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Academic Progress Rate

The Academic Progress Rate (APR) is a measure used by the NCAA to track the academic success and eligibility of student-athletes over time. It holds teams accountable for supporting student-athletes in the classroom and staying on track to earn a degree.

APR provides a clear picture of how well teams are helping student-athletes succeed academically, not just compete athletically.

   

What Is the Academic Progress Rate?

The APR is a term-based metric that tracks two key factors for student-athletes:

  • Academic eligibility
  • Retention at their institution

Each student-athlete can earn up to two points per term:

  • One point for staying academically eligible
  • One point for remaining enrolled or graduating

These points are combined to create a team score, with a maximum of 1,000 points.

Why APR Matters

APR is designed to ensure student-athletes are progressing toward a degree while participating in college sports. It helps:

  • Hold team accountable for academic success
  • Identify programs that need additional academic support
  • Reward teams that consistently perform well academically

For student-athletes, APR reflects the support and expectations placed on teams to prioritize education.

Why APR Was Created

The Academic Progress Rate was introduced in 2003 as part of a broader effort to strengthen academic accountability in Division I college sports.

At the time, the primary measure of academic success was the federal graduation rate, which tracked outcomes over six years and did not account for student-athletes who transferred. NCAA leadership wanted a more timely and accurate way to measure academic progress.

APR was developed to provide that real-time view by tracking eligibility and retention each academic term. Alongside APR, the NCAA also introduced the Graduation Success Rate, which better reflects student-athlete outcomes by accounting for transfers.

Today, APR remains a key part of the NCAA’s academic performance framework, helping ensure teams are supporting student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom.

How APR is Used

APR scores are tracked over time and used to evaluate team performance.

  • Multi-year APR scores provide a more accurate view of long-term success
  • Teams that fall below established benchmarks may face penalties
  • High-performing teams may be recognized for academic achievement

APR Timeline and Evolution

APR was introduced to improve academic accountability in college sports and has evolved over time.

Key milestones:

  • Early 2000s: APR introduced as part of academic reform efforts
  • Ongoing updates to penalties and benchmarks
  • Continued focus on improving graduation outcomes for student-athletes

APR policies and benchmarks are overseen by the Division I Academics and Eligibility Committee as part of the Academic Performance Program.

Frequently Asked Questions about APR

A score close to 1,000 indicates strong academic performance and retention.

Teams that fall below the APR benchmark may face penalties, which can include practice restrictions or postseason limitations, depending on the division.

APR is most prominently used in Division I, with specific policies and penalties tied to those teams.

The first penalty level limits teams to 16 hours of athletics activities per week over five days (as opposed to 20 over six days), with the lost four hours to be replaced with academic activities. The second level includes the first-level penalties and limits athletics activities to four hours per week out-of-season. These four hours must be replaced by academic activities. Also, the team's playing season and the number of contests must be reduced by ten percent or the non-championship segment must be canceled. In football, that would include the cancellation of spring practice.

The postseason ban is not considered a penalty for poor academic performance. Instead, the requirement that teams achieve a minimum APR, increasing steadily to 930 by 2014-15, is simply a benchmark for participation in championships. Just as teams must win in competition to be eligible for championships, they now must also achieve in the classroom.

 

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