March Madness: Grad rates widen between athletes
March 27, 2010 by Jacob HawleyPosted in: Academics, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
As March Madness heats up, check out which top-seeded teams have the highest graduation rates for black and white students – and which have the lowest.
While 45 tournament-bound teams graduated at least 70% of their white players, only 20 teams graduated at least 70% of their black players.
The disparity is part of an annual report from the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida, based on information provided by the NCAA.
Among the tournament schools with the highest graduation rates: Bringham Young, Marquette, Notre Dame, Utah State, Wake Forest and Wofford, with 100% graduation rates.
On the other side of the spectrum: Arkansas Pine Bluff, California, Maryland, Tennessee and Washington, with 30% or lower.
The gap continues to widen – and not just between white and black athletes. They’re different between black athletes and non-athletes, too. Grad rates are 18% higher for black basketball players than for black male non-athletes.
That means despite the disparity between white and black athletes, collegiate athletics are doing a better job of closing the success gap between white and black students than any other component of higher education.
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Tags: graduation rates, March madness, NCAA, University of Central Florida

