The NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate is, like many NCAA things, stupid as hell, but alas something we have to live with nonetheless. It’s a four-year rolling number that essentially measures how well college programs graduate athletes or maintain them in good academic standing before leaving.
Under this system, a 1000-point score is perfect, while anything under 930 may be subject to penalties, such as post-season bans. Not surprisingly, it is the schools at the poor end of the spectrum—the ones that cannot afford a big academic support staff—that are most frequently hit with penalties.