Graduation and retention rates of female collegiate athletes: A descriptive study

The academic achievements of collegiate student-athletes, especially their graduation and retention rates, have received a considerable amount of focus. This descriptive study investigated the graduation and retention rates of female collegiate student-athletes in comparison to male student-athletes. In addition, graduation and retention data was compared between specific intercollegiate sports and NCAA Division I and II. White female student-athletes were found to have the highest rates with a graduation rate at a 10% higher rate than African-American female student-athletes. African-American male athletes had the lowest graduation rate among all student athletes. Recommendations include developing strong student retention programs aimed specifically at student-athletes. Because of consistently observed lower graduation rates, student retention programs which focus on the retention of minority student-athletes are recommended.