USciences Tied for Third Nationally with 98% ASR

The NCAA today released its 2011 Division II Academic Success Rate (ASR) and federal graduation rate data for all of its Division II institutions.  The Devils athletic programs  recorded an overall academic success rate of 98%.  This rate ties the Devils for the third highest rate amongst all NCAA Division II schools in the nation with only William Jewell College (100) and Saint Michael’s College (99) recording a higher rate.

USciences 98% ASR  is also the best rate amongst all 14 institutions within the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.  The University of the Sciences had eight of their 11 athletic programs produce an Academic Success Rate of 100% for the cohort years 2001- 2004. 

Amongst the conference sport programs, the USciences baseball team was again the highest amongst all the CACC baseball teams with a 97 ASR rate.  The Devils baseball team has had the best rate amongst the conference baseball teams in each of the past five years.

The men’s basketball program was one of only two basketball programs within the conference and to record a 100% rate.  In addition, the men’s basketball program was just one of four in the northeast region and 20 nationally to have a 100% success rate. 

The institution’s women’s basketball program fared equally as well with a 100% rate and was one of only two programs within the conference and nine within the northeast region to have a perfect mark.  

Every women’s program had a success rate of 100% with the cross country, softball, tennis and volleyball teams joining the women’s basketball program with a perfect mark. The women’s rifle team was not formed until 2005-06.

The women’s tennis and women’s softball  teams were one of only four programs in their respective sport within the CACC to record 100% rate.  The women’s volleyball team was one of only five volleyball programs within the CACC to have a 100% rate while women’s cross country was one of only six in the league to have a perfect mark.

Joining the men’s basketball and tennis programs with 100% success rate was the mixed rifle team.  The men’s golf team recorded a 95% rate which was also the third best amongst all CACC golf programs.

The national four-year ASR average increased one percentage point to 72 percent overall, while the entering class of 2004 remained steady at 73 percent.

This is the sixth year the NCAA has released the Division ASR. The NCAA developed the Division II ASR at the request of college and university presidents who believed the federal graduation rate was flawed. Division II’s ASR data is similar to the Division I Graduation Success Rate as it takes transfer students in account. However, given the partial-scholarship financial aid model of Division II, ASR also includes student-athletes not on athletically related financial aid. The result is that ASR captures more than 36,000 non-scholarship student-athletes.

Even when utilizing the less-inclusive federal rate, Division II student-athletes perform significantly better than the general student body. The federal rate for Division II student-athletes in the 2004 entering class dropped one percent to 55 percent while the general student body increased to 49 percent. This still is a difference of six percent.