How good are the teams and programs in the classroom? As a part of the CFN Five-Year Program Analysis, the Academic Progress Rate (APR) is a factor.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
This is supposed to be about the college in college football, at least at times.
How good have the football programs been in the classroom? The Academic Progress Rate is a factor in the overall reputation of a school and how an athletic department is run, and it matters in the bowl picture, too.
The schools have to reach a certain threshold to avoid penalties, and the higher the rating, the better the chance to go bowling if a football team doesn’t get to six wins.
From the NCAA, the APR is calculated as follows:
-
- Each student-athlete receiving athletically related financial aid earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible.
- A team’s total points are divided by points possible and then multiplied by 1,000 to equal the team’s Academic Progress Rate.
- In addition to a team’s current-year APR, its rolling four-year APR is also used to determine accountability.
When it comes to the CFN Five-Year Program Analysis, it factors into the mix just like the big wins and the attendance.
So which schools did the best job in the classroom? Here’s the ranking of all 130 teams based on APR, averaged out over the last five seasons.
130 Massachusetts
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 128
2020: 938
2019: 937
2018: 939
2017: 939
2016: 939
5-Year APR Average: 938.4
129 Florida State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 125
2020: 942
2019: 936
2018: 939
2017: 939
2016: 945
5-Year APR Average: 940.2
128 Georgia Southern
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 129
2020: 949
2019: 948
2018: 933
2017: 933
2016: 940
5-Year APR Average: 940.6
T126 Texas State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 126
2020: 932
2019: 937
2018: 940
2017: 940
2016: 961
5-Year APR Average: 942
T126 UAB
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: NA
2020: 942
2019: NA
2018: 0
2017: 0
2016: 0
5-Year APR Average: 942
125 East Carolina
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 111
2020: 938
2019: 937
2018: 947
2017: 947
2016: 943
5-Year APR Average: 942.4
124 Tulsa
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 121
2020: 945
2019: 943
2018: 942
2017: 942
2016: 944
5-Year APR Average: 943.2
123 Louisiana Tech
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 112
2020: 964
2019: 954
2018: 937
2017: 937
2016: 934
5-Year APR Average: 945.2
122 Texas Tech
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 117
2020: 949
2019: 944
2018: 947
2017: 947
2016: 941
5-Year APR Average: 945.6
121 Akron
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 124
2020: 945
2019: 946
2018: 947
2017: 947
2016: 947
5-Year APR Average: 946.4
120 Bowling Green
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 127
2020: 947
2019: 944
2018: 946
2017: 946
2016: 953
5-Year APR Average: 947.2
119 FIU
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 118
2020: 968
2019: 959
2018: 936
2017: 936
2016: 938
5-Year APR Average: 947.4
T117 UNLV
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 123
2020: 964
2019: 952
2018: 943
2017: 943
2016: 936
5-Year APR Average: 947.6
T117 West Virginia
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 109
2020: 960
2019: 953
2018: 940
2017: 940
2016: 945
5-Year APR Average: 947.6
116 Houston
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 108
2020: 961
2019: 950
2018: 942
2017: 942
2016: 944
5-Year APR Average: 947.8
115 Kansas
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 119
2020: 960
2019: 959
2018: 943
2017: 943
2016: 936
5-Year APR Average: 948.2
T113 Fresno State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 114
2020: 954
2019: 951
2018: 944
2017: 944
2016: 953
5-Year APR Average: 949.2
T113 Liberty
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 122
2020: 957
2019: 955
2018: 945
2017: 945
2016: 944
5-Year APR Average: 949.2
T110 BYU
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 110
2020: 946
2019: 946
2018: 951
2017: 951
2016: 953
5-Year APR Average: 949.4
T110 New Mexico
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 116
2020: 943
2019: 937
2018: 958
2017: 958
2016: 951
5-Year APR Average: 949.4
T110 New Mexico State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 105
2020: 956
2019: 956
2018: 950
2017: 950
2016: 935
5-Year APR Average: 949.4
T108 Georgia State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 107
2020: 958
2019: 961
2018: 946
2017: 946
2016: 944
5-Year APR Average: 951
T108 Southern Miss
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 113
2020: 945
2019: 941
2018: 957
2017: 957
2016: 955
5-Year APR Average: 951
107 Charlotte
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 104
2020: 945
2019: 945
2018: 956
2017: 956
2016: 955
5-Year APR Average: 951.4
106 South Alabama
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 94
2020: 955
2019: 953
2018: 952
2017: 952
2016: 947
5-Year APR Average: 951.8
105 LSU
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 98
2020: 952
2019: 951
2018: 959
2017: 959
2016: 941
5-Year APR Average: 952.4
104 Louisiana
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 96
2020: 956
2019: 952
2018: 954
2017: 954
2016: 950
5-Year APR Average: 953.2
103 Troy
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 97
2020: 961
2019: 961
2018: 955
2017: 955
2016: 937
5-Year APR Average: 953.8
102 TCU
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 75
2020: 959
2019: 966
2018: 955
2017: 955
2016: 935
5-Year APR Average: 954
NEXT: 5-Year College Football APR Rankings Top 100
5-Year College Football APR Rankings Top 100
T100 Florida Atlantic
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 85
2020: 965
2019: 971
2018: 949
2017: 949
2016: 942
5-Year APR Average: 955.2
T100 San Jose State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 103
2020: 952
2019: 944
2018: 958
2017: 958
2016: 964
5-Year APR Average: 955.2
T98 Appalachian State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 83
2020: 955
2019: 955
2018: 958
2017: 958
2016: 955
5-Year APR Average: 956.2
T98 Arizona
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 115
2020: 964
2019: 952
2018: 955
2017: 955
2016: 955
5-Year APR Average: 956.2
97 Old Dominion
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 100
2020: 961
2019: 961
2018: 955
2017: 955
2016: 953
5-Year APR Average: 957
96 WKU
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 92
2020: 962
2019: 965
2018: 955
2017: 955
2016: 950
5-Year APR Average: 957.4
T94 Eastern Michigan
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 91
2020: 976
2019: 970
2018: 947
2017: 947
2016: 948
5-Year APR Average: 957.6
T94 SMU
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 102
2020: 974
2019: 967
2018: 951
2017: 951
2016: 945
5-Year APR Average: 957.6
93 Western Michigan
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 82
2020: 948
2019: 961
2018: 958
2017: 958
2016: 964
5-Year APR Average: 957.8
92 North Carolina
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 87
2020: 959
2019: 964
2018: 959
2017: 959
2016: 952
5-Year APR Average: 958.6
91 Ball State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 95
2020: 969
2019: 959
2018: 955
2017: 955
2016: 957
5-Year APR Average: 959
90 UTSA
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 71
2020: 961
2019: 957
2018: 965
2017: 965
2016: 956
5-Year APR Average: 960.8
89 San Diego State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 101
2020: 969
2019: 964
2018: 955
2017: 955
2016: 962
5-Year APR Average: 961
T87 Kentucky
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 120
2020: 971
2019: 969
2018: 958
2017: 958
2016: 950
5-Year APR Average: 961.2
T87 UCLA
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 73
2020: 944
2019: 948
2018: 971
2017: 971
2016: 972
5-Year APR Average: 961.2
T85 Colorado State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 58
2020: 954
2019: 967
2018: 966
2017: 966
2016: 954
5-Year APR Average: 961.4
T85 Oregon State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 69
2020: 975
2019: 971
2018: 956
2017: 956
2016: 949
5-Year APR Average: 961.4
84 Hawaii
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 77
2020: 949
2019: 952
2018: 968
2017: 968
2016: 971
5-Year APR Average: 961.6
83 Marshall
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 86
2020: 951
2019: 954
2018: 968
2017: 968
2016: 970
5-Year APR Average: 962.2
T81 Oklahoma State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 62
2020: 979
2019: 982
2018: 953
2017: 953
2016: 947
5-Year APR Average: 962.8
T81 Virginia Tech
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 90
2020: 958
2019: 953
2018: 967
2017: 967
2016: 969
5-Year APR Average: 962.8
T79 Georgia
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 80
2020: 969
2019: 963
2018: 961
2017: 961
2016: 961
5-Year APR Average: 963
T79 NC State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 79
2020: 962
2019: 970
2018: 957
2017: 957
2016: 969
5-Year APR Average: 963
T76 Arkansas State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 61
2020: 972
2019: 964
2018: 965
2017: 965
2016: 950
5-Year APR Average: 963.2
T76 Oklahoma
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 99
2020: 965
2019: 966
2018: 965
2017: 965
2016: 955
5-Year APR Average: 963.2
T76 Washington State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 66
2020: 963
2019: 960
2018: 964
2017: 964
2016: 965
5-Year APR Average: 963.2
NEXT: 5-Year College Football APR Rankings Top 75
5-Year College Football APR Rankings Top 75
T74 Tulane
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 70
2020: 958
2019: 956
2018: 967
2017: 967
2016: 970
5-Year APR Average: 963.6
T74 Wyoming
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 93
2020: 969
2019: 961
2018: 964
2017: 964
2016: 960
5-Year APR Average: 963.6
73 Purdue
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 88
2020: 954
2019: 956
2018: 971
2017: 971
2016: 968
5-Year APR Average: 964
72 Texas A&M
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 81
2020: 965
2019: 967
2018: 962
2017: 962
2016: 967
5-Year APR Average: 964.6
71 Colorado
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 57
2020: 955
2019: 965
2018: 968
2017: 968
2016: 968
5-Year APR Average: 964.8
T69 Michigan State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 106
2020: 952
2019: 948
2018: 974
2017: 974
2016: 978
5-Year APR Average: 965.2
T69 ULM
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 64
2020: 966
2019: 967
2018: 963
2017: 963
2016: 967
5-Year APR Average: 965.2
68 Arkansas
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 38
2020: 962
2019: 982
2018: 966
2017: 966
2016: 952
5-Year APR Average: 965.6
67 UTEP
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 60
2020: 941
2019: 957
2018: 980
2017: 980
2016: 973
5-Year APR Average: 966.2
T64 Tennessee
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 53
2020: 967
2019: 970
2018: 972
2017: 972
2016: 956
5-Year APR Average: 967.4
T64 USC
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 51
2020: 970
2019: 972
2018: 968
2017: 968
2016: 959
5-Year APR Average: 967.4
T64 USF
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 89
2020: 979
2019: 970
2018: 965
2017: 965
2016: 958
5-Year APR Average: 967.4
63 Miami
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 78
2020: 973
2019: 970
2018: 965
2017: 965
2016: 965
5-Year APR Average: 967.6
62 Nevada
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 9
2020: 964
2019: 989
2018: 969
2017: 969
2016: 949
5-Year APR Average: 968
61 Syracuse
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 72
2020: 965
2019: 968
2018: 968
2017: 968
2016: 973
5-Year APR Average: 968.4
60 Utah State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 76
2020: 964
2019: 963
2018: 970
2017: 970
2016: 978
5-Year APR Average: 969
59 South Carolina
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 84
2020: 967
2019: 967
2018: 970
2017: 970
2016: 972
5-Year APR Average: 969.2
T57 Coastal Carolina
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 43
2020: 956
2019: 965
2018: 979
2017: 979
2016: 969
5-Year APR Average: 969.6
T57 Northern Illinois
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 56
2020: 962
2019: 964
2018: 976
2017: 976
2016: 970
5-Year APR Average: 969.6
56 Notre Dame
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 74
2020: 970
2019: 966
2018: 969
2017: 969
2016: 975
5-Year APR Average: 969.8
T54 Buffalo
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 49
2020: 959
2019: 968
2018: 977
2017: 977
2016: 970
5-Year APR Average: 970.2
T54 Virginia
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 65
2020: 972
2019: 969
2018: 968
2017: 968
2016: 974
5-Year APR Average: 970.2
53 Iowa State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 55
2020: 979
2019: 978
2018: 969
2017: 969
2016: 958
5-Year APR Average: 970.6
52 Memphis
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 67
2020: 980
2019: 976
2018: 965
2017: 965
2016: 968
5-Year APR Average: 970.8
51 Oregon
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 63
2020: 968
2019: 971
2018: 974
2017: 974
2016: 969
5-Year APR Average: 971.2
NEXT: 5-Year College Football APR Rankings Top 50
5-Year College Football APR Rankings Top 50
50 Iowa
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 59
2020: 971
2019: 973
2018: 971
2017: 971
2016: 971
5-Year APR Average: 971.4
49 Penn State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 33
2020: 982
2019: 979
2018: 969
2017: 969
2016: 960
5-Year APR Average: 971.8
48 Arizona State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 46
2020: 978
2019: 980
2018: 971
2017: 971
2016: 960
5-Year APR Average: 972
T46 Baylor
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 34
2020: 974
2019: 976
2018: 973
2017: 973
2016: 969
5-Year APR Average: 973
T46 Ohio
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 35
2020: 972
2019: 981
2018: 974
2017: 974
2016: 964
5-Year APR Average: 973
T44 Central Michigan
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 25
2020: 972
2019: 979
2018: 974
2017: 974
2016: 967
5-Year APR Average: 973.2
T44 Maryland
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 27
2020: 956
2019: 965
2018: 984
2017: 984
2016: 977
5-Year APR Average: 973.2
T41 Kent State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 31
2020: 974
2019: 977
2018: 978
2017: 978
2016: 961
5-Year APR Average: 973.6
T41 Miami Univ.
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 37
2020: 973
2019: 974
2018: 976
2017: 976
2016: 969
5-Year APR Average: 973.6
T41 Rutgers
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 50
2020: 979
2019: 971
2018: 973
2017: 973
2016: 972
5-Year APR Average: 973.6
40 Missouri
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 68
2020: 973
2019: 972
2018: 974
2017: 974
2016: 978
5-Year APR Average: 974.2
T38 California
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 42
2020: 977
2019: 979
2018: 978
2017: 978
2016: 960
5-Year APR Average: 974.4
T38 North Texas
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 52
2020: 961
2019: 969
2018: 979
2017: 979
2016: 984
5-Year APR Average: 974.4
37 Texas
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 54
2020: 974
2019: 972
2018: 978
2017: 978
2016: 971
5-Year APR Average: 974.6
36 Ole Miss
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 45
2020: 997
2019: 978
2018: 971
2017: 971
2016: 958
5-Year APR Average: 975
35 Connecticut
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 29
2020: 976
2019: 981
2018: 975
2017: 975
2016: 969
5-Year APR Average: 975.2
34 Mississippi State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 47
2020: 984
2019: 976
2018: 974
2017: 974
2016: 971
5-Year APR Average: 975.8
33 Indiana
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 44
2020: 969
2019: 972
2018: 982
2017: 982
2016: 979
5-Year APR Average: 976.8
32 Temple
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 24
2020: 987
2019: 983
2018: 972
2017: 972
2016: 971
5-Year APR Average: 977
31 Nebraska
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 32
2020: 974
2019: 977
2018: 977
2017: 977
2016: 981
5-Year APR Average: 977.2
T29 Florida
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 39
2020: 974
2019: 975
2018: 980
2017: 980
2016: 979
5-Year APR Average: 977.6
T29 Kansas State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 15
2020: 978
2019: 985
2018: 975
2017: 975
2016: 975
5-Year APR Average: 977.6
T27 Cincinnati
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 22
2020: 990
2019: 983
2018: 976
2017: 976
2016: 967
5-Year APR Average: 978.4
T27 Pitt
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 17
2020: 988
2019: 984
2018: 975
2017: 975
2016: 970
5-Year APR Average: 978.4
26 Ohio State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 23
2020: 985
2019: 987
2018: 975
2017: 975
2016: 971
5-Year APR Average: 978.6
NEXT: 5-Year College Football APR Rankings Top 25
5-Year College Football APR Rankings Top 25
25 Wake Forest
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 36
2020: 990
2019: 989
2018: 976
2017: 976
2016: 968
5-Year APR Average: 979.8
T23 Boise State
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 41
2020: 981
2019: 979
2018: 979
2017: 979
2016: 982
5-Year APR Average: 980
T23 Toledo
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 48
2020: 983
2019: 981
2018: 981
2017: 981
2016: 974
5-Year APR Average: 980
22 Illinois
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 8
2020: 970
2019: 982
2018: 984
2017: 984
2016: 982
5-Year APR Average: 980.4
T20 Army
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 21
2020: 975
2019: 976
2018: 982
2017: 982
2016: 989
5-Year APR Average: 980.8
T20 Auburn
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 28
2020: 980
2019: 982
2018: 980
2017: 980
2016: 982
5-Year APR Average: 980.8
19 Middle Tennessee
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 16
2020: 985
2019: 982
2018: 983
2017: 983
2016: 974
5-Year APR Average: 981.4
18 Georgia Tech
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 30
2020: 978
2019: 980
2018: 983
2017: 983
2016: 987
5-Year APR Average: 982.2
17 Alabama
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 14
2020: 990
2019: 984
2018: 980
2017: 980
2016: 979
5-Year APR Average: 982.6
T15 Boston College
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 12
2020: 989
2019: 989
2018: 978
2017: 978
2016: 981
5-Year APR Average: 983
T15 Rice
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 40
2020: 986
2019: 987
2018: 984
2017: 984
2016: 974
5-Year APR Average: 983
14 UCF
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 18
2020: 981
2019: 987
2018: 984
2017: 984
2016: 983
5-Year APR Average: 983.8
T12 Louisville
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 26
2020: 984
2019: 984
2018: 988
2017: 988
2016: 982
5-Year APR Average: 985.2
T12 Utah
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 20
2020: 988
2019: 989
2018: 983
2017: 983
2016: 983
5-Year APR Average: 985.2
11 Clemson
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 7
2020: 993
2019: 992
2018: 980
2017: 980
2016: 983
5-Year APR Average: 985.6
NEXT: 5-Year College Football APR Rankings Top 10
5-Year College Football APR Rankings Top 10
10 Stanford
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 13
2020: 990
2019: 986
2018: 985
2017: 985
2016: 983
5-Year APR Average: 985.8
9 Washington
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 10
2020: 999
2019: 991
2018: 984
2017: 984
2016: 974
5-Year APR Average: 986.4
8 Minnesota
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 19
2020: 980
2019: 978
2018: 992
2017: 992
2016: 992
5-Year APR Average: 986.8
T6 Michigan
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 6
2020: 980
2019: 982
2018: 993
2017: 993
2016: 989
5-Year APR Average: 987.4
T6 Wisconsin
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 11
2020: 986
2019: 979
2018: 990
2017: 990
2016: 992
5-Year APR Average: 987.4
5 Navy
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 5
2020: 988
2019: 991
2018: 991
2017: 991
2016: 982
5-Year APR Average: 988.6
4 Vanderbilt
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 3
2020: 984
2019: 991
2018: 992
2017: 992
2016: 990
5-Year APR Average: 989.8
3 Duke
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 4
2020: 986
2019: 992
2018: 992
2017: 992
2016: 995
5-Year APR Average: 991.4
2 Air Force
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 2
2020: 995
2019: 997
2018: 995
2017: 995
2016: 987
5-Year APR Average: 993.8
1 Northwestern
Last Season 5-Year APR Rank: 1
2020: 995
2019: 996
2018: 995
2017: 995
2016: 992
5-Year APR Average: 994.6
