Graduation Rates Increasing Among 2011 March Madness Schools: Graduation rates among male basketball players from the 2011 March Madness tournament schools are on the rise, according to a report released today from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, but gaps still persist among White and Black players.
The report, “Keeping Score When It Counts: Graduation Success and Academic Progress Rates for the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament Teams,” examined the Academic Progress Rates (APR) and Graduation Success Rates (GSR) of men's basketball teams from 67 NCAA Division I schools. Average APR and GSR data were then calculated from freshman classes from 2000 to 2004.
The Institute found a notable increase in graduation rates: in 76 percent of schools, at least 50 percent of their men’s basketball team graduated, up from 69 percent in 2010. Overall, graduation rates increased by two percentage points, to 66 percent.
Among White athletes, the graduation rate increased seven percentage points to 91 percent, and graduation rates among Black athletes increased three percentage points, to 59 percent.
