NCAA Programs Graduate Students: When the NCAA initiated academic performance standards a couple of years ago, it sought to improve the image of student-athletes. Data now supports the program’s success. According to a recent report, 76 percent of all student-athletes graduate within six years of enrolling at a school. That number is higher than federal figures because the NCAA counts kids who transfer to another school but later graduate. For example, although North Carolina had several players transfer in a couple of years under former coach Matt Doherty, the school’s graduation success rate will not plummet as long as those players go on to graduate at their new schools, even though they won’t graduate from North Carolina. The federal data does not consider such factors.
According to the report, Radford has the best graduation success rate at 100 percent. On the other hand, Savannah State is at the bottom at 22 percent. [1/20/06]
