The APR number for a year isn't just the percent who remained in school and stayed eligible times 1000, as the UC Berkeley fan indicated.
For example, assume a football team of 80 players. Everyone is eligible to play in the fall and everyone returns for the spring. In the spring semester, 68 players stay eligible and either graduate or return, while 12 players become ineligible and drop out. At the end of the year, the percentage of players who were retained and stayed eligible is 85% (68/80). The APR calculation is this: For the fall semester, 80 players get 2 points each (one point for being in school and one point for being eligible), for 160 points. For the spring semester, 68 players get 2 points each, and 12 players get 0 points, for 136 points. Total points = 296, total possible points = 320. The APR = 296/320 x 1000 = 925.
Of the original 80 players, let's assume there were 25 freshmen, 21 sophomores, 17 juniors, 13 seniors, and 4 fifth year seniors. Let's assume that 9 of the 13 of the seniors graduated, along with the 4 fifth year seniors, for a total of 13 graduates, and that the other 4 seniors return for a fifth year. Let's assume that of the 12 players who dropped out, 4 were freshmen, 4 were sophomores, and 4 were juniors.
In year 2, let's assume that a new class of 25 freshmen arrives. Then the same thing happens as in the previous year. Then it happens again in year 3, again in year 4, and so on.
Each entering class starts with 25 players and ends up with 13 graduates, for a graduation rate of 52%. The four-year APR is 925.
In real life, there are more variations, with players transferring in and out, players becoming ineligible and then regaining eligibility, players exhausting eligibility without graduating (they lose a point), players turning pro (they don't lose a retention point), players returning to school after a pro career (they can earn an extra point by graduating), and so forth.
To me, an APR number such as 925 is not intuitive. It doesn't mean anything in real life. Contrary to what the UC Berkeley fan said, you can't just drop a decimal in it and turn it into a meaningful percentage.
According to the NCAA, an APR of 930 predicts a graduation rate of 50%.
For example, assume a football team of 80 players. Everyone is eligible to play in the fall and everyone returns for the spring. In the spring semester, 68 players stay eligible and either graduate or return, while 12 players become ineligible and drop out. At the end of the year, the percentage of players who were retained and stayed eligible is 85% (68/80). The APR calculation is this: For the fall semester, 80 players get 2 points each (one point for being in school and one point for being eligible), for 160 points. For the spring semester, 68 players get 2 points each, and 12 players get 0 points, for 136 points. Total points = 296, total possible points = 320. The APR = 296/320 x 1000 = 925.
Of the original 80 players, let's assume there were 25 freshmen, 21 sophomores, 17 juniors, 13 seniors, and 4 fifth year seniors. Let's assume that 9 of the 13 of the seniors graduated, along with the 4 fifth year seniors, for a total of 13 graduates, and that the other 4 seniors return for a fifth year. Let's assume that of the 12 players who dropped out, 4 were freshmen, 4 were sophomores, and 4 were juniors.
In year 2, let's assume that a new class of 25 freshmen arrives. Then the same thing happens as in the previous year. Then it happens again in year 3, again in year 4, and so on.
Each entering class starts with 25 players and ends up with 13 graduates, for a graduation rate of 52%. The four-year APR is 925.
In real life, there are more variations, with players transferring in and out, players becoming ineligible and then regaining eligibility, players exhausting eligibility without graduating (they lose a point), players turning pro (they don't lose a retention point), players returning to school after a pro career (they can earn an extra point by graduating), and so forth.
To me, an APR number such as 925 is not intuitive. It doesn't mean anything in real life. Contrary to what the UC Berkeley fan said, you can't just drop a decimal in it and turn it into a meaningful percentage.
According to the NCAA, an APR of 930 predicts a graduation rate of 50%.