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Graduation Rates for NCAA and NIT Men’s Basketball Tournament Teams

By Chronicle Staff March 25, 2018

While 12 of the teams participating in this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, known as March Madness, and seven in the National Invitation Tournament had graduation success rates of 100 percent, the teams did not do as well on a federal measure of success. Many teams had federal graduation rates for their men’s basketball teams that were lower — sometimes far lower — than those for the college’s male students, whether athletes or not. In contrast, three men’s basketball teams reported federal graduation rates that were 20 or more percentage points higher than the graduation rates for all first-time, full-time degree-seeking male students at the institution. They are Southeastern Louisiana University, the University of Montana at Missoula, and Northern Kentucky University. Colleges are ranked first by their team’s graduation success rate, then by the team’s federal graduation rate. The differences in the methods of measuring academic performance are explained in the note below.

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While 12 of the teams participating in this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, known as March Madness, and seven in the National Invitation Tournament had graduation success rates of 100 percent, the teams did not do as well on a federal measure of success. Many teams had federal graduation rates for their men’s basketball teams that were lower — sometimes far lower — than those for the college’s male students, whether athletes or not. In contrast, three men’s basketball teams reported federal graduation rates that were 20 or more percentage points higher than the graduation rates for all first-time, full-time degree-seeking male students at the institution. They are Southeastern Louisiana University, the University of Montana at Missoula, and Northern Kentucky University. Colleges are ranked first by their team’s graduation success rate, then by the team’s federal graduation rate. The differences in the methods of measuring academic performance are explained in the note below.

NCAA men’s basketball “March Madness” tournament teams

RankInstitution Graduation success rateFederal graduation rate for teamFederal graduation rate for male students
1. Bucknell U. 100% 92% 89%
2. Davidson College 100% 82% 93%
3. Creighton U. 100% 70% 73%
4. Duke U. 100% 67% 93%
5. U. of Alabama at Tuscaloosa 100% 64% 63%
6. Villanova U. 100% 60% 89%
7. Kansas State U. 100% 58% 58%
8. Wright State U. 100% 55% 37%
9. U. of Arizona 100% 47% 57%
10. Gonzaga U. 100% 36% 82%
11. U. of Kansas 100% 33% 58%
12. U. of Pennsylvania 100% n/a 94%
13. Purdue U. at West Lafayette 92% 79% 71%
14. U. of Miami 92% 73% 78%
15. South Dakota State U. 91% 70% 53%
16. Xavier U. (Ohio) 91% 64% 73%
17. U. of Michigan at Ann Arbor 90% 64% 89%
18. Seton Hall U. 90% 50% 61%
19. St. Bonaventure U. 90% 45% 62%
20. U. of Tennessee at Knoxville 89% 50% 66%
21. Clemson U. 88% 58% 78%
22. Loyola U. Chicago 88% 38% 73%
23. Iona College 87% 40% 59%
24. U. of Maryland-Baltimore County 86% 45% 58%
25. U. of North Carolina at Greensboro 85% 56% 50%
26. Florida State U. 85% 54% 75%
27. U. of Montana at Missoula 82% 73% 43%
28. Butler U. 82% 67% 72%
29. Texas Tech U. 80% 60% 56%
30. Virginia Tech 80% 54% 80%
31. West Virginia U. 80% 45% 53%
32. Texas A&M U. at College Station 80% 33% 75%
33. U. of Virginia 78% 47% 92%
34. U. of Kentucky 78% 22% 58%
35. Texas Southern U. 75% 33% 15%
36. U. of Arkansas at Fayetteville 75% 31% 59%
37. Ohio State U. 75% 27% 81%
38. California State U. at Fullerton 75% 0% 52%
39. U. at Buffalo 73% 70% 69%
40. U. of Florida 73% 44% 84%
41. U. of Missouri at Columbia 73% 42% 65%
42. U. of Nevada at Reno 73% 31% 50%
43. Michigan State U. 71% 38% 76%
44. U. of Texas at Austin 71% 36% 77%
45. Marshall U. 70% 50% 41%
46. College of Charleston 70% 43% 64%
47. U. of Rhode Island 69% 46% 58%
48. Texas Christian U. 67% 40% 73%
49. Stephen F. Austin State U. 67% 36% 37%
50. Lipscomb U. 64% 38% 59%
51. Murray State U. 64% 22% 45%
52. Wichita State U. 63% 44% 41%
53. U. of Oklahoma at Norman 63% 27% 62%
54. Auburn U. 60% 44% 67%
55. Syracuse U. 60% 40% 79%
56. New Mexico State U. at Las Cruces 60% 29% 40%
57. Georgia State U. 58% 57% 47%
58. Radford U. 57% 15% 52%
59. North Carolina State U. 56% 29% 73%
60. Providence College 55% 33% 86%
61. San Diego State U. 50% 25% 64%
62. U. of Cincinnati 47% 36% 63%
63. U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 40% 31% 88%
64. U. of Houston 40% 8% 44%
Median for all 64 teams 79% 44% 64%

•••

National Invitation Tournament teams

RankInstitution Graduation success rateFederal graduation rate for teamFederal graduation rate for male students
1. Stanford U. 100% 91% 93%
2. U. of Notre Dame 100% 82% 95%
3. U. of Vermont 100% 79% 74%
4. Pennsylvania State U. at University Park 100% 58% 83%
5. Wagner College 100% 50% 58%
6. Middle Tennessee State U. 100% 44% 39%
7. U. of Utah 100% 25% 61%
8. Harvard U. 95% n/a 97%
9. Rider U. 92% 75% 62%
10. U. of Washington 92% 69% 81%
11. U. of Louisville 91% 64% 51%
12. Boise State U. 86% 40% 35%
13. Louisiana State U. at Baton Rouge 82% 38% 63%
14. Saint Mary’s College of California 81% 67% 61%
15. U. of Louisiana at Lafayette 78% 29% 41%
16. U. of North Carolina at Asheville 77% 64% 58%
17. Temple U. 77% 62% 66%
18. Western Kentucky U. 75% 33% 46%
19. Oklahoma State U. at Stillwater 75% 31% 57%
20. Southeastern Louisiana U. 74% 80% 32%
21. Marquette U. 73% 25% 77%
22. Boston College 71% 33% 91%
23. Florida Gulf Coast U. 70% 20% 40%
24. U. of California at Davis 69% 40% 81%
25. Brigham Young U. 67% 67% 80%
26. Northern Kentucky U. 67% 60% 34%
27. Baylor U. 62% 42% 70%
28. U. of Nebraska at Lincoln 62% 40% 63%
29. Hampton U. 60% 60% 55%
30. Mississippi State U. 50% 33% 58%
31. U. of Southern California 50% 7% 90%
32. U. of Oregon 38% 25% 68%
Median for all 32 teams 77% 44% 62%

Note: The graduation success rate, which was created by the NCAA, includes student-athletes who entered as full-time students from the fall of 2007 to the fall of 2010, or at midyear, or who transferred into the institution during that time, and who received athletic aid during their first term if they were at an institution where athletic aid was offered, and who graduated from the same institution within six years. Those who transferred out while academically eligible to play were excluded from the cohort. The federal graduation rate for men’s basketball teams covers all team members who received athletic aid for any period during their freshman year and who earned a bachelor’s or equivalent degree from the same institution by August 31 of the sixth year after they entered that college as full-time freshmen in the falls of 2007, 2008, 2009, or 2010. Students who transferred into the institution were not counted in the cohort, and those who transferred out were counted as not graduating. Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania are marked as “n/a” (not applicable) for the team’s federal graduation rate because Ivy League institutions do not offer athletically related financial aid. Though listed as No. 12, the University of Pennsylvania’s rank among the top 12 is indeterminate. The federal graduation rate for male students covers all full-time, first-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking male students who completed a bachelor’s or equivalent degree at the same institution within six years, after entering in the falls of 2007, 2008, 2009, or 2010. Students are excluded from the entering cohort for exceptional reasons, like death or joining the military. Further comparisons are covered here.Questions or comments on the Chronicle List should be sent to the list’s editor.

Sources: NCAA (graduation success rates and federal graduation rates for teams); U.S. Department of Education(federal graduation rates for men); Chronicle analysis.

A version of this article appeared in the March 30, 2018, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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