Nov. 3, 2004
Center Valley, Pa. - The NCAA released Division I graduation rates on Monday, October 25, revealing that the Patriot League ranks first out of all reporting Division I conferences for the sixth straight year. All of the Patriot League institutions reporting fell above the national average of 62 percent with an average of 83 percent. The U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy are not included in this report since they do not offer athletically related financial aid. The federal government requires institutions to publish graduation rates for students and athletes under the Right to Know Act.
The latest NCAA report finds that student-athletes in college sports continue to graduate at a higher percentage than the general student body.
The Patriot League continues to be the leader in graduation rates among NCAA Division I conferences with an 83 percent average. Behind the Patriot League is the Atlantic-10 with an average graduation rate of 77 percent, while the Big East and Big 10 both report a 72 percent average. The West Coast Conference reported a 71 percent average.
Bucknell University, Colgate University and College of the Holy Cross are at the top of the League list, with an 88 percent graduation rate. Lehigh University ranks next with an 86 percentage rate, while Lafayette College is at 83 percent. American University rounds out the Patriot League with a 67 percent graduation rate, five percent better than the national average.
The NCAA announced last year a new plan to collect the graduation rate data from member colleges and universities. This data collection will allow the NCAA to release graduation rate information for specific sports, information that was previously suppressed by the federal government. Next year, the NCAA will provide an alternative graduation-rate measure in addition to the report currently compiled using the federally mandated methodology. The new rate, called the Graduation Success Rate, will take transfers into account and is designed to provide a more accurate and real-time assessment of graduation success for all athletics programs.
The Patriot League, which was founded on the principles of admitting athletes who are academically representative of their class, is in its second decade of academic and athletic excellence. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of the undergraduate experience. The Patriot League, which began as a successful Division I-AA football conference in 1986 and became an all-sport conference in 1990, includes American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy as full members and three associate members. These institutions are among the oldest and most prestigious in the nation and their alumni have played leadership roles in the shaping of our country. In the most recent NCAA Graduation Rate Report of student-athletes, the Patriot League ranked FIRST among NCAA Division I conferences.
More information may be obtained by contacting the Patriot League office at (610) 289-1950 or the League website at www.patriotleague.com.