Research Extra Point

Baseball student-athletes show significant
academic improvement

Academic policy changes targeting baseball over the last 10 years have led to significant increases in Division I Academic Progress Rates (APRs) and Graduation Success Rates (GSRs) for the sport.

APRs in baseball have risen steadily from 934 in 2003-04 (the first year APR data were compiled) to 966 in the most recent year. GSRs also jumped by seven percentage points  recently and are at their highest levels since reporting began.

Upticks in APR over time - including increases in both eligibility (academic success) and retention (staying in school) – correlate with actions taken by a working group charged with addressing academic performance in baseball. This charge came after the 2003-04 data showed that student-athletes in the sport were underperforming academically relative to their high school preparation.

Rule changes included:

• Requiring transfer student-athletes to be eligible at the time of transfer in order to receive athletics financial aid;
• Requiring a year in residence for all transfers in baseball; and
• Requiring baseball student-athletes to maintain eligibility throughout their spring term in order to compete the following season.

The results demonstrate the impact of sport-specific analysis and targeting legislation to address unique challenges within a sport.

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