
.
Summary of Federal Graduation Rate Differences
Between Student-Athletes and Student Body
2001 Cohort
• Overall, student-athletes in the entering class of 2001 at Division I institutions
graduated at their highest rate in history – 64 percent. That is two percentage
points higher than the general student body.
• When looked at by subgroups based on gender and ethnicity, there is only one
major category in which student-athletes trail their counter parts in the student
body – white males. In all other major categories the student-athletes outpace
the corresponding group within the general student population. Of note:
– African-American male student-athletes graduate at a ten percentage point higher rate than
African-American males in the student body (48 percent to 38 percent).
– African-American female student-athletes outpace their student body counterparts by 16
percentage points (66 percent to 50 percent).
• In the sports of men’s basketball and FBS football, the overall rates lag behind
the rates of males in the student body. However, the rates for the AfricanAmericans in those sports are higher than African-American males in the
student body (by six points in basketball and five points in FBS football).
Summary of Federal Graduation Rate Trends
• There were two notable differences in federal graduation rate between the
2000 and 2001 cohorts.
– The rate in men’s basketball increased by three percentage points to 49 percent – the highest
rate ever observed. This was driven by an eight percent increase among white men’s
basketball players.
– The rate in baseball increased by four percentage points to 49 percent.
• Between 1995 and 2001, there were some changes of note:
– The overall rate increased from 60 percent to 64 percent.
– The rate for African-American male student-athletes increased five percentage points over
that time period, and the African-American females increased by six percentage points.
– In men’s basketball, the overall rate increased by six percentage points. The federal rate for
white men’s basketball student-athletes increased by seven point over that period, while the
rate for African-Americans increased by nine percentage points.
– Football at the FBS level saw similar changes to men’s basketball. The overall rate
increased by three percentage points. The rate for white student-athletes increased by three
points, and the rate for African-Americans in that sport increased by four percentage points.
Summary of Federal Graduation Rate Trends
• Graduation rates data were first collected using the federal methodology for
the entering class of 1984. Between 1984 and 2001, there were significant
changes in the graduation rates of many student-athlete groups:
– The overall graduation rate increased from 52 percent to 64 percent.
– The rate for African-American student-athletes increased by 18 percentage points over that
time period (35 percent to 53 percent). The African-American males increased by 15
percentage points (33 percent to 48 percent), and the African-American females increased by
21 percentage points (45 percent to 66 percent).
– In men’s basketball, the overall rate increased by 11 percentage points. The federal rate for
white men’s basketball student-athletes increased by seven points over that period, while the
rate for African-Americans increased by 15 percentage points.
– The overall rate for football at the FBS level increased by nine percentage points. The rate
for white student-athletes increased by nine points, and the rate for African-Americans in
that sport increased by 15 percentage points.
Federal Graduation Rate Differences Between
Student-Athletes and Student Body
• There are differences in graduation rates among various
gender and ethnic groups between the student-athlete
cohort and the student body at Division I institutions.
Among these differences in the 2001 cohort are:
– Among the African-Americans, the student-athletes graduate at
higher rates than the student body (53 percent to 45 percent). The
rates are higher for both male and female student-athletes.
– Overall, white student-athletes also perform better than Whites in
the student body (68 percent to 65 percent). However, this is
driven by white female student-athletes whose graduation rate is
seven percent higher than white female students. White male
student-athletes graduate at a one percent lower rate than their
student body counterparts.