Athletics

Of the Sweet Sixteen teams, only Villanova and Purdue universities bested MSU in graduation rates of its basketball players, according to the New America Foundation think tank. "That's a point of pride. And that pride is easily transmitted to the rest ...

Lindsey Luebchow of the New America Foundation asks that question here. She concludes that if academics were factored into big-college football, ...

Now here's a little salt for those wounds: Both the Noles and the Gators made Higher Ed Watch's top 25 list of teams based on academic achievement, ...

While the on-field performance of the Oklahoma Sooners and Florida Gators has led the two squads to college football's championship game, both schools are well behind other elite teams when it comes to graduating and retaining their student-athletes, according to rankings released yesterday by the New America Foundation's Higher Ed Watch blog.

If you've watched any of the televised men's college basketball tournament this year, you've been bombarded by NCAA commercials that declare: "There are 380,000 NCAA student athletes... and just about every one of them will go pro in something other than sports."

It's an uplifting tagline, but there's a catch. In order to "go pro in something other than sports," that athlete needs a college degree. And far too many male athletes in top-tier Division I basketball programs never graduate.

The teams… more

Cleveland Plain Dealer | Washington Group Ranks NCAA Teams by Players' Graduation Rates

Forget wins and losses. Disregard the strength of schedule. Pay no attention to margins of victory.

Call it March madness, but what if the teams in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament were ranked by diplomas rather than dunks?

That's a rite the Washington, D.C.-based New America Foundation celebrates each spring. Earlier this week, the nonprofit public policy institute released its own tournament bracket that has to do… more

WTOP Radio in DC | Top B-Ball Shools Have Poor Grad Rates

New America Foundation Education Policy Analyst Lindsey Luebchow discussed the Annual Academic Sweet Sixteen bracket results with WTOP Radio in DC. Also, Luebchow's comments on the NCAA teams' academic ranking appeared on CBS Radio's nationally broadcast morning show (3/27/08). Following these hits, the Los Angeles Times published Luebchow's op-ed "Academic March Madness."

Lindsey Luebchow writes for New America's Ed Money Watch and… more

Diversity and minority recruitment are hot button words in most four year college admissions offices. There are congratulations when enrollment demographics show greater racial diversity, and there is consternation when minority numbers drop.

But are college admissions office recruitment efforts working? Colleges will, in a knee-jerk fashion,… more

They may share little more in common than the name Lord, but Isiah Lord Thomas (his given name), the much-maligned general manager and coach of the New York Knicks, and Al Lord, the oft-criticized Chief Executive Officer and former Chairman of Sallie Mae, are sitting on seats hot enough to… more

When Louisiana State University coach Les Miles was carried off the field after winning the National Championship game last night, his smile likely reflected more than the pure joy of winning. Miles had already garnered $400,000 in football bonuses for making it to the game. After winning the title, more