PATRIOT LEAGUE GRADUATION REPORT NUMBERS AT A GLANCE (PDF)

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The Patriot League recorded a 94 percent graduation success rate (GSR) and an 83 percent federal graduation rate (FGR) in data released by the NCAA yesterday to rank atop the national leaders in both measures of academic success for student-athletes.
 
The League’s 94 percent GSR is the third-best mark in the nation, while the 83 percent FGR leads the country for the seventh consecutive year. The Patriot League has been among the top three conferences in the NCAA in GSR each year since the rating has been released, beginning in 2013.
 
The graduation rates are the most recent recorded graduating class that started school in 2012. In the four-year average of classes entering from 2009-2012, each Patriot League class recorded a GSR of 90 percent or better. The national average GSR score is 89 percent.
 
The Patriot League also finished among the top conferences in the nation in the most recent GSR and FGR for individual sports released by the NCAA, including men’s and women’s basketball, football and baseball. The League’s men’s basketball programs finished with the best FGR (93) mark in the nation with Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh posting perfect scores. Patriot League men’s basketball also had the second-highest GSR score (98) in the NCAA with Boston University, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette and Lehigh receiving perfect scores.
 
Patriot League women’s basketball recorded the second-highest FGR mark in the NCAA at 77 percent, with Colgate and Lehigh earning perfect marks. Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross Lafayette, Lehigh, Lehigh and Loyola Maryland all earned perfect 100 percent GSR scores to contribute to the League’s 94 percent GSR.
 
The League’s baseball programs had an 88 percent FGR score, for the highest mark in the NCAA, with Bucknell earning a perfect score. The League’s six baseball programs 97 percent GSR is the third-best in the nation and a one-percent improvement over last year’s data. Bucknell, Holy Cross and Lafayette recorded perfect GSR scores.
 
Patriot League football had five of its seven programs finish with a GSR score of more than 90 percent, including Georgetown (97), Holy Cross (97), Lafayette (97) Bucknell (91) and Colgate (91). Each of the League’s seven programs posted FGR scores of more than 70 percent, including Georgetown (88), Holy Cross (84), Colgate (80), Bucknell (78), Lafayette (76), Fordham (74) and Lehigh (73).
 
All 10 Patriot League schools excelled in the most recent GSR data, with Holy Cross and Lafayette leading the way at 98 percent. Colgate and Loyola Maryland followed at 97 percent with American, Boston University and Bucknell all finishing at 96 percent. Navy (93), Army West Point (92) and Lehigh (90) all exceeded the national student-athlete Graduation Success Rate of 89, which is a record high.
 
Bucknell led the Patriot League with a 90 percent FGR, with Holy Cross (87), Colgate (86), Lafayette (86), Boston University (82), Lehigh (82), Loyola Maryland (80) and American (71) all finishing above the national overall average of 68 percent. Army West Point and Navy do not report federal graduation rate because they do not offer athletics aid.
 
Overall, 108 Patriot League-sponsored teams reported a perfect 100 percent graduation success rate while 37 teams reported perfect scores in the federal graduation rate.
 
The Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students than the federal graduation rate. The federal rate counts any student who leaves a school as an academic failure, no matter whether he or she enrolls at another school. The GSR formula removes from the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere. This calculation makes it a more complete and accurate look at student-athlete success. The federal graduation rate, however, remains the only measure to compare student-athletes with the general student body.
 
For the NCAA report, along with data for all schools, conferences, sports and years, please CLICK HERE.
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE 
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.