Graduation Success Rate for Student-Athletes at 99%
(Above) Josh Perkins was selected to the WCC All-Academic Team in February. Men's basketball achieved a 100 percent GSR score, topping the national average of 81 percent. GU photo
Zags Tie for No. 2 in Nation Behind only Harvard
Courtesy Gonzaga Athletics
INDIANAPOLIS — Gonzaga student-athletes are graduating at a rate of 99 percent according to the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) numbers released by the NCAA on Wednesday, which is tied for the second highest percentage in the nation.
"The hard work and dedication our student-athletes put towards getting their degrees is amazing, and these numbers show that," Director of Athletics Mike Roth said. "They are not only tremendous athletes, but tremendous students as well. And our faculty, coaches and academic support staff have done a great job of supporting them in the classroom and in competition to allow them to flourish. We are all continually impressed with what our student-athletes are able to accomplish. They've set the bar extremely high."
With Harvard posting a 100-percent mark, GU's 99 percent tied Columbia, Dartmouth, Loyola Chicago, Evansville and Yale with the next highest scores. It marks the second straight year that Gonzaga has been at 99 percent as a collective. The NCAA average is 85 percent and the West Coast Conference average is 90 percent.
Ten Gonzaga squads achieved 100-percent GSR scores, including women's basketball for the third straight year and men's basketball for the second straight year. Zags' women's cross country and track and field and women's golf had a perfect 100-percent GSR for the 14th consecutive year each, while men's cross country and track and field (11 straight), men's tennis (10 straight), men's soccer (nine straight), women's soccer (eight straight, 10th time overall), and men's golf (seventh straight) all extended their impressive streaks of 100-percent GSR scores. Women's rowing had a perfect 100-percent GSR for the seventh time in program history.
Bulldog men's soccer was one of only 39 programs in the country to have a 100-percent GSR, and women's rowing was also one of only 39 programs. Men's cross country and track and field (one of 56 programs) and men's basketball (one of 74 programs) were also among an elite small number.
Eleven of GU's 13 countable programs finished above the national average in their respective sports. Seven of those teams finish at least 10 percentage points better than the national average for their sport. Men's basketball achieved a 100 percent GSR score, 19 percentage points higher than the national average of 81 percent for the sport, baseball and men's cross country and track were each 18 percentage points higher in their sports, men's soccer was 15 points higher, and women's basketball and women's cross country and track were each 10 points higher.
According to the NCAA, the Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students than the federal graduation rate. The GSR formula removes from the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere. This calculation makes it a more complete and accurate look at student-athlete success.