More than a third of undergraduate student-athletes transfer at least once throughout their college careers. New NCAA research examining the relationship between transfer and graduation success found that student-athletes who transfer multiple times graduate at lower rates than those who remain at their original school and those who transfer once.
Among student-athletes who entered school in 2018-19, 88% of those who did not transfer graduated within six years, compared with 71% of those who transferred more than once.
Regardless of race, gender or sport, multiple transfers typically had a graduation rate 10 percentage points lower than peers who transferred once and 15-20 percentage points lower than peers who never transferred.
Among Black student-athletes, 82% of nontranfers graduated on time, while the rate dropped to 62% for those who transferred more than once. For FBS student-athletes, 85% of nontransfers graduated on time, compared with 58% of those who transferred more than once. For FCS student-athletes, 83% of nontransfers graduated on time, which dropped to 62% for multiple transfers.
Combing data reported to the NCAA and the National Student Clearing House, the NCAA research department compiled six years of term-by-term academic enrollment and graduation records for nearly 36,000 Division I student-athletes who began college in 2018-19.
From this data, 24,500 student-athletes with no record of transfer were identified, along with nearly 7,700 who had transferred one time (either from/to a two-year or four-year institution) and about 3,800 who attended three or more institutions. Bachelor’s degree attainment within the six-year time frame was examined by transfer status.
Overall, the findings underscore the importance of considering the potential academic implications of multiple transfers. The NCAA will continue to monitor academic progress and degree completion rates, while encouraging schools to provide student-athletes with the support needed to stay on track toward earning their degrees.
