COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College earned a top-three ranking in NCAA Division II in student-athlete graduation rate for the 12th straight year in 2024, as data released by the NCAA on Friday revealed the College's student-athletes achieved an Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 97% for the most recent cycle.
 
The College matched Thomas Jefferson University for third in ASR among more than 300 Division II schools for the 2014-17 cohort taken into account, trailing only Northeast-10 Conference counterpart Bentley University (98%) and Hillsdale College (99%) in the national rankings. Saint Michael's posted at least a 97% showing for the 17th straight cycle.
 
"This wonderful achievement validates that what we're doing as a campus community to support our student-athletes is working at a high and efficient level," said Director of Athletics Matt Akins. "This reinforces that our dual commitments to the classroom and the field of play remain core strengths."
 
For the 18th straight year, Saint Michael's was one of the top two in the NE10. Among the NE10's 12 schools listed, Saint Michael's trailed Bentley while besting a competitive field that included Assumption University (92%), Southern New Hampshire University (92%), Adelphi University (91%), Pace University (91%) and Saint Anselm College (91%).
 
By tying for third among all Division II institutions, the College finished no worse than fourth for the 17th straight year, placing first in 2011; tying for first in 2010, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023; tying for second in 2009, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2020; taking third in 2013 and 2019; 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 2014 and 2017, is in its 19th year of existence. Saint Michael's continued to record an ASR significantly higher than the NCAA Division II average, which this year was 77%. The data shows 10 of the College's 21 programs had a 100% ASR for this four-year span, as Saint Michael's accounted for nearly one sixth of the 62 NE10 squads that had a perfect ASR, behind only league-leading Bentley (11). The NE10 was second in NCAA Division II with an 87% 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.
 
Of the 21 varsity sports offered by Saint Michael's, 10 earned a 100% ASR for the 2014-17 cohort: women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's golf, women's ice hockey, women's skiing, softball, women's tennis, and women's volleyball. The remaining 11 were all at 90% or better.
 
A searchable database for ASR information and federal reports for all NCAA Division II institutions is available by visiting here.