The nation is currently avidly watching the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. While most people are busy checking that their brackets are still intact, seeing how many points Caitlin Clark of Iowa amasses before heading to the WNBA, and eagerly awaiting the Final Fours, The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida is checking to see which team’s academic achievements match their court prowess.
Last week, TIDES published one of its report cards, titled “Keeping Score When It Counts: Academic Progress/Graduation Success Rate Study of the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament Teams.” The study examines the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Academic Progress Rate (APR) of the 68 teams in each tournament. The most notable find is that the women clearly outscore the men.
Using data from the NCAA, women’s teams showed an overall GSR of 95.9% and men’s teams had an overall GSR of 84%. In 2024, 67 of the 68 women’s teams graduated at least 80% of their basketball student-athletes.
Among the 42 women’s teams that had a 100% graduation rate was Columbia University women’s basketball, which made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament this year. While the team lost to Vanderbilt University in the First Four round, people will forever remember their excitement showing at ESPN’s Tournament announcement.
TIDES likes to create a Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and Final Four based on GSR and APR but couldn’t get past the Sweet 16 for the women because so many schools scored well. Creighton, Kent State, NC State, Rice, South Dakota State, UConn, Louisville, and Michigan deserve a shout-out for being perfect.
Admiration and appreciation are due for the “national champion” for the men: the University of Alabama, which had a 1,000 APR and 100% GSR. Brittany F. Price, assistant athletics director, academic programs, at Alabama said there is total buy-in to the importance of earning a degree, even in the ever-changing landscape of college sports. The holistic approach includes individual academic plans and thorough learning support, according to Price.
“There is a culture at Alabama that promotes success both in the classroom and in competition,” said Price. “It is the expectation that students do well in the classroom. We do not separate the athlete from the student. They go hand-in-hand. Student-athletes are here to compete at the highest level in both.”