BOSTON – The NCAA released its annual Academic Progress Rate (APR) on Tuesday and America East women’s basketball posted the top APR score in the nation, highlighting the league’s outstanding overall academic success.
All nine women’s basketball programs received a perfect overall score of 1000, the only league in the country to accomplish that feat. The America East is only the fourth women’s basketball league in the last six years to do so. America East was one of two leagues to have each of its schools post a 1000 in eligibility rate and one of three leagues with 1000 in retention rates for its schools, but the only league with 1000 in each.
Other Highlights of this year’s APR:
- America East tied for eighth overall among Division I conferences with a combined APR of 988.
- UMBC and Maine led all schools with ten America East programs which achieved an overall APR of 1000.
- Seven of nine women’s cross country programs had an APR of 1000.
- Six men’s cross country and six men’s track & field programs had an APR of 1000.
- Five of the league’s seven women’s lacrosse schools had an APR 1000.
- Six of nine women’s soccer programs achieved APR of 1000.
The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all D-I sports teams nationally. The APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or quarter and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in each sport. This year's scores include data from the 2019-20 through the 2022-23 academic years.
The APR, or Academic Progress Rate, holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term. The APR is calculated as follows:
- Each student-athlete receiving athletically related financial aid earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible.
- A team's total points are divided by points possible and then multiplied by 1,000 to equal the team's Academic Progress Rate.
- In addition to a team's current-year APR, its rolling four-year APR is also used to determine accountability.
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise –