INDIANAPOLIS—In a new release of NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) data on Tuesday afternoon, Villanova Athletics had 14 of its varsity programs earn public recognition for having a multiyear APR score which ranks in the top 10 percent of their sport nationwide. The public recognition awards included 13 teams who had a perfect multiyear score of 1000, making it eight consecutive years that the Wildcats have had 10 or more teams earn a perfect score. The overall multiyear APR score for Villanova's varsity sport programs is 996 in what is now the 21st year that the NCAA has collected data for Division I institutions.
The sport programs to achieve public recognition for their level of academic achievement include nine women's teams and five mean's teams. Highlighting the list are four sports who have compiled a perfect 1000 score for at least 10 straight years that data has been collected. Women's tennis has had a 1000 score for 11 consecutive years, while golf, rowing and water polo have recorded a 1000 score in each of the last 10 years. The rest of the list of teams to earn public recognition awards includes men's cross country, women's cross country, field hockey, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, softball, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, men's tennis and women's track & field.
Villanova's performance in the APR program stands out on a national level and among other BIG EAST schools. There are just 10 Division I athletic departments nationwide – and seven schools outside the Ivy League – with at least 14 sport programs earning public recognition awards in the latest data. Villanova led all BIG EAST institutions with both the most public recognition awards and the most teams with a perfect 1000 score. In the sports of field hockey, women's lacrosse and softball, the Wildcats were the only BIG EAST program with a 1000 score. The numbers were equally strong in the high profile sports of men's basketball, women's basketball and football, as each of these programs ranked in the 70th-80th percentile of their sports nationwide.
During the 21 years that the NCAA has collected APR data, overall student athlete academic success has risen substantially and the national average for Division I teams remained steady at 984 in this year's release. Villanova had 20 of its 22 sport programs post a score at or above the overall national average, while 21 teams had a score above their own sport's national average. The overall score of 996 for Villanova Athletics is 12 points above the overall national average.
Each year, every Division I sports team's APR is calculated using a simple and consistent formula. Scholarship student-athletes can earn one point for staying on course for a degree in their chosen major and one point for being retained (or graduating) at the end of each academic term. Multi-year APR scores provide a four-year snapshot of each sport's academic success.
In addition to excelling at the highest levels of academic achievement nationwide, Villanova has continued to stand out for its success in athletic competition. The latest APR data consists of data from the 2020-21 through 2023-24 academic years. During that span, the Wildcats won 14 conference team championships and made 32 national postseason appearances, not to mention earning 10 All-America honors and 113 all-conference accolades. Villanova also had 41 individual BIG EAST champions and set 12 school records during the four-year period.
In November 2024, Villanova Athletics posted a 98 percent score in another NCAA metric – Graduation Success Rate (GSR) – and had 14 sports with a 100 percent GSR.
