Sparkill, N.Y. - In the latest set of Academic Success Rate (ASR) data released by the NCAA on November 18, St. Thomas Aquinas College recorded its highest mark in program history for the second time in the last three years (2020), with a 91 percent rate in the NCAA ASR method, which ranks tied for 27th out of 310 Division II institutions. The mark is also the second best score among East Coast Conference members. The newest release of academic data shows record-breaking achievement in the classroom by NCAA student-athletes, while St. Thomas Aquinas College continues to maintain its position among the nation's Division II colleges and universities for its combination of excellence in the academic and athletic arenas.
In this week's ASR release, St. Thomas Aquinas College had four of its women's athletic programs post perfect 100 percent academic success rates for the 2012-2015 cohort. This data measures the percentage of student-athletes who entered college on institutional aid (whether athletics-based aid or otherwise) between those years and graduated within six years.
The NCAA ASR differs from the federal graduation rate calculation in two important ways. First, the ASR holds colleges accountable for those student-athletes who transfer into their school. Second, the ASR does not penalize colleges whose student-athletes transfer in good academic standing.
The across-the-board success of Spartan student-athletes stands out even more under close examination of the latest ASR data. St. Thomas Aquinas College ranks second in teams (4) that achieved a perfect ASR score among East Coast Conference schools (D'Youville University - 5), while ten Spartan programs scored 90 percent or higher in the latest data and 14 squads exceeded the overall national average ASR (76 percent).
St. Thomas Aquinas College performed particularly well in the sports of Baseball, Men's Golf, Men's Soccer, Women's Basketball, Women's Bowling, Women's Field Hockey, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer, Softball and Women's Tennis.
St. Thomas Aquinas College Programs Earning a 100 Percent NCAA Academic Success Rate (2012-2015 Cohorts)
-Women's Bowling
-Women's Field Hockey
-Softball
-Women's Tennis
About the NCAA Division II Academic Success Rate
The NCAA annually releases the Division II ASR, a model developed 18 years ago at the request of presidents of Division II institutions to overcome inadequacies with the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR). The FGR only takes into account student-athletes that receive athletically related aid, leaving large numbers of DII student-athletes out of the calculation. Because of Division II's partial scholarship financial aid model, the ASR was created to include non-scholarship student-athletes who enrolled from 2011 through 2014, the four years covered in the most recent data.