Beginning in 2020, Division III institutions were required to submit student-athlete graduation information. A census of graduation rates affords the membership an opportunity to conduct comprehensive self-assessment and benchmarking via the Institutional Performance Program (IPP) where the rates will be housed.  Additional research on trends and graduation rates is ongoing.

The data collection allows for the calculation of a Federal Graduation Rate and Academic Success Rate for Division III student-athletes.  The student-athlete cohort for both rates include nonscholarship, mid-year enrollee and transfer student-athletes. The difference in calculation is the Academic Success Rate accounts for student-athletes that separate from the institution prior to graduation while academically eligible to compete where the Federal Graduation Rate does not.

With the fifth year of required reporting, the data continues to result in student-athlete Federal Graduation Rates higher than those of the student bodies at those schools – 70% versus 67%. The ASR, which accounts for student-athletes that separate from their institution prior to graduation and while academically eligible to compete, stands at 88%, a similar level for the past five years.