Ball State University Athletics
Ball State Athletics Eclipses Its Record for NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR)
May 07, 2026 | Baseball, Field Hockey, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Men's Swimming and Diving, Men's Tennis, Men's Volleyball, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Women's Swimming and Diving, Women's Tennis, Women's Volleyball, Cross Country, Gymnastics, Soccer, Track & Field
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State Athletics continued to excel in the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) with a score of 994 for the 2024-25 season, the NCAA announced Tuesday. That score exceeds what had been the department's all-time single-year high of 992 accomplished following the 2020-21, 2022-23 and 2023-24 years.
"Our student-athlete success in the classroom remains a constant source of pride at Ball State," said Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell. "We have and will continue to emphasize academic excellence with our talented student-athletes, and I remain grateful to our coaches and support staff for their commitment to helping our student-athletes succeed. To match and exceed our department-record four times in the past five years is outstanding."
The APR, created to provide more of a real-time measurement of academic success than graduation rates offer, is a team-based metric in which scholarship student-athletes earn one point each term for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. Schools that don't offer scholarships track their recruited student-athletes.
Thirteen Ball State teams earned perfect scores of 1,000 for the 2024-25 year, including cross country, field hockey, gymnastics, men's basketball, men's golf, men's tennis, men's volleyball, soccer, softball, women's basketball, women's golf, women's tennis and women's basketball.
The Cardinals' 994 single-year rate for 2024-25 eclipsed average rates reported for all Division I schools (989), all FBS institutions (991) and others programs in the Mid-American Conference (988).
In addition, five Ball State teams posted perfect scores of 1,000 and received public recognition for their multiyear rate which encompasses the four-year range from 2021-22 through 2024-25. Those five teams include men's golf, soccer, women's golf, women's tennis and women's volleyball.
Ball State posted an overall multiyear rate of 991. The nationwide APR multiyear average was 986. Overall, 15 of Ball State's 18 teams (indoor and outdoor track combined as one) logged multiyear scores that equaled or exceeded the national average in their sport.
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"Our student-athlete success in the classroom remains a constant source of pride at Ball State," said Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell. "We have and will continue to emphasize academic excellence with our talented student-athletes, and I remain grateful to our coaches and support staff for their commitment to helping our student-athletes succeed. To match and exceed our department-record four times in the past five years is outstanding."
The APR, created to provide more of a real-time measurement of academic success than graduation rates offer, is a team-based metric in which scholarship student-athletes earn one point each term for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. Schools that don't offer scholarships track their recruited student-athletes.
Thirteen Ball State teams earned perfect scores of 1,000 for the 2024-25 year, including cross country, field hockey, gymnastics, men's basketball, men's golf, men's tennis, men's volleyball, soccer, softball, women's basketball, women's golf, women's tennis and women's basketball.
The Cardinals' 994 single-year rate for 2024-25 eclipsed average rates reported for all Division I schools (989), all FBS institutions (991) and others programs in the Mid-American Conference (988).
In addition, five Ball State teams posted perfect scores of 1,000 and received public recognition for their multiyear rate which encompasses the four-year range from 2021-22 through 2024-25. Those five teams include men's golf, soccer, women's golf, women's tennis and women's volleyball.
Ball State posted an overall multiyear rate of 991. The nationwide APR multiyear average was 986. Overall, 15 of Ball State's 18 teams (indoor and outdoor track combined as one) logged multiyear scores that equaled or exceeded the national average in their sport.
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