CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The Patriot League posted a 93 percent graduation success rate (GSR) and an 86 percent federal graduation rate (FGR) in data released by the NCAA in November to once again rank atop the national leaders in academic success for student-athletes.
 
The League’s 93 percent GSR is tied for the best mark in the nation for the second-consecutive year. The 86 percent FGR mark places the Patriot League as the national leader for the fourth-consecutive year. The League has led or been tied for the national lead in GSR and FGR in each year since the rating has been released, beginning in 2013.
 
The graduation rates are for the most recent recorded graduating class that entered school in 2009. In the four-year average of classes entering from 2006-2009, each Patriot League class came in at 90 percent or higher in GSR and 76 percent or better in FGR.
 
The Patriot League finished among the top three conferences in the nation in the most recent GSR and FGR for the individual sports released by the NCAA, including men’s basketball, football and baseball.  The League’s women’s basketball programs finished first in the nation in FGR (92%), while finishing 10th in GSR (92%).  
 
All 10 Patriot League schools excelled in the most recent GSR data, with Colgate and Loyola Maryland leading the way tied at 98 percent. Lafayette (97%), Holy Cross (97%), American (95%), Boston University (95%), Bucknell (95%), Lehigh (91%), Army West Point (90%) and Navy (90%) also far exceeded the nation student-athlete Graduation Success Rate of 84 percent.
 
Bucknell led the Patriot League with a 91 percent FGR, with Holy Cross (89%) and Loyola Maryland (89%) tied for second among the League’s full member programs. Colgate (88%), Lafayette (87%), Lehigh (83%), Boston University (81%) and American (76%) all finished above the national average of 66 percent. Army West Point and Navy do not report federal graduation rates because they do not offer athletics aid.
 
Overall there were 97 Patriot League-sponsored teams that reported a perfect 100 percent graduation success rate, while 41 of those programs also reported a perfect score on federal graduation rates.
 
Both the Graduation Success Rate and the Academic Success Rate account for the academic outcomes of student-athletes who transfer from one institution to another. The rate compiled using the federal government’s methodology does not count transfers in and counts transfers out as graduation failures. Regardless of which rate is used, student-athletes are shown to graduate at a higher rate than their peers in the general student body.
 
For full NCAA data for all schools, conferences, sports and years, please CLICK HERE