BIG EAST Ranks Second Among Division I Conferences In NCAA Graduation Rate Data Release
NEW YORK – In the annual graduation rate data released by the NCAA, the BIG EAST Conference continues to be an academic leader among all Division I conferences.
The BIG EAST ranked second among all thirty-two D-I conferences with an overall Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 97 percent and a Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) of 80 percent. The prolific rankings are the league’s highest percentages in its current 10-school configuration that began with the 2013-14 academic year.
“Academic accomplishment is of the utmost importance to BIG EAST schools, and we’re very proud that our student-athletes continue to achieve at the highest level in the classroom,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman. “We applaud the faculty members, academic professionals and administrators on each of our ten campuses for their efforts in helping our student-athletes win the ultimate prize: a college degree.”
Men’s basketball has continued to increase its GSR in each of the last four years and its 85 percent rate ranked 14th among the D-I conferences. Baseball also had its highest GSR at 98 percent, which ranked second nationally.
Women’s basketball teams compiled a 92-percent GSR, which ranked 18th, and a 65-percent FGR, which ranked 10th.
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in 2002 in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students beyond what the federal graduation rate measures.
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.
The federal graduation rate, however, remains the only measure to compare student-athletes with the general student body. Using this measure, student-athletes graduate at the same rate as the student body – 68 percent.
THE BIG EAST
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of ten nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The athletic programs of BIG EAST institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,500 student-athletes on over 180 men’s and women’s teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST’s members are located in seven of the country’s top 36 largest media markets and include Butler University, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit
www.bigeast.com.