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NCAA Academic Progress Rate Football Rankings 1-130: Which 5-7 Teams Might Go Bowling?

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The NCAA announced the 2020-2021 version of the Academic Progress Rate. Where do all 130 college football programs rank?

Contact @PeteFiutak

The Academic Progress Rate, or APR, was released measuring the improvements and academic success for the 2020-2021 school year. It didn’t exactly skip a year, but these are the first rankings since coming out since May of 2020.

And you care, why?

Besides wondering just how good the schools and teams are in the classroom, this is a big deal in the bowl world.

If there aren’t enough teams that finish with a bowl-eligible six wins, the teams that finish 5-7 are selected based on the APR ranking below – this is why Rutgers got the call last bowl season.

What does this mean? There are currently three projected open bowl spots, but it could be two if Buffalo beats Akron on Friday. Who are the top 5-7 teams according to APR?

Rice and then UNLV. After that, Michigan State and Auburn are tied.

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.

2022 (2020-2021 report) NCAA APR Rankings

T1 Clemson 999

Previous APR Rank: 5
Previous APR Score: 993

T1 Ole Miss 999

Previous APR Rank: 2
Previous APR Score: 997

3 Alabama 997

Previous APR Rank: T6
Previous APR Score: 990

4 Northwestern 995

Previous APR Rank: T3
Previous APR Score: 995

T5 Air Force 994

Previous APR Rank: T3
Previous APR Score: 995

T5 Rice 994

Previous APR Rank: T15
Previous APR Score: 986

7 Washington 993

Previous APR Rank: 1
Previous APR Score: 999

8 Wisconsin 992

Previous APR Rank: T15
Previous APR Score: 986

T9 Cincinnati 991

Previous APR Rank: T6
Previous APR Score: 990

T9 Ohio State 991

Previous APR Rank: T18
Previous APR Score: 985

T9 Utah 991

Previous APR Rank: T11
Previous APR Score: 988

T12 Boise State 990

Previous APR Rank: T25
Previous APR Score: 981

T12 Wake Forest 990

Previous APR Rank: T6
Previous APR Score: 990

T14 Louisville 988

Previous APR Rank: T20
Previous APR Score: 984

T14 Minnesota 988

Previous APR Rank: T27
Previous APR Score: 980

16 Temple 987

Previous APR Rank: 14
Previous APR Score: 987

T17 Boston College 986

Previous APR Rank: 10
Previous APR Score: 989

T17 Iowa State 986

Previous APR Rank: T31
Previous APR Score: 979

T19 Duke 985

Previous APR Rank: T15
Previous APR Score: 986

T19 Stanford 985

Previous APR Rank: T6
Previous APR Score: 990

T21 Nevada 984

Previous APR Rank: T75
Previous APR Score: 964

T21 Notre Dame 984

Previous APR Rank: T58
Previous APR Score: 970

T21 Pitt 984

Previous APR Rank: T11
Previous APR Score: 988

T21 South Carolina 984

Previous APR Rank: T68
Previous APR Score: 967

T21 UCF 984

Previous APR Rank: T25
Previous APR Score: 981

T21 UNLV 984

Previous APR Rank: T75
Previous APR Score: 964

T27 Arizona State 983

Previous APR Rank: T35
Previous APR Score: 978

T27 Auburn 983

Previous APR Rank: T27
Previous APR Score: 980

T27 Michigan State 983

Previous APR Rank: T109
Previous APR Score: 952

T27 Missouri 983

Previous APR Rank: T49
Previous APR Score: 973

T27 Virginia 983

Previous APR Rank: T52
Previous APR Score: 972

T32 Miami 982

Previous APR Rank: T49
Previous APR Score: 973

T32 Mississippi State 982

Previous APR Rank: T20
Previous APR Score: 984

34 Florida 981

Previous APR Rank: T43
Previous APR Score: 974

T35 Army 980

Previous APR Rank: T41
Previous APR Score: 975

T35 Michigan 980

Previous APR Rank: T27
Previous APR Score: 980

T37 Georgia Tech 979

Previous APR Rank: T35
Previous APR Score: 978

T37 Middle Tennessee 979

Previous APR Rank: T18
Previous APR Score: 985

T39 Eastern Michigan 978

Previous APR Rank: T39
Previous APR Score: 976

T39 Kansas State 978

Previous APR Rank: T35
Previous APR Score: 978

T39 Toledo 978

Previous APR Rank: 23
Previous APR Score: 983

T42 Miami University 977

Previous APR Rank: T49
Previous APR Score: 973

T42 North Carolina 977

Previous APR Rank: T92
Previous APR Score: 959

T42 Rutgers 977

Previous APR Rank: T31
Previous APR Score: 979

T42 SMU 977

Previous APR Rank: T43
Previous APR Score: 974

T46 Arkansas State 976

Previous APR Rank: T52
Previous APR Score: 972

T46 Indiana 976

Previous APR Rank: T61
Previous APR Score: 969

T46 Liberty 976

Previous APR Rank: 98
Previous APR Score: 957

T49 Baylor 975

Previous APR Rank: T43
Previous APR Score: 974

T49 Cal 975

Previous APR Rank: 38
Previous APR Score: 977

T49 USC 975

Previous APR Rank: T58
Previous APR Score: 970

T49 USF 975

Previous APR Rank: T31
Previous APR Score: 979

T53 Georgia State 974

Previous APR Rank: T95
Previous APR Score: 958

T53 NC State 974

Previous APR Rank: T81
Previous APR Score: 962