Academic Progress/Graduation Success Rate Study of Division I NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Teams (PDF; 226 KB)
Source: Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, University of Central Florida

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, at the University of Central Florida released its annual study, “Keeping Score When It Counts: Graduation Rates for 2007 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament Teams” which is a comprehensive analysis of the graduation rates of NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament-bound team. The study takes a look at Federal Graduation Rates (FGR), Graduation Success Rates (GSR), and the Academic Progress Rates (APR) for the tournament teams, as reported by the NCAA. The study compares graduation rates for all student-athletes to basketball student-athletes as well as African-American basketball student-athletes to white basketball student-athletes. Dr. Richard Lapchick, the primary author of the study, is director of the Institute and Eminent Scholar Chair of the DeVos Sport Business Management Graduate Program at UCF.
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Based on the GSR, 41 teams (64.1 percent, up from 64 percent in 2006)1 of the total graduated at least 50 percent of its basketball student-athletes. That means that, 17.2 percent more tournament teams graduated at least 50 percent of basketball student-athletes under the GSR than the Federal Graduation Rate. In addition, 33 teams (51.6 percent, up from 45 percent in 2006) graduated at least 60 percent, while an amazing 24 teams (37.5 percent, up from 36 percent in 2006) graduated at least 70 percent. Only 12 teams or 18.8 percent graduated less than 40 percent. We are doing better than we had thought using the FGR. The GSR tells us far more than the Federal Graduation Rates or the new Academic Progress Rates. We are probably one year away from having enough data for the APRs to be most useful.”

Of the 65 Division I men’s basketball teams selected to participate in the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament, 30 teams or 46.9 percent2 of the total graduated at least 50 percent of their basketball student-athletes based on FGRs. However, even that is an improvement. In the 2006 report, 35 men’s teams failed to reach the 50 percent mark.

See also: 2007 Division IA Demographic Study (PDF; 180 KB)

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