NCAA Warns Repeat Transfers Have Lower Graduation Rates

NCAA data on nearly 36,000 Division I athletes who enrolled in 2018-19 found that 88% of those who never transferred graduated within six years, compared with 81% of one-time transfers and 71% of athletes who transferred more than once. The gap was particularly pronounced in top-level FBS football, where graduation rates were 85% for non-transfers and 58% for multiple transfers; across sports, Black athletes’ rates were 82%, 74% and 62%, respectively. The figures show an association, not proof that transferring causes lower graduation rates, and the multiple-transfer group was much smaller than the other groups. The NCAA has presented the results as a warning about transfer and eligibility policies amid lawsuits over players’ eligibility, while its president has urged Congress to pass legislation limiting future lawsuits.