Athletics

November 10, 2017 | Athletic Communications

Athletics Earns Rising Graduation Rate Score for Fourth Straight Year

With an overall Graduation Success Rate of 89 percent, the UConn score is two points above the national Division I average.

Shabazz Napier '14 (CLAS) walks across the floor at Gampel Pavilion after receiving his diploma case during the midday College of Liberal Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony on May 11, 2014. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

Shabazz Napier '14 (CLAS) of the Men's Basketball team graduates in 2014. The NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate measures the percentage of student-athletes earning a degree within six years of entering college. The 2017 data, which are based on entering classes from 2007 to 2010, show that UConn had an overall GSR of 89 percent, two points above the national Division I average. (Peter Morenus/UConn File Photo)

UConn Athletics posted an overall Graduation Success Rate of 89 percent in 2017, the NCAA announced on Wednesday. This is the fourth year in a row that there has been an increase in the total score. The UConn score is also two points above the national Division I average.

The GSR shows the percentage of student-athletes earning a degree within six years of entering college. The 2017 numbers are based on entering classes from 2007 to 2010. The NCAA developed the GSR to account for student-athletes not tracked by the federal graduation rate, which includes transfers into UConn and student-athletes who transferred from UConn in good academic standing.

Five UConn athletics teams posted perfect GSR scores this year, and a total of 13 Husky squads performed at 90 percent or higher,

Teams that earned a GSR score of 100 percent included women’s basketball and field hockey, a pair of squads that have combined to win 15 national championships; they were joined by men’s and women’s tennis and volleyball.

Eight teams improved upon last year’s score, including the men’s basketball team, which registered a GSR score of 67 percent, up from 22 percent last year.

“The Student-Athlete Success Program staff and our coaches continue to foster a culture of academic success, and our student-athletes have embraced this fully while continuing to perform at elite levels in competition,” director of athletics David Benedict said. “Graduating our student-athletes is and always will be a priority for the UConn Division of Athletics, and this continuing trend of improvement in the Graduation Success Rates is a direct result of that emphasis.”

In addition to the five teams that garnered perfect GSR scores, eight programs posted scores of 90 percent or better, including women’s cross country and track & field (91 percent), women’s ice hockey (93 percent), women’s lacrosse (96 percent), women’s soccer (92 percent), softball (94 percent), women’s swimming (95 percent), baseball (95 percent), and men’s ice hockey (90 percent).

The football team garnered a score of 80 percent, which was an improvement on last year’s 76 percent mark.