WORCESTER, Mass – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has ranked Assumption among the top schools in the nation for its Academic Success Rate (ASR), a ranking that assesses each college and university on the percentage of student-athletes who successfully graduate within six years of enrollment. 2021 marks the 16thconsecutive year that Assumption has earned an ASR of 90 percent or higher.
Assumption is ranked 29th out of 300 colleges and universities in the nation, with a 91 percent rate of student-athletes graduating within six years, exceeding the graduation rate of 271 other institutions of higher learning. The University will also be awarded the coveted NCAA President's Award bestowed upon those colleges and universities that exceed the 90 percent ASR. This is the 13th consecutive year Assumption has finished with an ASR of at least 91 percent.
"Assumption University is proud to rank among the top Division II programs in the nation for its students' dedication to academic excellence in their pursuit of a Catholic liberal education," said University President Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D. "Guided by faculty and coaches who are equally passionate about their students' academic and athletic success, Assumption students are provided countless opportunities to thrive intellectually in and outside of the classroom. The University community congratulates our student-athletes, their coaches, and the Department of Athletics for the priority they place on academic excellence, along with athletic competitiveness."
"Assumption student-athletes embrace the institution's expectation that they prepare to excel in the classroom with the same vigor and commitment they demonstrate in preparation for competition," said Christine Lowthert, Director of Athletics. "This commitment is evident in the institution's ranking at the top of all Division II schools with regard to its graduation rate for student-athletes. At Assumption, we form not only competitors, but also individuals who embrace the values of service and intellectual thought."
Six out of 20 teams reported an ASR of 100 percent: Men's Golf, Men's Ice Hockey, Women's Basketball, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer, and Women's Volleyball. Fourteen of the 20 scored an ASR of 90 percent or higher.
The Division II ASR captures about 50 percent more student-athletes than the federal graduation rate. Unlike the federal rate, the ASR counts non-scholarship student-athletes and those who transfer to a school after initial enrollment elsewhere, removing student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible. The national ASR is 76 percent for Division II student-athletes who entered college from 2011 through 2004.
