Academics

To truly benefit from college, student-athletes have to succeed in more places than on the field. The NCAA provides opportunities to learn, compete and grow.

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Academic Standards

To be successful in college, students need to be prepared for college coursework. In Division I and Division II, the NCAA sets academic initial-eligibility standards that take into account GPA and core courses taken in high school and the grades earned in those core courses. Division III schools hold student-athletes to the same overall standards for the institution in which they’re enrolling.

All student-athletes also must meet the unique acceptance requirements of the college or university they plan to attend (which may exceed NCAA standards).

Rewarding Team Success

Beginning with the 2019-2020 academic year, Division I schools' share of NCAA revenue will be tied to academic achievement. While the NCAA has always distributed funds to assist schools whose students needed help in the classroom, this marks the first time the amount of money schools receive from the NCAA will be determined by their students’ academic achievement.

Continuing Academic Success

Student-athletes commit to academic achievement and the pursuit of a degree, and they are required to meet yearly standards to be able to compete. College athletes' success is tracked using three measures: grades, minimum credit hours per year and progress toward earning a degree.

Tracking Graduation Rates

The ultimate goal of the college experience is graduation, and college athletes are graduating at rates that are higher than ever.

The NCAA closely tracks student-athlete graduation rates using several measures. In Division I, the Graduation Success Rate tracks the number of first-year, full-time students who entered college with financial aid and graduated from that school within six years, including anyone who transferred into that school. This measurement is unique in that it does not penalize a school when a student-athlete transfers to another school if the student was in good academic standing at the time of the transfer.

Division II’s Academic Success Rate is similar to the Division I GSR, except it measures the academic success of all student-athletes, not just those who receive financial aid.

While Division III does not have an NCAA-mandated measurement for academic success, schools are encouraged to report data on a voluntary basis using the Division III Academic Success Rate measurement.