COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College was among the top three in NCAA Division II in student-athlete graduation rate for the seventh straight year in 2019, as data released by the NCAA on Wednesday revealed the College's student-athletes achieved an Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 97 percent for the most recent cycle. Saint Michael's was one of the top two in the Northeast-10 Conference for the 13th straight year.
The College placed third in ASR among more than 300 Division II schools for the 2009-12 cohort taken into account, trailing only NE10 counterpart Bentley University (99%) and Thomas Jefferson (Pa.) University (98%). Saint Michael's posted at least a 97 percent showing for the 12th consecutive four-year cycle, having peaked at 99 percent in both 2010 and 2011. Among the NE10's 14 schools, Saint Michael's trailed only national leader Bentley while edging Stonehill College (95%). Only 13 schools achieved at least a 96 percent ASR, with three from the NE10, while Jefferson and the University of the Sciences (Pa.) (95%) also hail from the region.
"What a tremendous accomplishment - there is no greater proof of our student-athletes' commitment to academic excellence than our longstanding level of prominence in the NCAA ASR," said Director of Athletics Chris Kenny '86. "As an institution, we take great pride in this achievement because we know that it would not be possible without the substantial contributions and support of our faculty, staff and administration, from all corners of our campus. We have now been in the NCAA's national Top Four for 12 straight years - congratulations to the entire Saint Michael's community."
By placing third among all Division II institutions, the College finished no worse than fourth for the 12th straight year, placing first in 2011; tying for first in 2010 and 2017; tying for second in 2009, 2015, 2016 and 2018; taking third in 2013; tying for third in 2014; and capturing fourth in both 2008 and 2012.
The ASR, which this year took into account the four-year cycle of classes entering between 2009 and 2012, is in its 14th year of existence. Saint Michael's continued to record an ASR significantly higher than the NCAA Division II average, which this year was 73 percent. The data shows 17 of the College's 21 programs had a 100 percent ASR for this four-year span, as Saint Michael's led the NE10 in the distinction for the eighth straight year while accounting for exactly one fifth of the 85 NE10 squads that had a perfect ASR.
The NCAA annually releases the Division II ASR, a model developed at the request of presidents of Division II institutions to overcome inadequacies with the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR). The FGR only takes into account student-athletes that receive athletic scholarships, while the ASR considers all student-athletes, thus capturing non-scholarship students that represent a clear majority of the Saint Michael's student-athletes. The College was fifth in the NE10 in FGR, at 79 percent, narrowly trailing Assumption College (82%) and Le Moyne College (81%). Bentley (90%) and Stonehill (85%) led all conference schools.
Of the 21 sports offered by Saint Michael's, these 17 earned a 100 percent ASR for the 2009-12 cohort: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's golf, women's ice hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, men's skiing, women's soccer, softball, women's swimming & diving, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball. Three of the remaining four were at 87 percent or better.
A searchable database for ASR information and federal reports for all NCAA Division II institutions is available by visiting here.
