One of the tenets of the NCAA's Division II philosophy is a strong focus on academics, not just athletics. This is a quality that Chestnut Hill College has long-embodied, even before going D2 in August 2007. At CHC, it's student-first and athlete-second, which is something that is reflected in the way our students excel both on the courts/fields and in the classrooms. That commitment to academic excellence was recently reflected in the NCAA's annual report on graduation/academic success rate data. 

In the latest report, Chestnut Hill College recorded an overall academic success rate (ASR) of 91 percent for the most recent cohort measured, that of 2012-2015. The score was good enough to rank CHC among the top-30 of 310 colleges/universities (top 10 percent) in NCAA D2 and top five in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, which ranked as the fourth-best conference in ASR out of 23 in the division. For context, the national average ASR is 76 percent.

The ASR encompasses the percentage of student-athletes who graduate within six years of first enrolling at a college or university. It includes nearly all Division II student-athletes, including transfer students and those who are not receiving athletic scholarships. This allows the ASR to capture almost double the numbers of students that the federal graduation rate records. In the end, this leads to a more accurate summation of an institution's academic success and commitment to its students' futures beyond playing a sport in college. 

"These are the statistics that are the foundation of an Athletics Department," says Jesse Balcer '11 SGS, Director of Athletics and Recreation at the College. "Student-athletes come to Chestnut Hill College to get their degree while playing the sport they love. The credit for this data goes to the great coaches, faculty, staff and mentors we have here at the College. I could not be more proud! "

Since 2008, when Chestnut Hill College first began submitting ASR data, the College has averaged a score of 87 percent. This year, a record seven individual sport programs (women's bowling, women's lacrosse, softball, women's tennis, women's volleyball, men's golf, and men's tennis) all recorded a perfect 100 percent ASR. Only one other school in the CACC had more such teams with a perfect score. In all, 15 of the College's 17 NCAA D2 sports recorded an ASR above the national average for their respective sports. 

For more on CHC's ASR and scores for individual athletic programs, read the full story on GriffinAthletics.com.